Alpha 1 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (9 years 11 months 3 weeks 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 1742 times:
It's against the MLB rules to fill a bat with a foreign object-in essence, hollowing out the bat, and putting cork, or other substances in it, that might give the bat more pop. Apparently, Sammy shattred a bat, and cork was all over the place..the little cheat.
Happened to Albert Belle of the Indians a few years back-in Chicago, believe it or not. His bat was corked-and Indians Pitcher Jason Grimsley went into the Umps locker room after the game and actually stole the damn bat! Belle got suspended anyway.
I think Sammy will have a week off here pretty soon.
Bernard Shakey From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 559 posts, RR: 10 Reply 5, posted (9 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 1687 times:
Corked bats, in theory, increase bat speed - which is where power comes from in a baseball swing. What I found amusing about Sosa's bat was the small area of corking. When Toby Harrah got caught in the 80s, that bat was corked down the whole barrel. Sosa's bat appeared to only be corked in an area about the size of a ping pong ball. How much difference in bat speed a little area like that can make when a guy as big as Sammy is hitting has to be minimal. I'd love to predict what the outcome will be, but I'm out of the prediction business when it comes to baseball - otherwise my roto team wouldn't suck.
Mindless drifter on the road, Carries such an easy load
AA61hvy From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 13975 posts, RR: 59 Reply 7, posted (9 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 1681 times:
This is added insult to injury for the Cubs. It just can't get any worse.
RayChuang From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 7694 posts, RR: 5 Reply 8, posted (9 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 1675 times:
I feel sorry for the umpire Tim McClelland, to say the least.
Besides Sosa's corked bat from last night, McClleland was on the umpiring crews that had the corked bat incident with Albert Belle in 1994 and the infamous pine tar bat incident with George Brett of the Kansas City Royals way back in the late 1970's. He must feel spooked, to say the least.
Boeing nut From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (9 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 1672 times:
Somehow, a study was done on how much a corked bat improves the bat speed. The speed increased a whopping 1.1 mph. That translates to a 1% improvement in distance. (a 400' home run would have gone 404' with a corked bat.
With all those "cruise missles" Sammy has hit over the years, I personally have lost no respect for him. He has done great things for baseball. IMO, he just got busted doing something he shouldn't have, it's nothing compared to a deliberate pitch that hits a batter.
KROC From United States of America, joined May 2000, 19737 posts, RR: 76 Reply 10, posted (9 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 1658 times:
*On a side note, the Meltdown George Brett had after his pine tar homerun remains one of my absolute favorite moments in all of sports.
"Never tell anybody outside the family what you're thinking again"
Bernard Shakey From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 559 posts, RR: 10 Reply 11, posted (9 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 1662 times:
Yeah Alpha 1, Harrah was with the Tribe and in the midst of a long hitting streak (over 20 games me thinks) when he got caught. My favorite cheating moment was Joe Niekro's imfamous emory board incident. His reaction was classic, even though quite different from George Brett's. Speaking of which, Billy Martin was aware of Brett's bat being pine tarred past 18 inches long before the incident, but he waited until Brett did some damage to the Yanks to inform the crew.
Mindless drifter on the road, Carries such an easy load
Tsully From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 651 posts, RR: 5 Reply 13, posted (9 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 1607 times:
I don't think Sosa is innocent, but I'm not willing to cut his throat over this either. I think he should get a hefty fine, and plenty of bench time over this, but I think that's all the situation calls for. The guy made a bad choice. He should be punished by all means, but then let back into the game.
I love America. I guess that makes me Bush's poodle, but I'd rather be a dog in New York City than a prince in Riyadh.
Matt D From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 9502 posts, RR: 51 Reply 14, posted (9 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 1596 times:
How much do you want to bet that Pete Rose is still gambling?
L-188 From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 29350 posts, RR: 62 Reply 15, posted (9 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 1570 times:
They X-rayed 76 other bats that belonged to Sosa.
None of the others had any evidence of corking.
I would think that if he was routinely corking, there would have been at least one other that would have shown signs of it. But he hasn't been hitting that well or late and maybe the pressure got to him.
I remember the George Brett thing, That was 82 or 83 I think. The most justified charging of the umps in Baseball history IMHO.
OBAMA-WORST PRESIDENT EVER....Even SKOORB would be better.
KROC From United States of America, joined May 2000, 19737 posts, RR: 76 Reply 16, posted (9 years 11 months 3 weeks 3 days ago) and read 1557 times:
George Brett thing... 1980 I believe. Maybe 81. And the pine tar was greater than 17 inches. Still a classic all time moment.
As for Sosa's other bats, if anyone actually believes that MLB would tell the public that Sosa had other corked bats...well I have some beach front property in Kansas I would like to sell you. Sosa is seen as an ambassador of the game. he is widely popular, and not just in the States. He is very marketable, and had been a symbol of what is good in baseball. If all 76 of his confiscated bats had cork in them, there is no way that info would be disclosed. MLB is not going to ruin this guy's rep.
"Never tell anybody outside the family what you're thinking again"
L-188 From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 29350 posts, RR: 62 Reply 18, posted (9 years 11 months 3 weeks 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 1525 times:
The point about the pine tar is that somebody could have said something to Brett before he got into the box and saved everybody a lot of headaches, if memory serves the ump saw it but didn't say anything until after he swung. The ump wasn't required to, but it would have been the civil thing to do.
This event was one that marked the transitions of Baseball from Americas Pastime to just another money hungry major league sport.
OBAMA-WORST PRESIDENT EVER....Even SKOORB would be better.
KROC From United States of America, joined May 2000, 19737 posts, RR: 76 Reply 19, posted (9 years 11 months 3 weeks 2 days ago) and read 1518 times:
The pine tar thing is a complete joke anyway. Who has a ruler in the dugout, to make sure the pine tar on a bat does not extend above 17 inches. On top of that, who actually things that a shade over 17 inches of pine tar on that bat, actually enabled Brett to go yard?
"Never tell anybody outside the family what you're thinking again"
Homer71 From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 2209 posts, RR: 17 Reply 20, posted (9 years 11 months 3 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 1508 times:
Back to Sosa, of course the rest of his bats are clean. Why would he need more than ONE corked bat? If you break one, do you actually think you can go back to the dugout and grab another corked bat? Chances are, you're going to get busted with the first one.
Nice to see MLB waiting on a punishment for Sosa. I guess a weekend series with the Yankees is far more important than a timely punishment for cheating.
Which begs another question: Why use a corked (err...batting practice) bat in the first inning of game with the friggin' Devil Rays? I mean, wait til the weekend when the Yanks come to town - that's the time to cheat!
"On spaceship earth there are no passengers...only crew."
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