Sosa Is After The Fans' Hearts Again
So what if he corked his bat? So what if steroid rumors swirled around his name? So what if he left the dugout Randy Moss style? Sammy Sosa is still one of the most lovable characters in baseball.
After the strike of '94, it was Sosa, along with Mark McGwire, who put baseball back into the minds and hearts of the American people. The two of them hit longer, more majestic home runs more frequently than anyone had ever seen before. They were two good people, never trash talking or bickering, but embracing and cheering one another. When Big Mac hit 70, Sosa's 66 was delegated to the runner-up position. But he was classy in defeat, and people loved him for that as well.
Now Sosa has done it again. In a league where players demand more money not because they need it, but because they don't want to be insulted by accepting less money than inferior players, Sosa has agreed not to demand that the Orioles extend his contract before the trade is complete. Granted, it's a small step. But it shows that there are some rational players still out there. Many wouldn't have agreed to the trade because they would lose out on guaranteed money. Sosa, it appears, sees the bigger picture.
Before you go feeling sorry for him, realize that Sammy will still make more than $17 this season alone, and hasn't waived his $4.5 million buy-out for the option year of the contract. Still, the media tends to focus solely on controversial news as a way to entice viewers/readers/listeners, and it's nice to focus on something good for once.
So hats off to Sammy Sosa. The man with the twinkling smile who plays for the love of the game...And 17 mil.
After the strike of '94, it was Sosa, along with Mark McGwire, who put baseball back into the minds and hearts of the American people. The two of them hit longer, more majestic home runs more frequently than anyone had ever seen before. They were two good people, never trash talking or bickering, but embracing and cheering one another. When Big Mac hit 70, Sosa's 66 was delegated to the runner-up position. But he was classy in defeat, and people loved him for that as well.
Now Sosa has done it again. In a league where players demand more money not because they need it, but because they don't want to be insulted by accepting less money than inferior players, Sosa has agreed not to demand that the Orioles extend his contract before the trade is complete. Granted, it's a small step. But it shows that there are some rational players still out there. Many wouldn't have agreed to the trade because they would lose out on guaranteed money. Sosa, it appears, sees the bigger picture.
Before you go feeling sorry for him, realize that Sammy will still make more than $17 this season alone, and hasn't waived his $4.5 million buy-out for the option year of the contract. Still, the media tends to focus solely on controversial news as a way to entice viewers/readers/listeners, and it's nice to focus on something good for once.
So hats off to Sammy Sosa. The man with the twinkling smile who plays for the love of the game...And 17 mil.
posted by Joe Siple | 4:00 PM
3 Comments:
I don't know Joe. Sosa is still the guy who left early from a game in a team sport and thern lied about it to the Cubs. (Sosa was the capt. of the Cubs) As a captain and the best player on the LHS baseball team how many times did you leave early from games that were already decided or meaningless.(HVL championship game)
100% agree. Not sure I can love this guy after he left 10 minutes into the game. I mean it was not 2 seconds of a loss, but the whole game. He was the captain, not Mickey Hatcher. I think he is on the downside of his career and is a cancer to any clubhouse. He seems to be getting more irritable as the years go by. Rick Reily of SI wants him to prove he is steroid free and he freaks out - (possible Roid rage?). As fans of the game we demand more from the players that wear the "C". It is the job description that comes with being the captain. If he wanted to be just another player that happens to be the superstar then great, but you take on another responsibility when you have that "C" sew into the jersey.
Tough to argue with that logic. Perhaps I focused too much on Sosa's small concession on the money issue and not enough on the larger issue of acting like a team captain?
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