SAMMY SOSA
Sixth Year on Ballot (8.6% last year)
PLAYING CAREER: Texas Rangers (1989), Chicago White Sox (1989-1991), Chicago Cubs (1992-2004), Baltimore Orioles (2005) and Texas Rangers (2007)
ACHIEVEMENTS: Career batting average of .273 with 2408 hits, 609 home runs, 1475 runs scored and 1667 RBI. 1998 National League MVP. Ranks ninth all-time in home runs…tops among foreign-born Major Leaguers. Only player to hit 60 or more home runs in three different seasons (1998-1999 and 2001). Led the National League in home runs twice (2000 and 2002). Hit better than .300 four times and drove in 100 runs or more in nine straight seasons (1995-2003). Twice stole more than 30 bases and hit more than 30 home runs in the same season (1993 and 1995). Seven-time All-Star selection (1995, 1998-2002 and 2004) and six-time Silver Slugger Award recipient (1995, 1998-2002).
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ON TWITTER:
https://twitter.com/gilligan0708/status/950493945703948294
https://twitter.com/LewisMaynard/status/947501200206901251
https://twitter.com/IrishHusker5/status/946513573852925953
HOVG THOUGHTS: I’ve gone back and forth on Sosa for years and, I think, I’m ready to concede that he’s probably a Hall of Famer. Now, let’s take the suspicion of steroids out of the discussion and look just at the stats and Sosa’s play on the field and at the plate. Sosa’s stats from 1993-2004 are unprecedented and he did it as (along with Mark McGwire) the face of baseball’s modern day power surge. That said, 2016 looks to be the slugger’s last year on the Hall of Fame ballot.
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