COMMENTARY
Say It Ain't So, Sammy!
By Chris Carpenter
CBN.com Producer
CBN.com - Say it aint
so, Sammy! Please tell me that it wasnt you swinging that bat containing
cork that was splintered for the world to see last week. How could it
be you, everybody loves you. I know you werent having a very good season
but did you have to resort to the cork? Just like sandpaper, cork is
for cheaters. Oh Sammy!
Sad but true.
A clearly visible piece of cork was found in Sammy Sosas bat last
Tuesday when the Chicago Cubs outfielder grounded out in the first inning
of a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Sammy insists that it
was a mistake, that he grabbed his corked batting practice bat before
venturing up to the plate. Claiming that it was the only bat he owned
containing a substance most frequently associated with wine bottles,
subsequent x-rays on his 76 other bats revealed no cork.
Sammy was saved, or was he? Even though 76 of the 77 x-rayed showed
only the finely honed grain of maple and ash, a fan cannot dismiss the
one piece of lumber that contained a banned substance. Because of this
rather glaring faux pas, Sosa joins a notorious vanguard of altered
bat engineers that includes Albert Belle, Wilton Guerrero, Billy Hatcher,
Graig Nettles, and Chris Sabo.
It has long been thought that by drilling out the head of a baseball
bat and replacing the dense wood with cork, foam, rubber, or even super
balls would allow a batter to hit the ball for a longer distance due
to the increased elasticity of the hitting surface. Not so. Many physicists
came "out of the woodwork" last week to say that the main
advantage of corking a bat may be more psychological than physical.
They point out that an altered bat will actually reduce the distance
of a balls flight by three feet per every 400 feet traveled. However,
the true advantage of swinging a "corker" is the reduction
in its weight. A decrease in one to two ounces can be a critical advantage
for a batter by providing additional bat speed and reaction time when
facing a 95mph fastball. In other words, faster reaction time equals
an increased probability of contact.
But why would someone as strong as Sammy Sosa feel the need to do this?
Skeptics point to his lack of offensive production dating back to last
season. They say Sammy might have been feeling the pressure to produce
to the levels that garnered him three unprecedented 60 home run seasons
over a four year span. Sosa, who topped the 500 home run plateau earlier
this season, hasnt cranked a homer since May 1st, and has
hit only 12 in his last 256 at bats. For those of you scoring at home
this is one every 21 at bats, a far cry from the one in 10 at bats he
averaged from 1998 through the middle of last summer.
In response to why he committed the crime, Sammy simply says he grabbed
the wrong bat on his way to the on deck circle. For this scribe, Sosas
explanation is simply unacceptable. I have sat in dozens of Major League
dugouts during batting practice observing the meticulous, sometimes
fanatical nature of players and their equipment, particularly bats.
They know exactly how much their bat weighs, the diameter of its barrel,
the width of its handle, and how the weight is distributed. Simply said,
a players bat is an extension of himself. Former New York Mets Manager
Bobby Valentine likens it to a carpenter who has been using the same
hammer for many years. When this craftsman picks up the wrong tool of
his trade he knows immediately it is not his due to the weight and feel
of it. The same can be said for Major League hitters. If they pick up
the wrong bat they know immediately if it is the right one. For the
record, Sammy Sosa did not make a beeline back to the dugout to switch
out his lumber.
However, in Sammys defense, how could he possibly think he could get
away with it? In this, the video age, a players every move is videotaped
for posterity, even more so for a player of Sosas stature. In a recent
interview with CBS Sportslines Scott Miller, Atlanta Braves pitcher
Greg Maddux made a statement that carries a great amount of validity
in this corked bat caper:
"There are so many television cameras on the games that you cant
cheat. You used to be able to. You used to not be able to on the Game
of the Week, but you could during the other six games that week. Now,
theres five cameras on you every pitch."
Unfortunately, whether he is guilty or not, this highly visible incident
(it has been shown thousands of times on television in recent days)
will travel a great distance in tarnishing Sammys legendary career.
It will only be a matter of time before new "exclusive never before
seen footage" will be released showing Zapruder-esque camera techniques
of Sosa in the dugout selecting his bat of infamy. It will be a grainy,
slowed down, frame by frame depiction of the Cubs slugger in the final
moments before heading out to the on deck circle. Implications will
be made that there was, indeed, a second corker who railroaded Americas
most popular baseball player.
On Friday, Sammy was handed an eight game suspension for using the
corked bat. He immediately appealed in hopes of getting his sentence
reduced. Whether he is guilty or not, Sosa is in for some very tough
times ahead. The remainder of the lovable sluggers season is sure to
come under a great amount scrutiny as he will have to endure more than
his fair share of ridicule, jeering, even humiliation. Thus far, his
Chicago fan base has been very forgiving and accepting as a Friday night
standing ovation will attest. But what about fans in the other 29 Major
League cities? Will they be as forgiving as Cubs Nation?
Perhaps you have traveled down the same road that Sammy Sosa now travels.
Maybe you have been accused of something you did not do. Or, you were
involved in an unfortunate situation where, yes, you sinned, but now
are desperate to be forgiven for it. Like so many, maybe you were just
in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am writing this today to tell
you that God is a forgiving God. Even though it seems like times are
tough and the world is collapsing on you, God is always there to help
you through these tough times. Remember, in our weakness, Jesus Christ
is strong.
In I Peter 1:6-7 Peter writes, "In this you greatly rejoice, though
now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various
trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious
than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to
praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Often times people believe that because they are Christians, their
lives are to be trouble free and filled with nothing but happiness.
I will be the first to say that this is definitely not the case. However,
it is important to remember that God promises that when we go through
trials and tribulations in our lives, He will be there with us. These
trials teach us patience and through them help us grow into the people
that God wants us to be.
Romans 5:3-4 outlines this principle very clearly. It says, "And
not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation
produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope."
I understand that no one wants to suffer through difficulties especially
when they are induced by situations that seem unfair. But have you ever
considered that God might be preparing you for something very significant
and important to the Kingdom of God later in life. Like so many others,
I found this out the hard way. But when I remember these conflicts in
my life, I am now able to share these problems and subsequent outcomes
with others so that they might see the blessings that God has in store
for us.
Consider this, if noted Christian author and speaker Chuck Colson had
never served time in prison for his role in the Watergate scandal, there
would be no Prison Fellowship Ministry today. This ministry has seen
thousands of troubled criminals accept Jesus Christ as their personal
savior. These people are now living productive Christ-centered lives
behind bars or in the public sector.
It is important to remember that it is through the difficulties in
our lives that we learn to trust in Jesus Christ more and more.
Tell
me what you think
Material from The Transformer, study Bible used in
this article.
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