Sosa Suspended for Eight Games

[#1PaFan]

It's on ESPN News right now. There isn't a link yet.... Cubs VP & GM Jim Hendry says Corky will appeal.

[Bozidar]

well, he'll play the yanks then, but at least MLB did the right thing..

[#1PaFan]

Yeah, MLB did do the right thing. I think though that if Corky just accepted the suspension now, MLB would probably try to talk him into appealing. They don't want to see his bat out of the lineup against the Yanks.

[Bozidar]

Originally posted by #1PaFan
Yeah, MLB did do the right thing. I think though that if Corky just accepted the suspension now, MLB would probably try to talk him into appealing. They don't want to see his bat out of the lineup against the Yanks.

the way he's hitting right now, and the added pressure of the Yankees coming to town?

I don't want him out of the lineup either!!

[#1PaFan]

Originally posted by Bozidar
the way he's hitting right now, and the added pressure of the Yankees coming to town?

I don't want him out of the lineup either!!

That's certainly true. He'll break out of it against us though. Hey, to make matters worse, my Linguists will also have to face him.

[Flaz]

CHICAGO -- Sammy Sosa was suspended for eight games by Major League Baseball Friday for using a corked bat, and he immediately appealed the decision.

The appeal had to be filed before Friday's game -- the first of a three-game series against the New York Yankees -- to make Sosa available to play.

"We support him in his appeal," Chicago Cubsgeneral manager Jim Hendry said. "We have no reason to believe it was anything more than a one-time incident."

A piece of cork was found just above the handle in Sosa's bat Tuesday night when it shattered after he grounded out in the first inning of the Cubs' 3-2 victory. Sosa didn't deny the corked bat was his, but he said it was a batting practice bat he had grabbed by accident.

"Some punishment is in order. Hopefully, it can be reduced," Hendry said.

He noted that Sosa "has been shattering bats his whole career" and no other corked bats had been found.

"I think he feels badly that he's going to be sitting out some games," Hendry added.

Bob Watson, baseball's vice president in charge of discipline, met with Cubs manager Dusty Baker and Hendry at Wrigley Field on Thursday, then returned to New York. Watson did not talk to Sosa.

Other players who have used corked bats have been suspended for up to 10 games. The Cubs had hoped that Sosa's cooperation, as well as the fact that no cork was found in any of his 81 bats that were checked, would work in his favor.

The Hall of Fame said Thursday that X-rays or CT scans of its five Sosa bats showed no cork or anything else that would violate baseball rules. Baseball officials didn't find anything in 76 bats confiscated from Sosa's locker after he was ejected from Tuesday night's game, either.

"The sad part about the whole thing is that he had 70-some bats and it's like you still don't believe it. That's what's unfair," Baker said. "He was wrong with that one bat. It was a bad decision."

Boston Red Sox ace Boston pitching ace Pedro Martinez came to his Dominican countryman's defense, saying the incident was being blown out of proportion because of racial bias by the media.

"If it was (Mark) McGwire, it would still be a big deal, but not like this," Martinez said. "We might be Latin and minorities, but we're not dumb. We see everything that happens."

Several other players have been caught or have admitted using a corked bat. But none has had the gaudy resumé of Sosa.

In a five-year stretch from 1998-02, Sosa hit 292 home runs. He's the only player to hit 60 or more homers in three seasons, hitting 66 in 1998, 63 in 1999 and 64 in 2001.

He's No. 17 on the career list with 505 homers. And at just 34, many believe he'll have a chance at Hank Aaron's record of 755 homers.

Sosa insists he's never done anything illegal.

"I feel very bad for having used that bat, but my conscience is clean," Sosa said Thursday. "I'm not a criminal nor someone who intended to deceive or take advantage of others."

Watson spent about two hours at Wrigley, meeting with Baker, Hendry, Cubs president Andy MacPhail and clubhouse manager Tom Hellmann, then went back to New York.

Baker said his meeting with Watson wasn't an interview so much as an explanation of what Watson was doing.

"I called him Judge Dread. He thought it was pretty funny," Baker said. "He just wanted to let me know that they're going to try to come up with a quick decision, a fair decision. Whatever happens after that it's up to Sammy and the organization, if we want to appeal it."

Not only is this weekend the teams' first meeting at Wrigley since the 1938 World Series, but Roger Clemens goes for his 300th career win Saturday against fellow Texan Kerry Wood. The games Saturday and Sunday will be broadcast nationally, with 90 percent of the country seeing the Clemens-Wood matchup on Fox.

[Carissa]

Sosa suspended for eight games
By NANCY ARMOUR, AP Sports Writer
June 6, 2003

CHICAGO (AP) -- Sammy Sosa was suspended for eight games by major league baseball Friday for using a corked bat, and he immediately appealed the decision.

The appeal had to be filed before Friday's game -- the first of a three-game series against the New York Yankees -- to make Sosa available to play.

``We support him in his appeal,'' Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said. ``We have no reason to believe it was anything more than a one-time incident.''


A piece of cork was found just above the handle in Sosa's bat Tuesday night when it shattered after he grounded out in the first inning of the Chicago Cubs' 3-2 victory. Sosa didn't deny the corked bat was his, but he said it was a batting practice bat that he had grabbed by accident.

``Some punishment is in order. Hopefully, it can be reduced,'' Hendry said.

He noted that Sosa ``has been shattering bats his whole career'' and no other corked bats had been found.

