Uncorked in Chicago

On Tuesday June 4, 2003, Sammy Sosa was ejected in the first inning in a game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for using a corked bat.

Sosa claims that he took the wrong bat out and he only uses the corked bat for batting practice and exhibitions where he wants to give the fans a show.

Hmmmmm... Don't you think Sosa would have felt the obvious weight difference as soon as he took this alleged batting practice bat out?

Maybe, maybe not. Even if he intentionally meant to take that corked bat onto the field, why in the world would Sosa feel the need to cheat against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays?

It boggles the mind to try and figure out what Sosa was thinking but his actions will reverberate throughout the entire league not to mention taint his astounding accomplishments.

Hitting a baseball has been said as the hardest thing to do in sports.

The timing, the coordination and the strength needed to consistently make solid contact are unparalleled in any other sport.

That's why the great hitters like Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds are held in such high reverence.

When Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa raced to become the single season home run record holder in 1998, the country was captivated by not only at the run at history but with "Big Mac" and Slammin' Sammy Sosa themselves.

The child in all of us watched in amazement as these two great athletes slugged it out to break the most recognized record in sports.

Sosa's "aw shucks, I'm just happy to be here, baseball has been berry berry good to me," attitude made him an instant household name and one of the most loveable athletes in our era.

McGwire resurrected his career in St. Louis and became the model for the prototypical slugger.

The home run record was eventually broken by both men with McGwire at 70 and Sosa with 66.

Three years later Barry Bonds broke the record again with 73 but with less fanfare and hoopla than in 1998, we've been there, done that.

Home runs are hard to come by and watching baseballs fly into the stratosphere is an exhilarating experience.

Sosa and McGwire placed baseball on the front page again even if it was only for a short period of time.

Then came McGwire's announcement that he was taking Androstenedione, a steroid like substance that increases testosterone levels. Somehow his accomplishments were a little bit tarnished, he made the home run record un-pure in a purists game.

Now, Sosa has been caught using an illegal bat.

The question is now, how long has he been using the bat and did he use it to hit any of his 505 home runs?

Tough questions indeed. Sosa is already apologizing profusely to his fans and to the MLB.

There is no doubt he will be suspended for his actions and his home runs from now on will be clouded in just a little bit of skepticism.

But what Sosa has already accomplished is a feat that only a handful of players can lay claim to.

Cheating in baseball is so subtle that it would take something like a broken bat or a dropped nail file for umpires to even notice any improprieties are happening.

Not that I am condoning it, but it happens. There is no hiding the fact that players are stronger, faster, have access to diet supplements which give them super human stamina and strength, which all lead to more runs being scored and more home runs being jacked.

Sosa is just one of the guys to be blamed for this shift in the way the game is played.

He became a victim of his own success. Now he has to pay the consequences of his actions.

Time will forgive Sosa and, eventually, his numbers will speak for themselves in baseball lore.

But right now, Sosa better incorporate the same attitude he had back in 1998, the humble Sammy, the happy to be just playing everyday Sammy, the grateful Sammy, because unlike 1998, when he had McGwire to share the spotlight, there is nobody around now to deflect the scrutiny he will receive in the coming weeks.