My Reaction to the News That Sammy Sosa Cheated

As you already know, The New York Times is reporting that Sammy Sosa tested positive for steroids back in 2003. This is the same list that brought out A-Rod as a steroid user.
As a Cubs fan who vividly remembers that 2003 season, I feel like I should let you know how a true Cubs fan like myself feels about this news.

Sosa and McGwire were both caught in the magical Homerun chase of 1998. Sosa is the only player in baseball history to hit 60 homeruns thrice.

I want to know who the other 102 names are, and pronto! It doesn't matter to me anymore who tested positive. It's not a suprise. After A-Rod, then Manny, now Sammy. I would still like to know who the rest of the names are.

(For now, refer back to "Can You Believe It has been Ten Years since this Happened?")
("Steroids ruined the game. They have ruined many people's trust in the Homerun, as people want to check the slugger's arms now to see if the homeruns are legit. Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa were all caught in the steroids cloud. It was guilt by Association for them.

In 2005, after Rafael Palmeiro vehemently denied using steroids in front of congress, Major League Baseball then announced that Palmeiro had tested positive for Steroids, continuing to destroy the game. Palmeiro hasn't found a job since.

Steroids have killed the game. It may never again get the same type of mentioning it got back in that Sensational Summer of 1998 because all of us were so blind to what was going on behind the scenes.")

I believe that even more now than I did when I wrote that last September.

Baseball needs to reveal the rest of the list so that Baseball can try, (Key word: TRY) to put "The Steroids Era" behind them. Everyone playing in this era is under suspicion. Just ask Raul Ibanez of the Phillies about suspicion.

I'm not suprised anymore. Bring on the rest of those names so we may find out who else juiced!

The faster baseball reveals the rest of those names, the faster they can move on.

Report: Sosa Failed Drug Test in 2003

The New York Times reports on its Web site that former slugger Sammy Sosa tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2003.


Chicago Cubs' Fans react to the news.


You've seen Tim Kurkjian, Peter Gammons, and other Cubs fans react to the news.

Report: Sosa Tested Positive In 2003

Sammy Sosa is one of the major league baseball players who tested positive for a banned substance in 2003, The New York Times is reporting, citing lawyers who have knowledge of the drug-testing results from that year


Mark Fainaru-Wada talks about Sammy Sosa.


Tim Kurkjian weighs in On Sosa's Hall Of Fame Chances.

Sammy Sosa Will Not Return To Rangers In 2008

Sammy Sosa won't be back for another season in Texas.

Rangers GM Jon Daniels and Sosa's agent, Adam Katz, told ESPN.com on Friday night that Texas was interested in bringing Sosa back in a more limited role than last season. But Sosa has decided to look for a team that can offer him more playing time.

"Sammy is very grateful and thankful to Texas for giving him this opportunity and for being receptive to bringing him back this season," Katz said. "But Sammy still wants to play -- ideally in a situation where he could get 400 to 500 plate appearances. If the right situation presents itself, he's available."

Katz said his conversations with the Rangers focused almost exclusively on Sosa's prospective role with the club this season. The Rangers have acquired Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley this winter and couldn't guarantee Sosa that he would come anywhere close to the 454 plate appearances he got last season.

"Our experience with Sammy was very positive last year, so we were open to at least explore different possibilities," Daniels told ESPN.com. "Sammy's looking for a role which doesn't make sense for where we're going at this point. I wish him the best."

Sosa's career had appeared all but over until the Rangers gave him a chance to revive it last season. Almost no one would have guessed that he would wind up leading the team's regulars in home runs (21) and slugging (.468) or that he would finish third in the American League -- behind only Alex Rodriguez and Magglio Ordonez -- in RBIs per plate appearance.

But the Rangers are retooling, and Sosa still believes he can play. So he's working out regularly, hitting every day and looking for "the right situation," Katz said. Several teams have kicked Sosa's tires this winter, but he has no concrete offers at this point, Katz said.

Congrarulations Sammy Sosa: 600 Career Homeruns

Congratulations to Sammy Sosa, who hit career homerun number 600 tonight against his former team, the Chicago Cubs. Sammy joins Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays as the only players in Major League Baseball History to hit 600 or more career homeruns. Sosa homered on an 1-2 count against Jason Marquis.

This homerun by Sammy was, by and by, Poetic Justice. Sammy hits number 600 against his former team, the Cubs. Sammy homered off of Jason Marquis, who is wearing Sammy's nummber, 21. The game was broadcast on WGN so all of Chicago could watch Slammin' Sammy hit number 600. Tommorow is the eighteenth aniversary of Sammy's First Career Homerun. There are just so many things about that homerun that it was Poetic Justice.

As a Cubs fan and a guy who watched Sammy Sosa play at Wrigley Field on August 14,2002, I say: Bravo Sammy! You did It! Six Hundred! Sammy! Sammy! Sammy!