Donruss 93 sammy sosa biography
Sammy Sosa
Dominican baseball player (born )
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Peralta and the second or maternal family name is Sosa.
Baseball player
| Sammy Sosa | |
|---|---|
Sosa in | |
| Right fielder | |
| Born: () November 12, (age&#;56) San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| June 16,&#;,&#;for the&#;Texas Rangers | |
| September 29,&#;,&#;for the&#;Texas Rangers | |
| Batting average | |
| Hits | 2, |
| Home runs | |
| Runs batted in | 1, |
| Stats at Baseball Reference&#; | |
Samuel Peralta Sosa (born November 12, ) is a Dominican-American former professional baseballright fielder.
He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Cubs. After playing for the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox, Sosa joined the Cubs in and became regarded as one of the game's best hitters. Sosa hit his th home run in his 1,th game and his 5,rd at-bat, reaching this milestone quicker than any player in National League history.
He is one of nine players in MLB history to hit career home runs.[1]
In , Sosa, along with Mark McGwire, achieved international fame for his home run-hitting prowess in pursuit of Roger Maris' single-season home-run record. With the Cubs, Sosa became a 7-time All-Star while holding numerous team records. He finished his career with stints with the Baltimore Orioles and the Rangers for a second time.[2] With the Rangers, Sosa hit his th career home run to become the fifth player in MLB history to reach the milestone.
Sosa is second all-time in home runs among foreign-born MLB players and is one of only three National League players since to reach RBIs in one season (). He is also the only player to have hit 60 or more home runs in a single season three times, which he accomplished in , and He did not lead the league in home runs in any of those seasons, although he did lead the league in with 50 home runs, and in with
In a congressional hearing, Sosa—through his attorney—denied having used performance-enhancing drugs during his playing career, following multiple accusations.
In a public statement, Sosa admitted to having made "mistakes" recovering from injuries during his career.
Early life
Sosa was born in the Dominican Republic. Though born in a Batey community in Consuelo,[3] his officially registered birthplace is San Pedro de Macorís, which was "the largest town nearby".[4] Sosa is known to family and friends as "Mikey".
His maternal grandmother suggested his birth name of Samuel, and also came up with his nickname: "[She] heard the name on a soap opera she liked and decided from that moment on he would be Mikey."[5]
Professional career
Texas Rangers ()
Sosa made his major league debut on June 16, , with the Texas Rangers, wearing #17 and leading off as the starting left fielder.
He hit his first career home run off Roger Clemens.[6]
Chicago White Sox (–)
On July 29, , the Rangers traded Sosa with Wilson Álvarez and Scott Fletcher to the Chicago White Sox for Harold Baines and Fred Manrique.[7] In , Sosa batted with 15 home runs, 70 runs batted in, 10 triples, and 32 stolen bases.
He also struck out times, fourth most in the American League. Sosa started the season by hitting two home runs and driving in five runs. However, he slumped for the rest of the year and batted with 10 home runs and 33 runs batted in.
Chicago Cubs (&#;)
The White Sox traded Sosa and Ken Patterson to the Chicago Cubs for outfielderGeorge Bell before the season.[8] Sosa batted with eight home runs and 25 RBIs in his first season with the Cubs.
In , Sosa batted with 33 home runs with 93 RBIs. He also showed his speed by stealing 38 bases and became the Cubs' first player. Sosa continued to hit for power and speed in but he also improved his batting average. He ended up batting with 25 home runs, 70 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases. Sosa was named to his first All-Star team in In games, he batted with 36 home runs and RBIs.
Sosa continued his success with the Cubs in as he batted with 40 home runs and RBIs. However, in , Sosa batted just with a on-base percentage, and led the league in strikeouts with despite hitting 36 home runs with RBIs.
After years as a respected power/speed threat with a rocket arm in right field, he emerged during the season as one of baseball's greatest.
It was in this season that both Sosa and Mark McGwire were involved in the "home run record chase", when both players' prowess for hitting home runs drew national attention as they attempted to pass Roger Maris' single season home run mark of 61 home runs. In the early months of the year, Sosa trailed McGwire significantly, being as many as 16 homers behind at one point in May.
But as the chase progressed, Sosa eventually tied McGwire with 46 home runs on August However, McGwire pulled away slightly and reached 62 home runs to break the record first on September 8. Sosa tied McGwire once again at 62 on September Eleven days later, with two games left to play in the season, the two were tied at 66 home runs each.
Sosa ended the season with 66, finishing behind McGwire's It was during that season that Cubs announcer Chip Caray nicknamed him "Slammin' Sammy", a nickname that quickly spread.
Sammy produced then career-highs in batting average and slugging percentage, at and respectively. Sosa also led the league in RBIs and runs scored.
