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Sosa's loaded lumber jolts Dominicans Posted: Wednesday June 04, 2003 6:43 PMSANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) -- For the scout who discovered Sammy Sosa at 15, the explanation was clear: The Chicago Cubs' slugger simply used the wrong bat. "He would never pick up a corked bat on purpose," Hector Acevedo said Wednesday. "And you know why? Because he doesn't need to." In the country where he began playing baseball with broomsticks instead of bats, Sosa is a national hero, a symbol of hard work and perseverance. He is perhaps the most widely known Dominican. Sosa was ejected during Tuesday night's game against Tampa Bay for using a corked bat. He said he mistakenly selected a bat he uses for batting practice to put on long-ball displays for fans. Sports commentators and fans in the Caribbean country largely backed him, wary of saying he had done something wrong. "We cannot speculate with Sosa's career because he is an example of work, discipline and talent," sports commentator Juan Jose Rodriguez wrote in Wednesday's issue of the newspaper Listin Diario. Sosa shined shoes, washed cars and delivered food as a boy to help his family survive in the slums of San Pedro de Macoris, more than 40 miles outside Santo Domingo. Acevedo recalled Sosa's dedication. The youngster turned down Acevedo's offers to pay his bus fare to practice. He said Sosa wanted the exercise and rode his bicycle 5 miles along a muddy road. At 16, Sosa was signed by the Texas Rangers. He gave most of his $3,500 signing bonus to his mother. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1990 and two years later to the Cubs, where he finally started hitting homers. In 1998, Sosa and Mark McGwire captivated baseball with their home run race. Sosa is 17th on the career list with 505 homers. "If Sammy says so, we have to believe him because anyone can pick up the wrong bat," said 70-year-old security guard Herminio Martinez. "He's always worked his way up, so why would he do that now?" Others are not so sure. "Sammy is our idol, so it hurts," gas station attendant Felix Rodriguez said. "But I think he knew, and that is going to hurt all his fans and me." Daniel Aquino is president of the Escogido Lions, a Dominican winter-league team for which Sosa played for six seasons starting in 1987. He thinks Sosa's rectitude speaks for itself.
"I have a lot of faith in Sammy," Aquino said. "He would never cheat in his personal or sporting life because he proved to me through the years he is a man of honor."
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