Guest MaxPower27 Report post Posted June 4, 2003 CORKED BAT What does everyone think? Personally, I'm surprised. Here's a gut who was big about himself not being a roid head last year, and now he gets busted with a corked bat? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest chirs3 Report post Posted June 4, 2003 Just curious - what IS a corked bat? What's inside it, and how does it help? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest alkeiper Report post Posted June 4, 2003 A corked bat is where the top of the bat is drilled hollow, and stuffed with cork, a lighter substance. Then the top is replaced and sanded down to look solid (methods vary). The result is a bat that travels much faster when swung. The faster bat speed results in stronger hits. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Smell the ratings!!! Report post Posted June 4, 2003 *Nelson Laugh* at least it wasn't roids Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest starvenger Report post Posted June 4, 2003 Well, it's Sosa, so the usual "it was the pitcher's bat" will be given, accepted, and Sammy will get a token slap on the wrists. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ash Ketchum Report post Posted June 4, 2003 They should punish him by trading him to the Tigers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anglesault Report post Posted June 4, 2003 Well, it's Sosa, so the usual "it was the pitcher's bat" will be given, accepted, and Sammy will get a token slap on the wrists. Well, Sammy is so Gosh darn likable. It's hard to get mad at him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bored 0 Report post Posted June 4, 2003 My personal opinion is he was probably desperate because he isn't the same player since being hit in the head. But I don't feel sorry for him because his nice guy act has always come off to me as well...an act. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Eagan469 Report post Posted June 4, 2003 Sammy "shit the bed" Sosa Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted June 4, 2003 Its ashame that the bat shattered. They won't be able to have bat-gate where someone sneaks into the umps locker room and steals the bat a la Albert Belle's corked bat incident a few years ago.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest jimmy no nose Report post Posted June 4, 2003 I wonder how many guys there are with corked bats that don't break. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a very larger percentage of the league. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Bruiser Chong Report post Posted June 4, 2003 As a Sosa supporter going back to 1994, this shocks and saddens me a great deal. I hate to accept it, but I'm sure it is his, although they will most likely use the excuse that it belonged to someone else. Still not easy to accept and regardless of what he does now, everything will seem a bit tainted. I know the incident with Albert Belle back in '94 isn't the direct cause of his downfall, but it would seem that it sure kicked things off, until he generally became viewed as a useless hothead with no skills. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted June 4, 2003 Well, all of the corked bats are going to get shelved for a while now, at least.. I want to think that Sosa was using the corked bat due to his injury but I could be wrong.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted June 4, 2003 As a Sosa supporter going back to 1994, this shocks and saddens me a great deal. I hate to accept it, but I'm sure it is his, although they will most likely use the excuse that it belonged to someone else. Still not easy to accept and regardless of what he does now, everything will seem a bit tainted. I know the incident with Albert Belle back in '94 isn't the direct cause of his downfall, but it would seem that it sure kicked things off, until he generally became viewed as a useless hothead with no skills. Don't even get me started on Belle..this is the final year that he has to be on the O's official roster. Its taken this long to finally get rid of him once and for all (and I know mainly it was that way for insurance purposes, but still). He was about the biggest bust free agent signing that I remember over the last 10 years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Bruiser Chong Report post Posted June 4, 2003 I wasn't even aware that he was still playing baseball, let alone for the O's. I guess I was mistaken in thinking he had down the right thing and retired a few years back. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bored 0 Report post Posted June 4, 2003 I wasn't even aware that he was still playing baseball, let alone for the O's. I guess I was mistaken in thinking he had down the right thing and retired a few years back. Belle did retire but the Orioles are still paying for his contract. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bob_barron Report post Posted June 4, 2003 Albert Belle retired but for some reason he's actually still getting paid and is still technically on the roster Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted June 4, 2003 Albert Belle retired but for some reason he's actually still getting paid and is still technically on the roster The deal with Belle is that if they left him on the roster through his remaining contract, then 70% of his $65 million contract would be covered by Insurance. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Bruiser Chong Report post Posted June 4, 2003 Ah, well good to know that my memory isn't playing games with me. Anyway, getting back to Sosa, I think that he's already made one right decision in that he claimed ownership of the bat right away and said that he uses it during batting practice to enchance the "show" he puts on for the fans. This is leading a lot to believe that he possibly grabbed the wrong bat during the game. I find it a little hard to believe, but there are some good points being made thus far backing that belief. First off, he's Sosa, so it's not like he needed the extra boost of strength or distance for his HR's. They were already big blasts, so a few extra feet that the bat would provide doesn't seem like it would be logical. This will no doubt leave a bit of tarnish on his image, but I gotta believe that he'll bounce back. I don't find his nice guy act to be an act at all. He seems like a legitimate nice guy who has an undying love for the game. In a time where egos are running wild, Sosa's one of the few big names in not only baseball, but in any sport, that always gives it his all and never slacks in an effort to gain that "cool effect." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest the pinjockey Report post Posted June 4, 2003 How many of his home runs since he became a 60 a year HR hitter now are going to be questioned? Either way (exhibition bat or not) this was completely retarded. How would you not think to keep your illegal bats miles away from your real ones. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JangoFett4Hire Report post Posted June 4, 2003 Who was it that went thru the vents to steal Belle's bat? Was it Wright? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest the pinjockey Report post Posted June 4, 2003 Jason Grimsley Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Bannable Offense Report post Posted June 4, 2003 It was Grimsley unless I'm mistaken. Though didn't he make the situation even worse by replacing it with a bat that was obviously different than the one Belle used? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Mole Report post Posted June 4, 2003 This is shocking, and I do wonder how many of his 60+ HR from a few seasons back were with a corked bat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted June 4, 2003 I'm thinking this was a desperate act by a Slumping Sosa...I don't think we'll discover any past wrongdoing... Sosa shattered his bat before and it has never happened before... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Tino Standard Report post Posted June 4, 2003 It was Grimsley unless I'm mistaken. Though didn't he make the situation even worse by replacing it with a bat that was obviously different than the one Belle used? Ah, the Albert Belle bat fiasco from '94... one of my all-time favorite baseball tales... Grimsley broke into the umpires' office in Comiskey Park after the game where Belle's bat was confiscated. He replaced it with a Paul Sorrento bat if I'm not mistaken. I think they wanted to use another one of Belle's bats, but unfortunately, EVERY ONE OF THEM had cork in it, so they had to use another bat and pray for a miracle. But seriously, how cool is it that a team caught in a pennant race with the archrival, apparently caught dead to rights for having a cheating star player, comes up with such a scheme to try to save his ass? And it wasn't some guy loosely associated with the team that did it either. Grimsley was a pitcher on the active roster. Unreal. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Human Fly Report post Posted June 4, 2003 The cork was so small, and so far down the bat I'm going to believe the batting practice story. Sammy does come off as a nice guy (to me at least) so maybe I'm more inclined ot believe him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted June 4, 2003 Sosa always came off as an Egotistical Jerkwad. He was a great guy during the Chase of 1998...He seems to evolved into a complete and total jerk... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted June 4, 2003 I don't think Sammy is very bright. That of course could mean he thought, he could get away with using a corked bat, or that he forgot he was using the bat. I tend to believe the latter at this time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Choken One Report post Posted June 4, 2003 well He didn't know it was the corked bat he had grabbed... U can tell it was an accident because he never reacted the shattering of the bat... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