Also in , Sosa's total bases were the most in a single season since Stan Musial's in Sosa's performance in the month of June, during which Sosa belted 20 home runs, knocked in 47 runs, and posted an slugging percentage, was one of the greatest offensive outbursts in major league history.
Sosa won the National League Most Valuable Player Award for leading the Cubs into the playoffs in , earning every first-place vote except for the two cast by St. Louis writers, who voted for McGwire. He and McGwire shared Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award. Sosa was honored with a ticker-tape parade in his honor in New York City, and he was invited to be a guest at US President Bill Clinton's State of the Union Address.
was also the first time the Cubs made the post-season since The Cubs qualified as the NL Wild Card team, but were swept by the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS. In the season, Sosa hit 63 home runs, again trailing Mark McGwire, who hit In the season, Sosa led the league by hitting 50 home runs. He received the Babe Ruth Home Run Award for leading MLB in homers.[10]
In , he hit 64 home runs, becoming the first player to hit 60 or more home runs three times.
However, he did not lead the league in any of those seasons; in , he finished behind Barry Bonds, who hit 73 homers, breaking the single-season home run record set by McGwire in (70). In , he also set personal records in runs scored (), RBI (), walks (), on-base percentage (), slugging percentage (), and batting average ().[2] He led the majors in runs and RBI, was second in home runs, second in slugging percentage, first in total bases, third in walks, fourth in on-base percentage, 12th in batting average, and 15th in hits.
He also surpassed his number in total bases, racking up Sosa once again led the league in home runs with 49 in In recognition of his accomplishments as a hitter, Sosa won the Silver Slugger Award (an award for offensive output, voted on by managers and coaches) in and in through [2]
In , the Cubs won the National League Central Division title.
In May, he spent his first period on the disabled list since after having an injured toenail removed. On June 3, , Sosa was ejected from a Chicago Cubs-Tampa Bay Devil Rays game in the first inning when umpires discovered he had been using a corked bat.[11] Major League Baseball confiscated and tested 76 of Sosa's other bats after his ejection; all were found to be clean, with no cork.
Five bats he had sent to the Hall of Fame in past years were also tested, and were all clean as well.[12] Sosa stated that he had accidentally used the corked bat, which he claimed he only used during batting practice, and apologized for the incident.[13] When Cubs manager Dusty Baker was interviewed later, he stated any use of corked bats on his team is strictly prohibited.
On June 6, Sosa was suspended for eight games all without pay[14] which was reduced to seven games (again without pay) on June 11 after appeal.[15] Sosa finished the season with 40 home runs and hit two more in the NLCS against the Florida Marlins, falling to the team in seven games.
In May , Sosa suffered an odd injury while sitting next to his locker chatting with reporters before a game in San Diego's Petco Park.
He sneezed very violently, causing severe back pain. He was diagnosed with back spasms and placed on the disabled list.[16] He finished with 35 homers, far below his numbers of his best years. Despite his declining production and release from the team at the end of the season, between and Sosa clubbed home runs[17] which is the most home runs by a player in history over a year span.[18] He also owns numerous team records for the Cubs and he holds the major-league record for the most home runs hit in a month (20, in June ).
His tenure came to an end without fanfare, as he did not play in the final game of the regular season (played in Chicago) per his request, with Sosa reportedly leaving Wrigley Field before the game had ended. Sosa had stated he had permission from Baker to not play, while Baker stated that former assistant trainer Sandy Krum (serving as the go-between for the two) told Baker that Sosa had felt a bit injured and wanted out of the final game, but he expected Sosa to be on the bench who weren't in the starting lineup.[19]
Baltimore Orioles ()
On January 28, , the Cubs traded Sosa to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for infielder-outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr., infielder Mike Fontenot, and RHP Dave Crouthers.
To facilitate the deal, Sosa and his agent agreed to waive the clause that guaranteed his salary, and the players' union indicated it would not object to that agreement. Under the deal, Sosa earned $&#;million for the season, with the Cubs paying $7&#;million of his salary. By playing for the Orioles alongside fellow home-run batter Rafael Palmeiro, Sosa and Palmeiro became the first home run club members in history to play together on the same team after reaching the home run plateau.[a] Sosa finished the season batting with 14 home runs, his worst performance since , and continuing his post trend of declines in batting average, homers, total bases, and RBI.
On December 7, , the Orioles decided not to offer him an arbitration contract, effectively ending his Baltimore Orioles tenure and making him a free agent.
In , The Sporting News published an update of their book Baseball's Greatest Players. Sosa did not make the original edition, but for the update, with his career totals considerably higher, he was ranked at Number During a stretch of nine consecutive years, Sosa hit 35 or more home runs and + RBIs, all with the Chicago Cubs.[2]
Year off ()
At the end of January , the Washington Nationals offered Sosa two different minor-league offers, both of which he turned down.
