Sosa Still Wants to Play - Comments on Mark McGwire

[Senators2005]

Sosa discusses future, McGwire's Hall chances
LINK: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2683234

Sammy Sosa has enjoyed a year off traveling, spending time with his family and working out, but the slugger is ready to get back in the game.

In an exclusive interview that will be aired Sunday on "Outside The Lines," Sosa discussed his future and if Mark McGwire should make the Hall of Fame.

"I love Mark McGwire. Everybody knows that I have so much respect for Mark. But I'm not gonna speak for Mark McGwire. I'm nobody," Sosa said. "I have so much problems in my life to try and think about somebody else, but my opinion I think there was a few questions they [Congress] was asking Mark that [McGwire] should have answered a different way. That's my opinion now. On the other side, the Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame for me regardless, no matter what happened."

Critics say McGwire did not come across as very sincere when he was in front of Congress with Sosa in March 2005, and he only wanted to speak about that future and not the past. Sosa decided to use an interpreter that same day and denied using steroids or any other performance-enhancing drugs. There was a belief that Sosa may have tried to avoid pointed questions.

"The reason why I have an interpreter is because I'm not from United States, I'm from Dominican Republic," Sosa said. "For myself to go out there and get up in front of the jury, I had to be very well known what I'm gonna say -- that's another part that people don't know.

"I speak the language because I just learned it on the street. I never went to school here in America to learn the language very well, so no question when you gonna go to a jury like that, you're not gonna go the war without bullets. You have to have somebody to represent you that's there or everywhere you go."

Despite the questions surrounding Sosa's character, he is ready to get back into baseball.

"Well, we're speaking with my agent seeing what's going on. I'm letting him know that I'm ready to come back like I'm ready to play again," Sosa said.

Sosa says he still has a lot of gas left in his tank.

"I'm only 38 years old. ... I'm an exciting player and I'm looking for a chance, and if I get that chance, you never know. I might hit you 40 or 50 [home runs], you never know."

[2k6nats]

Hopefully, McGwire's chances are NONE.  He's a cheater and he knows it.  It would be a sad day in baseball if McGwire or Sosa got into the hall of fame.  And by the way, Jose Canseco is up for the ballot this year

[Nat of the Living Dead]

Hopefully, McGwire's chances are NONE.  He's a cheater and he knows it.  It would be a sad day in baseball if McGwire or Sosa got into the hall of fame.  And by the way, Jose Canseco is up for the ballot this year

I agree.  McGwire, Sosa, Canseco, Bonds, Giambi....maybe they can make their own HOF outside behind the real HOF in a dumpster or shack or something.

[soxfan59]

This is from Steve Rosenberg's blog at Tribune.com, where he comments on Sammy's appearnce:

"ESPN's "Outside The Lines" sat down with Sammy Sosa the way everyone has been sitting down with the fallen Cubs slugger. The question, of course, was whether the guy who had never hit more than 40 home runs in a season suddenly had four straight years of at least 60. No, Sosa said, he didn't use steroids. Never. Honest. Amazing how clear and concise Sosa's English is when he's being questioned by people who can't charge him with perjury."