Sammy Sosa (left) should address allegations that he used steroids, Ernie Banks says. (Nancy Stone/Tribune)
By Fred Mitchell
Ernie Banks celebrates another birthday Sunday, and Mr. Cub insists that "at 79, everything is fine." But at least one more important task remains on his to-do list as one of baseball's most ambitious ambassadors.
In light of Mark McGwire's recent admission that he took steroids during his record-breaking home run season of 1998, Banks says he would like to assist Sammy Sosa in coming forward to address allegations that he used steroids.
"I would say just what Mark McGwire did," Banks said. "Come clean with it. Explain it to them. ... Just say: 'This is what happened.' It is hard to do, to admit this. Just admit it and live with it and understand it. I am sure a lot of people will forgive him."
The ever-optimistic Banks says he would like to see Sosa embraced by
the new Cubs ownership and the fans who once saluted him.
"I would like to see Sammy come back," Banks said. "Throw out the first pitch, sing 'Take Me Out To The Ballgame,' you know, meet some of the players and all of that. I was dreaming about it. I always thought that the way he left here and went to his demise here was quick. The lesson from that is that fame is fleeting. It can go in a minute."
Banks traveled to the Dominican Republic last year on behalf of the Cubs and tried to contact Sosa, but the former slugger was in Brazil working as a representative for his country. Now Banks wants to meet with Sosa to have a heart-to-heart talk.
"I will just explain it to him and how the people are," Banks said. "I don't think he really understood that. People are for you; they want to see you do well. They are forgiving people. We haven't won in over 100 years, so this audience here is pretty special."
"I would like to see Sammy come back," Banks said. "Throw out the first pitch, sing 'Take Me Out To The Ballgame,' you know, meet some of the players and all of that. I was dreaming about it. I always thought that the way he left here and went to his demise here was quick. The lesson from that is that fame is fleeting. It can go in a minute."
Banks traveled to the Dominican Republic last year on behalf of the Cubs and tried to contact Sosa, but the former slugger was in Brazil working as a representative for his country. Now Banks wants to meet with Sosa to have a heart-to-heart talk.
"I will just explain it to him and how the people are," Banks said. "I don't think he really understood that. People are for you; they want to see you do well. They are forgiving people. We haven't won in over 100 years, so this audience here is pretty special."
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Hey What A Fool
Yes, I know what perjury means and after reading your comment, I also know where you got your name. There's an old saying "It's better to keep your mouth shut and have people think you're an idiot than to open it and remove all doubt" Sound advice that you shoud take.
Wow! The Cubs bashing begins and then the Sox guys cry foul. It never ceases to amaze me how insecure fans on the south side truly are. Yes, most of us are jealous that the Sox have won a Series while the Cubs have not. Still, we are supportive of the team, not just when they do well. Wrigleyville is a great place to take the family for a game. The same cannot be said for 35th and Shields. The Cubs understand that they don't need a hundred things to distract you INSIDE the ballpark. The Sox know that they have to have them INSIDE because outside is simply too unsafe for Sox fan posers who think they are tough because they wear black and have female relatives who look like carnival workers.
Sammy will come clean the same day Frank Thomas does.
I love how the comments on this article have turned into Sox bashing.
Hey Cub fans, why don't you concentrate on those fantastic post-season moves your management has made...oh wait...
Sammy was in Brazil promoting his country? Why their biggest exports are Baseball players and poverty
F Sammy he's a punk! Ship his ass out here and we'll kick for him >>>>SLO KICK BOX
OMG WHAT HAPPENED TO SAMMY IN THIS PICTURE?? HE TURNED BLACK AGAIN!!! LOL
OK...Carry Harey...learn how to spell. What a dingbat!! As for Sammy: why give two craps to hear a guy confess to something that the whole world knows about? Besides, the Cubs STILL lost, STILL remained a stranger to the World Series, and STILL came up on the short end of the stick all the way around. The best solution to all of this, is to completely ignore and forget about all of these idiots that were on "the juice." If they didn't receive any attention whatsoever, that would eat away at them much more than if they were hounded by fans, writers, etc...wanting them to come out with the truth. Believe me, once they've figured out no one cares about them anymore, they will absolutely go crazy and damn near die for the attention. We paid our money and they put on a show. None us couldn't possibly think that they were actually going to win a World Series!! In this town...it's all about entertainment, and NOT winning! (Note: I think the new Cubbie owners will actually set out to change that)!
Sosa the bat corker, steroid abuser, and liar. Nice to see this Scumbag get caught, even at this late date. At this count we have McGwire, Palmiero, Clemens, Sosa, Bonds - and how many others?
Awww, look at the Cubsessed trolls up in here! You guys are so cute, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to know you truly care more about a team you profess to hate than a team you claim to cheer for.
As for Sosa, should he come clean? Well, from my stand point as a fan, sure, I'd like to see him to that, but why would he? He gains nothing by doing so. He doesn't seem to want back in to MLB, so he can choose to ignore the whole thing as long as he wants because he's the only one who has to contend with the speculation. Sosa has nothing to gain by copping to PED's, but plenty to lose, so it doesn't really make sense from his perspective to admit anything.
Here's my question for Banks. You would never give me an autograph when I was a kid, was it because you didn't know how to write, or because those 100 times you weren't in a good mood? Please come clean Ernie!
Who cares about steroids?!?! Our beloved Cubs would never do anything to cheat. Sammy is OUR guy and always will be. Ernie needs to chill. Just because Sammy played the outfield better than Ernie is no reason to make up lies. We're all in this together, Cub Nation!
Anyways, all that matters is that the Cubs have more fans and Wrigley is an awesome place to party. See ya in the Bud Light Bleachers this summer, kiddies!
