good news
No cork in confiscated bats
Sammy Sosa's 76 bats confiscated by baseball officials show no signs of cork.
Officials confiscated the bats from Sosa's locker moments after the Cubs slugger had been ejected in the first inning of last night's 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Sosa's bat broke in two on a ground ball to second and a piece left on the field revealed a foreign object lodged inside the barrel.
The Cubs should learn before tonight's game how long they'll be without star slugger Sammy Sosa, who will likely be suspended for using a corked bat, team president Andy MacPhail said today.
Major League Baseball security officials were at Wrigley last night in preparation for this weekend's series with the New York Yankees and moved quickly.
MLB officials were shown on TV removing the bats from the stadium.
The penalties for using a corked bat have ranged from no suspension (Graig Nettles in 1974) to 10 games (Billy Hatcher in 1987) and MacPhail said he hopes the punishment would reflect the findings of tests on those other bats.
"I think the penalty will be determined by what was in those other 76 bats," MacPhail said today.
"It would be my hope and expectation that the penalty would be less severe (if the other bats were clean)," MacPhail said. "And that 76 clean bats would validate his story."
Sosa said he mistakenly grabbed a bat he uses in batting practice to put a show on for the fans.
MacPhail stands behind his star player.
"I've seen a lot of broken bats from Sosa in the time I've been here and that's the first time I've seen cork come out," he said.
But the bigger issue will be the hit to Sosa's lovable image. "I know I lost the fans, and they have been great to me," Sosa said. "It's a mistake, and I take the blame for it."
When Sosa said the bat was only for batting practice, MacPhail said it would fit the flamboyant persona of a slugger whose relationship with the Wrigley Field fans goes beyond hitting home runs in record numbers.
MacPhail noted that Sosa sprints out to his outfield position before every game to a standing ovation and has a running dialogue with right-field bleachers fans. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he pointed out, Sosa circled the bases after a home run with a tiny American flag.
"There are many aspects of Sammy's game that are driven by fan appreciation," MacPhail said.
"(His reasoning) doesn't surprise me. There was a poll conducted by MLB and Sammy was the most popular player in the game. He makes an effort to appease the fans, so that aspect does not surprise me."
Nonetheless Sosa and the Cubs will take a public relations hit, whether MacPhail feels it is warranted or not.
When asked if Sosa had breached baseball ethics, MacPhail said, "In my view it would be it's a stretch. Independent of this incident there has been a culture of deception in this game, whether it's a guy in the scoreboard with binoculars or a pitcher scuffing the ball, it's been part of the game for over 100 years.
"I do not look at this in terms of ethics. It's in the culture of the game. I would hope that we would get away from it. But it is what it is."
Sammy Sosa was ejected in the first inning when umpires found cork in his shattered bat. What are your thoughts?
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What is wrong America! No one can make a mistake anymore without being branded . All his remaining bats have been checked and all are legit. That should prove without a doubt mistakes can happen. He is one of the best power hitters in the game. And I will still wear my Cubs on my heart.
Submitted by: Glenn Rusinski
5:39 PM CDT, Jun 4, 2003
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What is the difference between a guy corking his bat and a team playing with more than twice the payroll of most other teams? Both ruin the integrity of the sport by giving themselves an unfair advantage
