Major League Baseball authorities in the US have accepted Dominican player Sammy Sosa?s apologies and reduced his suspension from eight to seven games, following an incident last week in which he was found to be using a corked bat. Sosa had appealed the original sanction, amid his claims that the use of the illegal bat was accidental. The papers today are reporting that, despite the disgrace, the Dominican Chamber of Deputies plans to honor Sosa on 13 July for his “great achievements in sport, his discipline and professionalism?and strong Dominican identity as a Major League baseball player.” The decision to grant this honor was made yesterday as a gesture of support for the beleaguered Chicago Cubs player.