Sammy Sosa - no one really cares

1990 Leaf rookie card #220 - I bought one just like the one pictured for $30.

So Slamming, Corking Sammy Sosa tested for a performance enhancing drug back in 2003 and really no one really cares anymore - it is like Michael Jackson supposedly accused of molesting another kid.

All sorts of home run hitting sluggers juiced and Major League baseball fans are sort of desensitized to it - it is kind of sad that the people [outside of probably the Dominican Republic] who have strong feelings and care to talk about him, blog about him or Tweet about him are the only ones left to really care about his legacy.

As far as his Hall of Fame chances now, he is probably going to have to wait a year longer than Jim Rice did and I think Rice was voted in his last year - so I'm implying he may not ever make it in.

However, I'm not here to pass judgement - I was on the bandwagon, just as I was on the A-Rod's, Manny's, Barry's and Big Mac's among other prominent Steroid Era sluggers.

I would have thought I'd won the lottery back in the spring of 2002 at HoHoKam Park - when I was able to toss my ball over to some lady by Sosa's car and have her get Sosa's autograph for me among the 50-100 people who'd gathered to wait for him to leave during a spring training game.

Sosa was an exciting figure to watch and follow the exploits of - no matter how much you thought of his 'baseball has been berry, berry good to me' crap.

There was a point Sosa got too big [maybe literally] for his own good - where he couldn't be touched or approached, signed for just the cameras [basically signing when everyone is taking your picture to show you are 'fan friendly' when you could care less] and his image was nothing more than a crummy act.

In his latter years as a 'superstar,' Sosa still put up dominant numbers, but also corked a bat and also left a Cubs game early, during a regular season game - maybe if he didn't become such a douche in the years following the 1998 season, maybe wouldn't have such a big target on his back.

While I still kind of think it was a classless move when Rick Reilly challenged Sosa to pee in a cup - it seems Reilly's middle-age angst over this one particular Major League player and the particular era he played seems more than justified now and it is kind of sad if you think about it.

Jose Canseco was right again - Major League Baseball is a mafia that works to glorify players in their prime and tosses them out when the league has no need for them. Leak all the names now if you must.

I think if Major League Baseball outs A-Rod and Sosa as having tested positive for PEDS - then the rest of the names of the other players should come out. Let the hammer fall.

Fan reaction at Bleed Cubbie Blue - where those interested in the Cubs gather online.