On February 15, , Sosa's agent Adam Katz stated: "We're not going to put him on the retirement list. We decided that [not putting him on that list] was the best thing to do. But I can say, with reasonable certainty, that we've seen Sammy in a baseball uniform for the last time."[20] During that year, Sosa accompanied President Leonel Fernández of the Dominican Republic on several diplomatic trips including to the United States, Japan, and Taiwan.
Texas Rangers ()
The Texas Rangers, Sosa's original team, signed him to a minor league deal worth $, on January 30, [21] This was the same contract that Sosa turned down the previous year from the Nationals. The contract included an invitation to spring training, where Sosa competed for a spot in the lineup with Nelson Cruz, Jason Botts, and other rookies/prospects.[22] Sosa was successful during spring training and was added to the team's man roster.
He started the season as the Rangers' designated hitter and occasional right fielder. At the same time, the Chicago Cubs awarded Sosa's number 21 to new pitcher Jason Marquis, who coincidentally served up Sosa's th career home run. This caused some concern, due to Sosa's accomplishments with the Cubs, including his status as the Cubs' all-time home run leader.[23]
On April 26, , Sosa made history by hitting a home run in his 45th major league ballpark.
He has also homered in The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports, near Orlando, Florida, a usually minor-league and Spring training park that hosted a regular season series between the Rangers and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in May , although he did not hit a homer at the two regular season games the Cubs played at the Tokyo Dome in vs. the Mets. On June 20, , Sosa hit a home run off of Jason Marquis during an inter-league game against the Chicago Cubs.
Sosa became only the fifth man in history, following Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds, to hit regular season home runs. The home run was the first one that Sosa had recorded against the Cubs, and as a result he has hit a home run against every active MLB team.[24] Sosa is the Cubs' all-time home run leader, having hit with that team.
Sammy sosa biography childhood: Sosa also led the league in RBIs and runs scored. To facilitate the deal, Sosa and his agent agreed to waive the clause that guaranteed his salary, and the players' union indicated it would not object to that agreement. Click here. Bonds Canseco Ohtani Rodriguez Soriano.
End of career (–)
On May 28, , Sosa announced that he instructed his agent not to offer his services to any MLB team for the season, and planned on filing for retirement, but never did.[25] On December 25, , Sosa announced he intended to unretire and play in the World Baseball Classic and once again test the free agent market in hopes of signing with a Major League ballclub in Sosa said that he had been keeping in shape at his home, and was hoping that after a strong World Baseball Classic he would prove to major-league teams that he was still capable of playing in MLB.
However, he was not selected as part of the Dominican Republic's roster. He remained a free agent and did not actively look for a team.
On June 3, , Sosa announced his intention to retire from baseball. He made the announcement in the Dominican Republic and said that he was calmly looking forward to his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame since his statistics were up to par.[26]
Drug test controversy
Further information: Doping in baseball
On June 16, , The New York Times reported that Sosa was on a list of players who had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in , in baseball's steroids scandal.
Donruss 93 sammy sosa biography for kids Fast shipment and smooth transaction! Best Matches See all variants for this card. He hit his first career home run off Roger Clemens. He is one of nine players in MLB history to hit career home runs.The paper stated that this information had been obtained from unnamed attorneys with knowledge of Major League Baseball drug test results from [27]
Previously, Sosa sat alongside Rafael Palmeiro, Jose Canseco, and Mark McGwire at a hearing before Congress. His attorney testified on his behalf,[28] stating, "To be clear, I have never taken illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
I have never injected myself or had anyone inject me with anything. I have not broken the laws of the United States or the laws of the Dominican Republic. I have been tested as recently as , and I am clean."[29]
On December 19, , Sosa released a public statement through his PR firm, stating, "There were times I did whatever I could to recover from injuries in an effort to keep my strength up to perform over games.
I never broke any laws, but in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize." Almost immediately, Cubs chairman Thomas S. Ricketts responded with a statement of his own, inviting Sosa to the Cubs Convention: "We appreciate Sammy releasing his statement and for reaching out. No one played harder or wanted to win more…We plan on inviting him to the Cubs Convention and, while it is short notice, we hope that he can attend.
We are all ready to move forward together."[30]
In an interview with ESPN Deportes, Sosa said he would "calmly wait" for his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, for which he became eligible in In results announced on January 9, , Sosa was not elected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) into baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, receiving % in his first year on the ballot—the requirement for election is 75%.
In the following years, his voting percentage dropped as low as % in to a high of 17% in A candidate remains eligible for inclusion on subsequent ballots as long as he receives a minimum of % of the vote in a given year, and is removed from consideration by the BBWAA after 10 years of not being elected; thus, Sosa's final appearance was on the ballot, where he received % of votes.[31]
Personal life
Sosa is married to Sonia Rodríguez, a former Dominican TV dancer,[32] with whom he has four children.
