Sammy Sosa

I asked my Mom what she thought about steroids in baseball, and she laughed. It sounded like a, "I don't really care" laugh, so I pressed her and she said that she thought it was bad.

She thought it wasn't good that some players had an unfair advantage.

It's refreshing to ask people who don't really care about baseball what they think about America's past-time. Mostly because they don't have a vested interest, it helps you to realize that some things in life are more important than asterisks in the record books.

I heard some crazy news last week. Sammy Sosa, the man that represents what integrity is all about in the sport of baseball, is officially a scumbag.

The corked bat was an accident? I guess not. Those stories about how he was a terrible teammate? I guess they're true. I mean it's amazing. How long did it take us to realize that Sammy Sosa was a liar, fraud, and in some cases, a cheat. Really?

Another one bites the dust.

With this week's disappointing, yet predictable news that Sammy Sosa failed a drug test in 2003, the running list of great home run hitters linked to PED's continues to grow.  

While many people had already subconsciously assumed this to be true, the news put another dark cloud over America's past time once again.  

Then, the discussions began, does Sammy Sosa still belong in the Hall of Fame?

He was suspicions all along, portraying weird facial features of guilt. Though, suspicion minds followed Sammy Sosa as if he was baseball’s villain and the next juice bust of the "Steroid Era."

In the storied history of the Chicago Cubs franchise, there are very few numbers that are retired from use. Those players that have been qualified as the best of the franchise's history proudly have their numbers hanging on flags from each foul pole.

Ernie Banks is the first, and most obvious, name and number that come to mind. He's "Mr. Cub" and is still the face of the franchise.

Billy Williams and Ron Santo, Banks' partners in the middle of the Cubs' order in the 1960's, have their numbers flying proudly from the poles as well.

This piece was originally published on June 4, 2009 when Sammy Sosa announced he would retire.

In a move that was typical of the strange ending of his baseball career, Sammy Sosa announced Wednesday that he'll announce his retirement sometime soon.

That's right, an announcement that he's going to make an announcement.

Sosa has seen an incredibly awkward fall from grace on Chicago's North Side, where he became one of the greatest power hitters in the history of the game.

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When Alex Rodriguez's name was linked to a 2003 list of players who had tested positive for performance enhancing drugs during the survey testing that season, it sparked a media frenzy that even the Mitchell Report couldn't touch.

There is a reason Selena Roberts didn't write a book about Jason Grimsley, Chuck Knoblauch or any of the others who were named in the report, even though many had hard evidence linking them to steroid or HGH use: The Public doesn't care about non-stars.

The New York Times is reporting that lawyers with knowledge of MLB's 2003 drug tests say Sammy Sosa tested positive for PEDs that year.

In other news, the earth is round.

So it's not that shocking. But it does make me wonder why only A-Rod and Sammy have had their test results publicised.

What about the rest of the 104 players on that list? 

In each case, the timing was curious.

Selina Roberts was writing a book about A-Rod. Meanwhile, Sammy was on the verge of formally announcing his retirement, saying he was a lock for the HOF.

I remember a time growing up when I was just a naive, young kid.

I loved the game of baseball, and still do. In 1998, I was 8-years-old and in the prime of my childhood.

It was a simpler time then. The Yankees were the best team baseball had ever seen, and the Red Sox couldn't buy a playoff win.

But above all, in the middle of that summer, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire captivated me.