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"As is our custom late each fall, we at Sports Illustrated sat down to discuss nominations for the Sportsman of the ... No, we didn't discuss. We didn't even sit down. It was automatic. It was unanimous. It was the easiest selection in our history. It couldn't be one Sportsman of the Year. It had to be two. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. All in favor, say aye. All opposed, report back to your coma. ... McGwire and Sosa gave America a summer that won't be forgotten: a summer of stroke and counterstroke, of packed houses and curtain calls, of rivals embracing and gloves in the bleachers and adults turned into kids -- the Summer of Long Balls and Love. It wasn't just the lengths they went to with bats in their hands. It was also that they went to such lengths to conduct the great home run race with dignity and sportsmanship, with a sense of joy and openness. Never have two men chased legends and each other that hard and that long or invited so much of America onto their backs for the ride."
Text by Gary Smith
The Great Home Run Race of 1998 -- starring Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals and Sammy Sosa of Chicago Cubs -- breathed new life into baseball. Their good-natured yet epic duel to break Roger Maris' single-season home run record of 61 had fans checking box scores daily to see which slugger had pulled ahead. While both would surpass Maris, it was McGwire who emerged as King of the Long Ball. Big Mac blasted five homers with his last 19 swings to finish the season with an eye-popping total of 70. To his credit, Slammin' Sammy topped out at 66, a superb tally that helped put the Cubs in the playoffs. Perhaps more than their prowess at the plate, this likable duo will be remembered for displaying poise under pressure, an abundance of class and a genuine love of the game.
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