Sammys corked bat incident...what do you think?

[audflash]

It would show up on an x-ray. The opposing manager can challenge a bat and have it x-rayed but only once a game. Stands to reason that if a particular bat is examined it would be corked bats all around for the rest of the game. It is very rare that a bat is called into question -

A sports memorabilia dealer brought a Sammy homerun bat to ESPN today and they cut it open - $7000 (at least) gesture to prove that Sammy is innocent. No cork but who believes that Sammy (or any other player) would let a corked bat get out to the general public?

I'm not really a baseball nut but today I chose to listen to this on sports radio instead of Hillary's new book outtakes - gag. I drive around all day and I'm already sick of hearing about Hillary and Martha.

 

[Kallison]

I'll tell you what my 10 year old baseball worshipping son thinks - He broke the story to us at dinner and kept saying "He cheated, he cheated, why would he cheat, why I don't understand?" My DH tried to explain to him about SS being in a slump but he kept saying "Why would he cheat?" That is the impression he has left on my son, from someone he worships to he is a cheater.

Derek Jeter would never do something like that!

 

[Raysplus1]

Unfortunately, this will tarnish his outstanding career. I do believe he did know he was using the corked bat and I also think it is because he is in a slump.

I just wonder how many times did this bat get him out of a slump before? Also is this the bat he used to hit all of the monster shots in the homerun derby?

From now on if he continues to put up any kind of numbers people will always wonder if what he is doing is with a legal bat.

 

[Pop Daddy]

whats the big deal, cheating is allowed in BaseBall, you try to spit on the ball, and steal sighns, its all part of the fun

 

[goofygirl]

I don't buy that it was a "mistake" either.


The more he talks, the more guilty he seems.

He should, uh, "put a cork in it."

 

[Bunchkin]

There are no mistakes in baseball, only bad players.

And this stincks of bad player!!! Big Time!!!!

I say, take your gazillions of dollars and go back home!!

 

[Penny2]

At first I was ready to say.....he's guilty.... but not wanting to rush to judgement I waited. Now they are saying on the news that they tested all his other 76 bats and none of them were corked.

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and say it was an honest mistake. Understand the explanation about using a 'stacked deck' bat for practice. After all, batting practice is more for the fans....does anyone really think these guys need to practice before a game except for a little warm up???? No, it's part of the 'marketing' of the team, to get more fans into the stands and buying more snacks and t-shirts.

Have to agree, though, that it is sad that most of our children's heroes tend to be professional atheletes. Many of who are children themselves and act like it! When I was a kid it was astronauts and presidents (go figure)...authors and scientists. I thought nothing was better than dreaming about the past deeds of our nations heroes....Washington, Lincoln, Edison, Anthony, Roosevelt, Stowe. I sure don't remember my true heroes being baseball and basketball players....except a few like Roger Maris and Kareem. Of course, we didn't know as much about any public figure's private life as we do now....not sure we are better off knowing either!!

 

[bambii]

were clean. Im happy it was a mistake and he was telling the truth.

I saw a story on tv. tonight about the company that makes the bats Louisville sluggers and they have did test and the cork acually makes no difference in how a person hits, it acually is a waste of time...

I dont understand Sammy got ejected for a bat with a piece of cork the size of a quarter, but Mcguire can use a drug to help his performance.

 

[Grog]

I was watching the news last night and they were interviewing Glenn Wilson who used to play for the Astros and Pirates and now runs a baseball school here. He showed how a bat is corked and said that if you pick up a corked bat by mistake you know the difference because it feels different than a regular bat. He also mentioned that he didn't think it made that much of a difference in a hitter's swing.

 

[honeywolf7]

Bambii, the "drugs" McGwire uses are not illegal. They are creatine (spelling?) which a lot of athletes and people who go to the gym and work out use.

 

[peg2001]

OMG!! I don't follow sports or the news very closely. This morning, I heard a snippet about "x-raying bats" on the radio and I pictured the cute little flying creatures that come out at night. I couldn't imagine why they were being x-rayed!! It wasn't until I saw this thread that I learned my error.

Peggy

 

[Minnie824]

All 72 of his bats were clean. Im happy it was a mistake and he was telling the truth.

How is one related to the other? He's not dumb enough to have 50 corked bats at the same time. He knows which one it is, and he doesnt need more than one at a time. He still had a corked bat! He's guilty of that and needs to deal with the same consequeces as anyone else would.

As to why he would cheat....why not? Like most athletes, he cares more about himself and what he can accomplish than his fans.

He cheated. He got caught. He needs to get punished. End of story.

 

[Bob NC]

Sosa is a professional batter. He's had a bat in his hands for hours and hours a day for years and years. Let me tell you, these guys KNOW their equipment. When they get a shipment of bats in they go thru them one by one....They throw out the ones that "feel", light or heavy, they throw out the ones that they don't feel the grain looks right. They dump the ones that just don't "look" right. Imagine Tiger Woods playing a round of golf at a tournament, then looking in his bag and saying, "WOW, I didn't notice I played the round with that K-Mart driver I had sitting around". It just doesn't happen. As soon as Sosa picked up that bat he knew it wasn't his "game" bat. This is a professional that has only ONE tool of his trade....Lemme tell ya, he knows his tool.

 

[Doctor P]

Speculation is also that MLB and MLB security did not move quickly enough. There was certainly time to alter the evidence in the Cubs clubhouse. I can't believe that the ignorant and blind fans gave this idiot a standing ovation last night. Give me a break.

 

[Grog]

I dont understand Sammy got ejected for a bat with a piece of cork the size of a quarter

The cork is usually as big around as a quarter, but may be several inches in length

 

[Toby'sFriend]

Speculation is also that MLB and MLB security did not move quickly enough. There was certainly time to alter the evidence in the Cubs clubhouse.

There were reports this morning on ESPN radio that there was a significant period of time that MLB Officials were unable to gain access to the Cubs clubhouse.

I am highly doubtful that it was a mistake and I was also disappointed in the standing ovation. I think it would have sent a much better message to the fans if D. Baker would have benched Sosa last night. To me that would have truly said, "We care about the fans and the integrity of baseball and we refuse to let this sport be turned into a WWF spectacle."

Let's face it, Sammy is playing like crap anyway and the Cubs are probably a stronger team without him.

I'm disgusted that he will be able to play in the Yankees Series this weekend.

 

[Steve H.]

Originally posted by Toby'sFriend
I'm disgusted that he will be able to play in the Yankees Series this weekend.

Honestly, even if they had passed down a suspension by now (which they should have by this point), MLB would just let him appeal the decision until they're done playing the Yankees. Happens all the time -- they basically just let the players and teams decide when a suspended player serves their suspension.

 

[Figment22]

Originally posted by Toby'sFriend
I am highly doubtful that it was a mistake and I was also disappointed in the standing ovation. I think it would have sent a much better message to the fans if D. Baker would have benched Sosa last night. To me that would have truly said, "We care about the fans and the integrity of baseball and we refuse to let this sport be turned into a WWF spectacle."

I agree with you but it's not likely that Dusty would bench Sammy when he came out totally behind him in the post game press conference and then went so far as to say that he had never even seen a corked bat Give me a break! Meanwhile,
Baseball Tonight has footage from about a year ago where Buck
Showalter is actually showing us how to do it! (I just love Buck )

I certainly don't believe that Sammy did this just this one time but I wish MLB would just give him the suspension so he can appeal,
serve the reduced sentence (MLB always seems to do this) and then try to move forward past this.