Who's that old man next to Hottie Sammy Sosa?
Why don't all players from all eras come forward and admit to everything they took..hell do the players that cheated in the 50s, 60s, 70s admit to taking speed, scuffing the balls, corking their bats?? Of course not that would make them "cheaters" and then all the pompous baseball writers would have to live with their horrible decisions to place them in the hall of fame. Baseball is JOKE, baseball writers are a bigger JOKE, and having all these players try to tell everyone that they played perfect..is a crock of SH......T!!
Who cares! Everybody knows the truth. I am just upset my baseball cards of that era won't be worth anything now! hahaha
I want to know who booked Ernie's flight before confirming Sosa was in or not in DomRep?
"Banks traveled to the Dominican Republic last year on behalf of the Cubs and tried to contact Sosa, but the former slugger was in Brazil working as a representative for his country. Now Banks wants to meet with Sosa to have a heart-to-heart talk."
Good planning as usual!! Hendry must have had his hand in this travel planning!
Sosa will never be the cleancut gentleman that Ernie Banks is and always was.Sosa said he wanted to be tested first when they start testing. When the time came he lied and backed out. Too bad he was paid millions for his lies.
(he should come clean on the skin bleaching)
I think someone told him to "lighten up" and he took it literally!
(he should come clean on the skin bleaching)
I think someone told him to "lighten up" and he took it literally!
McGwire admits to being a cheat, John Edwards admits to cheating and fathering a child despite his previous denials, and now Mr. Cub wants me to swallow that Sosa was a cheat. This is all too much. Sammy, if you are reading these comments, which I'm certain you are, please wait a year before saying anything as I'm already spinning from the McGwire and Edwards admissions. Thanks Sam.
LOL - I blew snot out my nose trying to hold the laughter in after reading this post. Next thing you know he'll try to buy Neverland Ranch!
NKN on January 25, 2010 1:56 PM
he should come clean on the skin bleaching
Didn't Sammy also pretend not to understand English when questioned by Congress?
p.s. I hope I've only lost as much as Ernie when I'm 79.
Sam-ME won't come clean that he took steroids.
We all have a better chance of seeing Sosa with a corked bat again, or, seeing him in full-blown acne (like when he did when he was 31 & taking the 'roids)then having him admit his guilt.
Remember "me no speaky ingles"
Sammy tested definitively positive as a cheater when cork was found in his bat. Anyone that thinks he would be willing to put cork in his bat but not PED's in his body is nuts.
BTW, Manny tested positive for a screening drug for steroids not HGH.
Sammy Sosa is a freak - from an era of baseball, if not sports in general, that encouraged freaks. The steroid era included parents, fans and let's face it society in general that didn't care about the outcome as long as they were entertained. Is it any different now? Hell no. Anybody want to bet that martial arts will be replaced someday by reality TV's version of The Circus Maximus? The Greeks and Romans had a good thing going, didn't they. Just took it to excess.
Actually, the steroid report pretty much said hgh doesn't provide much of a boost strength wise for otherwise fit players. What is does is help with recovery which is why it is the drug of choice for pitchers. Pujols may be using, but the haters hating him for it w/o proof are pretty sad. He's been tested and passed, end of story. If he gets caught he will face the consequences, until then it is pretty childish just to hate him because he has so often spanked the Cubs like red headed step children. Whiney Cub's fans you're looking at another 100 years so get used to it....
Nice gesture by Banks, but Sosa is never going to come clean about his steroid use, even though the statute of limitations regarding his testimony has expired.
There is definitive proof that Sosa failed a steroid test. It was the same one that Alex Rodriguez failed in 2003. It was all over the newsmedia about a year ago.
For all you youngsters out there, here is a MAN THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED UP TO. Not the fake Sosa.
mark admitted so he can suck up to try and get in hall.Sammy would never admit anything.sammys ego is so big that he could never admit because he has denied so much. And the biggest fool of them all is banks.He is sticking his nose in this just to get his name in print.A bigger self promoter i have never seen.Quit wearing mr cub hat and shut the hell up. Nobody cares anymore.
Anyone who thinks Ernie has "inside info" hasn't met him-Ernie is off his rocker. I met him two years ago at a charity event and he is NOT all there.
Many of the things now popular to use do not have tests that can definitively prove you used anything. Instead, they go on indirect tests. You take HGH, there isn't a test in the world that can detect it: it's natural. Instead, they test for the drug you use when you're weaning yourself OFF HGH. That's what Manny tested positive for.
You're never going to find Pujols testing positive for HGH, only the come-down drug. It's far too late to test Sosa, but if you doubt it you're in denial.
...just like if you doubt Pujols, by the way.
How does Sammy get around the whole perjury thing? Well if you recall at the congressional hearings, it was said that Sosa did not take steroids, however, not by Sammy. Funniest thing, Sammy forgot how to speak english. The statement that he never used steroids was made by his representative, therefore, Sammy never directly made the comment. Since he no hable Inglais, he can/would just say that he was misinterpreted and the snake would slither away again.
he should come clean on the skin bleaching
Oh, c'mon Jam L., you cant really be that naive, can you? Don't you think that Ernie has insider information? Since Ernie is that eternal optimist, I highly doubt he would say something so inflammatory without knowing full well that he's right.
Sosa, unlike McGwire, denied taking performance-enhancing drugs in Congressional hearings, if I recall correctly. So him just coming out and hoping people will forgive him is a little far-fetched considering he would be outright admitting perjury.
The best thing to do about Sammy is just forget about him and move on already.
"proof anyone?" - the same tests that McGwire failed = none - but he came clean. I'm still believe that McGwire does NOT belong in the HOF (nor does Sammy), but admission will go a long way into getting his foot back into the baseball door.