“Oh, what a country!”
So said Sammy Sosa at Wrigley Field Tuesday night as he and Mark McGwire went head-to-head in the Roger Maris home run chase.
“Sometimes I say to myself, `I am a very lucky person to be in this country,” Sosa insisted. “It is like a gift to me.”
And he held two fingers together, kissed them, looked upward and said, `Thank you, God.’
“And especially this year, to be with the Cubs, and have such a good chance to make it to the playoffs.”
It was not the first time Sosa, who became a citizen three years ago, expressed thanks for his adopted country. He grew up poor in the Dominican Republic and as a boy shined shoes, washed cars and worked in a factory. He is now among baseball’s superstars and earns $10 million a year.
Sosa paused during his paean to America, as if suddenly realizing the Cubs might do even better than win the National League’s wild card with a second-place finish behind Houston in the Central Division.
“We might win 10 in a row and catch Houston,” Sosa declared.
Sosa and McGwire are tied for the major-league home run lead with 47 each. Sosa has had the hotter hand of late–38 home runs compared to 23 for McGwire since May 25.
Sosa and McGwire had different answers to the same question during their press briefings before Tuesday’s Wrigley Field matchup.
What will you do with the 62nd home run ball?
“I’d give it to the Hall of Fame,” McGwire said.
“Let me get there, then I’ll let you know,” Sosa replied.
This would seem to indicate McGwire has more confidence in breaking Roger Maris’ one-season home run record of 61 achieved in ’61. Listening to both combatants during their press conferences, Sosa fortified his belief that McGwire is the favorite.
“I’ve got my money on Mark,” Sosa said. “He’s the man. I’m just another kid trying to make the playoffs.”
Until this turnaround season, Sosa had been a wild swinger, particularly susceptible to breaking pitches off the outside corner. His coaches have repeatedly emphasized that he must be more selective and swing at pitches only in the strike zone.
Sosa was asked what he and McGwire talk about when he reaches first base.
It was a surprising answer:
“I tell him to be patient,” Sosa revealed. “Sometimes he goes out of control, just like everybody else. He’s got to swing only at strikes.”
But that’s easier said than done. McGwire has drawn 130 walks this season, 27 of them intentional. Sosa has drawn about half as many, 57, 11 intentional.
This may be difficult to comprehend but Maris, in his record-setting season, didn’t receive an intentional pass. The reason: Mickey Mantle was batting behind him.
Tony LaRussa is especially unhappy with the walks.
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“It’s been terrific, very exciting,” LaRussa said of the home run duel. “But it’s not really exciting when Mark gets ball four and trots to first base. Everybody wants to see him hit. His 130 walks–that’s a big part of the story.”
LaRussa conceded there are benefits.
“It’s working for us. We’ve got Brian Jordan and Ray Lankford hitting behind him and they’re having good RBI years.”
LaRussa acknowledged that none of the pitchers has been throwing the ball down the middle to either McGwire or Sosa.
LaRussa also said he doesn’t think McGwire will break Maris’ record.
“Not from what I’ve seen,” LaRussa observed. “If he gets two, three walks a game, it’s almost impossible. The pitchers, when they do give him something to swing at have been very careful with him.
“I don’t want to take anything away from Sosa or Junior Griffey. They’re wonderful. But they get a lot more at-bats than Mark.”
As a result, LaRussa acknowledged there have been times when McGwire has not exercised the proper patience. “He’s extended his strike zone and has swung at some bad balls.”
On Tuesday, Sosa and McGwire combined were hitless in nine at-bats. Sosa was 0 for 5, with three strikeouts; McGwire 0 for 4, three strikeouts.
Neither drew a walk.