From the sidelines: Sosa emerges from the shadows with style

COURTESY SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

You cannot respect Sosa fully for the dignified way he has handled the situation unless you recognize just how strange his circumstances are. He's chasing a record that has not really been in serious jeopardy since it was set by Roger Maris in 1961. He set a record of his own for home runs in a month by clouting 20 in June and has been on a pace to, if not break the record, come extremely close to it ever since. In any other year, Sosa would have had all the glory--and pressure--to himself. He would be the only one fielding questions from reporters across the nation; he would be the only one having his at-bats watched religiously by millions of fans. In short, he would have been the darling of baseball.

But in this bizarre aberration of a season, one man has truly stolen the show, a giant larger than life: Mark McGwire. McGwire is the modern era's closest thing to Babe Ruth, the standard by which all sluggers are judged. His sheer bulk is frightening--forearms the size of an average neck and biceps considerably larger than that. The massive, chiseled McGwire is a tremendous physical specimen with seemingly superhuman strength, capable of hitting a baseball further than anyone on the planet. (I'll put the questionable substance issue aside, as the subject has been the tedious focus of much debate.) Remarkably, he has routinely hit 500-foot blasts, wowing packed ballparks all season long. McGwire comes across as a machine, well-built for its task, but utterly lacking in personality. At times reticent, Big Mac wasn't having any fun chasing Maris until a glance over at his rival Sosa showed him that it was possible to hit home runs and enjoy life at the same time. So he finally loosened up a bit and became a little more outgoing.

Sosa, on the other hand, has been a joy to watch since Opening Day. A mere six feet and 200 pounds (tiny next to McGwire), the Cub is aware that he is a home run hitter of a different mold. What he may lack in sheer strength he more than makes up for in style. His wide smile, flashy home run trot, and charming accent make him a pleasure to watch. Aside from the home runs, he is everything that McGwire is not. A more interesting contrast rarely comes along.

While McGwire has seemed destined for his magical season (hitting 49 his rookie year and over 50 in each of the past two seasons), Sosa, at least to the casual fan, has come out of right field. While he hit 112 home runs over the previous three years, Sosa had never hit more than 40 in one year, and when he became a contender to break the record, many shook their heads and wondered, "Who is this guy?"

Despite not getting the recognition he deserves, Sosa has insisted graciously and genuinely that he has been overjoyed to see McGwire do what he has done. Sosa has heaped praise on the Cardinal slugger and hasn't shown the slightest trace of envy.

As McGwire approached the record, every one of his games was nationally televised. Just as he had stolen the show all summer long, he stole the ultimate prize on Tues., Sept. 8, beating Sammy to 62 in a moment that baseball fans will never forget. The line drive that just barely cleared the left field wall in Busch Stadium kicked off a celebration that lasted for days. Fittingly, Sosa was on the field at the time, graciously applauding Big Mac as he rounded the bases. Less than a week later, Sosa went on a tear that earned him the fabled 62 and a tie with McGwire. Most people only saw the replay of Sosa's heroics on Sports-center, but his accomplishment was every bit as phenomenal as McGwire's.

Now we have a home-run race on our hands that has far surpassed all that have come before it. Think of how fascinating it would be if Sosa were to finish with more four-baggers than McGwire. Sammy will surely smile about it. Hopefully Mark will be able to do the same.

Photo courtesy Sports Illustrated.

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