In , Sosa appeared at a music awards show looking much lighter in complexion than he had just months earlier. The buzz around this drastic change prompted him to go on a Spanish-language television station to deny that he was ill, or that he hated being dark-skinned, or that his new skin tone was the result of steroid use.
Sosa explained that he uses a bleaching cream before going to bed that softens and lightens his skin.[33]
See also
Notes
References
- ^"Sortable Player Stats". Major League Baseball. Retrieved June 18,
- ^ abcdSammy Sosa career stats.
Accessed June 5,
- ^"ACTA IMPACTA El dirigente de Cleveland trabaja con niños en Ingenio Consuelo".
- ^Sosa: An Autobiography, Sammy Sosa and Marcos Bretón, Time Warner, , p. 23
- ^Sosa, Sammy; Bretón, Marcos, eds. (). Sosa: An Autobiography. Time Warner. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
- ^"BASEBALL; Sammy Sosa joins the club".
Archived from the original on January 24, Retrieved January 23, &#; via
- ^"BASEBALL; Baines to Rangers For Fletcher".Sammy sosa lightning his skin Drug test controversy [ edit ]. June 6, BBC Sport. Archived from the original on July 25, Dealer Stats GamesandCards.
The New York Times. AP. July 30,
- ^"Flashback #1: White Sox Trade Sosa To Cubs For Bell ()". January 3,
- ^Cunniff, Bill (November 26, ). "Sosa plays host at party at his island mansion". Chicago Sun-Times. p.&#;3. Retrieved October 4,
- ^MacMullan, Jackie (October 17, ).
"A bronze homage to Babe". The Boston Globe. p.&#;E3. Archived from the original on July 25, Retrieved November 8,
(subscription required) - ^Sosa ejected after cork is found in shattered bat. (June 4, ) Accessed June 5,
- ^Seventy-six Sosa bats found to be clean. (June 5, ). Accessed June 5,
- ^Mead, Doug.
"The 25 Most Embarrassing Moments in MLB History". Bleacher Report.
- ^Sosa banned over bat.Sammy sosa family photos Dale Murphy Archived from the original on July 1, Gregg Jefferies Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year.
(June 6, ) BBC Sport. Accessed June 5,
- ^Sosa has ban reduced. (June 12, ) BBC Sport. Accessed June 5,
- ^"Slugger hurt back while sneezing". . May 19, Retrieved January 22,
- ^"Sammy Sosa Stats".
- ^"Sammy Sosa Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News".
. Retrieved June 14,
- ^"Still taking their cuts". Chicago Tribune. February 25,
- ^Jayson Stark (February 16, ). Sosa passes on Nats; likely to end career. Accessed June 5,
- ^"Sosa signs with Rangers; 'I'm ready to go'". .Donruss 93 sammy sosa biography Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. Retrieved June 14, Sosa did not make the original edition, but for the update, with his career totals considerably higher, he was ranked at Number Scott Erickson
Associated Press. January 30, Retrieved July 12,
- ^T. R. Sullivan (January 17, ). Sosa, Rangers agree in principle to deal.[dead link&#;] Accessed June 5,
- ^DeLuca, Chris (February 22, ). "Sosa's 21 a long-distance number". Chicago Sun-Times.
Archived from the original on September 30, Retrieved February 4,
- ^"Sosa becomes fifth player to blast home runs". ESPN. Associated Press. June 20, Retrieved June 19,
- ^"Sosa not pursuing MLB job, says he intends to retire in ". . May 28, Retrieved October 3,
- ^Adames, Yoel (June 4, ).
"Sosa planning to announce formal retirement". . Retrieved July 11,
- ^Schmidt, Michael S. (June 17, ). "Sosa Is Said to Have Tested Positive in ". The New York Times. Retrieved April 10,
- ^McCann, Michael (June 16, ). "Will steroids report lead to perjury investigation of Sammy Sosa?".
Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on June 29, Retrieved June 18,
- ^"Report: Sosa is on '03 MLB positive drug test list".
- Sammy sosa biography childhood
- Sammy sosa biography book
- Sammy sosa biography chicago cubs
. June 16,
- ^"Sammy Sosa apologizes for 'past mistakes,' will be invited to Cubs Convention". . December 19,
- ^"David Ortiz Elected to Hall of Fame by BBWAA". . National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. January 25, Retrieved January 25,
- ^Cruz, Héctor J.
(June 7, ). "Él también es un humano, no lo olviden" (in Spanish). Listín Diario. Note: The vedettes of the TV program "Sábado de Corporán&#;[es]" were known as "corporette". Archived from the original on July 1, Retrieved July 1,
- ^Bonesteel, Matt (July 13, ). "Sammy Sosa's appearance gets even more peculiar".
Retrieved December 28, &#; via
Further reading
External links
National League Outfielder Silver Slugger Award | |
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