``I think he feels badly that he's going to be sitting out some games,'' Hendry added.

Bob Watson, baseball's vice president in charge of discipline, met with Cubs manager Dusty Baker and Hendry at Wrigley Field on Thursday, but did not talk to Sosa.

Other players who have used corked bats have been suspended for up to 10 games. The Cubs had hoped that Sosa's cooperation, as well as the fact that no cork was found in any of his 81 bats that were checked, would work in his favor.

The Hall of Fame said Thursday that X-rays or CT scans of its five Sosa bats showed no cork or anything else that would violate baseball rules. Baseball officials didn't find anything in 76 bats confiscated from Sosa's locker after he was ejected from Tuesday night's game, either.

``The sad part about the whole thing is that he had 70-some bats and it's like you still don't believe it. That's what's unfair,'' Baker said. ``He was wrong with that one bat. It was a bad decision.''

Boston Red Sox ace Boston pitching ace Pedro Martinez came to his Dominican countryman's defense, saying the incident was being blown out of proportion because of racial bias by the media.

``If it was (Mark) McGwire, it would still be a big deal, but not like this,'' Martinez said. ``We might be Latin and minorities, but we're not dumb. We see everything that happens.''

Several other players have been caught or have admitted using a corked bat. But none has had the gaudy resume of Sosa.

In a five-year stretch from 1998-02, he hit 292 home runs. He's the only player to hit 60 or more homers in three seasons, hitting 66 in 1998, 63 in 1999 and 64 in 2001.

He's No. 17 on the career list with 505 homers. And at just 34, many believe he'll have a chance at Hank Aaron's record of 755 homers.

Sosa insists he's never done anything illegal.

``I feel very bad for having used that bat, but my conscience is clean,'' Sosa said Thursday. ``I'm not a criminal nor someone who intended to deceive or take advantage of others.''

Watson spent about two hours at Wrigley, meeting with Baker, Hendry, Cubs president Andy MacPhail and clubhouse manager Tom Hellmann, then went back to New York.

Baker said his meeting with Watson wasn't an interview so much as an explanation of what Watson was doing.

``I called him Judge Dread. He thought it was pretty funny,'' Baker said. ``He just wanted to let me know that they're going to try to come up with a quick decision, a fair decision. Whatever happens after that it's up to Sammy and the organization, if we want to appeal it.''

Not only is this weekend the teams' first meeting at Wrigley since the 1938 World Series, but Roger Clemens goes for his 300th career win Saturday against fellow Texan Kerry Wood. The games Saturday and Sunday will be broadcast nationally, with 90 percent of the country seeing the Clemens-Wood matchup on Fox.


Updated on Friday, Jun 6, 2003 1:03 pm EDT

[Bozidar]

anyone else leaving work early today to go watch the game?

I don't mind Sosa hitting against us now, because he's slumping, but if he was on fire i'd be pretty pissed about it.

Here's to hoping the yanks keep his bats, be they legal or not, asleep!

[Bozidar]

btw, Dusty Baker is a putz too. In a dugout interview yesturday he was rambling about how this will blow over soon, nothing is permenant. He actually said: "The Nixon thing, that's not around anymore. Bush, not around anymore. Clinton, not around anymore" -- or something like that.

I honestly think he may have a version of teretts syndrome where just random stupidity spews from his gullet..

[staticm]

in 10 years, i don't think anybody will remember this. if they do.. it'll be more like a "hey remember when" rather than a "he was a cheater"

[silverdsl]

Personally I would have liked to have seen Sosa (and the rest of the players in the past who have been caught cheating) suspended for 30 days. That would send a message that cheating is a real no-no. Eight games is a lot but in the grand scheme of things it's not going to have that much effect on his season. Especially with the way he's been hitting.

It would also have been nice if Selig had released some sort of statement about how wrong it was that Sosa was using a corked bat and how bad it is for the integrity of the game. Even if it really was an accident that he picked that bat up it seems that MLB should be taking a stand on this issue. Maybe they don't really care that he used the corked bat only that he got caught doing it.

-Deborah

[Flaz]

Originally posted by staticm
in 10 years, i don't think anybody will remember this. if they do.. it'll be more like a "hey remember when" rather than a "he was a cheater"

I agree. I don't think this is going to hurt Corky's legace in the long run.

[DkNNy79]

Originally posted by Bozidar
anyone else leaving work early today to go watch the game?

I am!! I will be rooting for the boys in the comfort of my living room!

[ojo]

if baseball wanted to send a message they'd have the appeal hearing today. but they don't so they won't.


i mean, the cubs just raped their fans for $1500 a ticket right???

[junkman73]

if baseball wanted to send a message they'd have the appeal hearing today. but they don't so they won't.

The offense shouldn't even be eligible for an appeal. He was caught red-handed using a corked bat. What other evidence is there to review??

[ctyanksfan1]

Exactly what grounds are there for an appeal?

Also, it seems to me that any time anyone is suspended, they automatically appeal. It seems like a mindless, knee-jerk reation.

[#1PaFan]

Originally posted by ctyanksfan1
Exactly what grounds are there for an appeal?

Also, it seems to me that any time anyone is suspended, they automatically appeal. It seems like a mindless, knee-jerk reation.

No grounds whatsoever. Hell, he admitted it. But, the right to appeal is guaranteed by the bargaining agreement.