Usually, the stories of so-and-so arriving at Spring Training camp are pretty meaningless to me. They're supposed to be there, so what's the story? This one's a little different.
Sammy Sosa arrived two hours early for spring training to complete a physical with the Texas Rangers early Friday morning, appearing to be in tip-top shape and high spirits after an entire season out of the game.
The 38-year-old struck a minor league deal last month with the club for a chance at redemption.
The former National League MVP and seven-time All-Star, whose 588 home runs are fifth on the career list, was 16 when Texas signed him from the Dominican Republic in 1985, where he hit his first home run - the only one in 25 games for the club before being traded to the Chicago White Sox.
Before his 2005 season with the Orioles, when he hit .221 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI in 102 games, Sosa was one of several players whose image changed forever when he testified before a congressional committee searching for players who used steroids before they were banned after the 2002 season.
If he makes the roster, rookie manager Ron Washington expects him to primarily see time at the designated hitter spot and bat in the middle of the lineup behind shortstop Michael Young and switch-hitting slugger Mark Teixeira. If everything works out, he will get a $500,000, one-year deal and could possibly earn up to $2.1 million more in performance bonuses.
Sosa enjoyed his MVP season in 1998, when he hit .308 with a career-high 66 home runs and 158 RBI for the Chicago Cubs; the same year he battled 70-home run hitter Mark McGwire in the home run chase.
[Forbes Sports]
3 comments:
I think we need a greasy ex-juicer tag.
Or a sweaty ex-juicer tag. Somebody get a towel on that guy!
HGH anyone? Took a year off to get himself off the juice and onto the horse tranquilizers!
Come visit the GNUru sometime!
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