Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Sosa Still Playing as Punishment Weighed
Aired June 05, 2003 - 13:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: Will Sammy walk or will he head to the dugout? The verdict is still out as major league baseball debates what to do over that corked bat controversy. So far, the investigation looks good for Sosa.
CNN's Gary Tuchman joining us now with more from Chicago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Chicago Cubs will be taking on the Tampa Bay Devil Rays here at Wrigley Field today. And Sammy Sosa will be in his normal right-field position. But he may learn as early as today what his punishment is for using a corked bat.
Last night in his first game since the incident, 33,000 fans were there, and most of them gave him a standing ovation. There were some boos, but most of the people stood and clapped.
Not every one of those 33,000 people believed Sosa's story that it was an accident that he used the bat. But he is a hero here and many of these people want to believe his story.
The incident happened Tuesday night. He was up at-bat at first inning, hit a ground ball. His bat broke. A run scored in the play but was taken off the books when umpires saw there was cork in the bat. Cork is illegal, because hollowing out the bat and putting cork in there is believed to increase bat speed, and therefore players believe they can hit the ball farther.
Sosa was kicked out of the game. All 76 of his other bats that were here at Wrigley Field were taken to New York and tested with X- Ray technology. Major league baseball has come back and said none of those bats had cork in them.
However, the investigation continues and a punishment will be levied.
Now, why did Sosa use the corked bat? He says he has a corked bat because he likes to use it during batting practice to put on a show for the fans. When asked how many times he's used it, he said three or four times.
Now is there a rule against major leaguers using corked bats in batting practices? Major league baseball says it's never even been discussed before, but it may be discussed now.
This is Gary Tuchman, CNN, in Chicago. (END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 5, 2003 - 13:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: Will Sammy walk or will he head to the dugout? The verdict is still out as major league baseball debates what to do over that corked bat controversy. So far, the investigation looks good for Sosa.
CNN's Gary Tuchman joining us now with more from Chicago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Chicago Cubs will be taking on the Tampa Bay Devil Rays here at Wrigley Field today. And Sammy Sosa will be in his normal right-field position. But he may learn as early as today what his punishment is for using a corked bat.
Last night in his first game since the incident, 33,000 fans were there, and most of them gave him a standing ovation. There were some boos, but most of the people stood and clapped.
Not every one of those 33,000 people believed Sosa's story that it was an accident that he used the bat. But he is a hero here and many of these people want to believe his story.
The incident happened Tuesday night. He was up at-bat at first inning, hit a ground ball. His bat broke. A run scored in the play but was taken off the books when umpires saw there was cork in the bat. Cork is illegal, because hollowing out the bat and putting cork in there is believed to increase bat speed, and therefore players believe they can hit the ball farther.
Sosa was kicked out of the game. All 76 of his other bats that were here at Wrigley Field were taken to New York and tested with X- Ray technology. Major league baseball has come back and said none of those bats had cork in them.
However, the investigation continues and a punishment will be levied.
Now, why did Sosa use the corked bat? He says he has a corked bat because he likes to use it during batting practice to put on a show for the fans. When asked how many times he's used it, he said three or four times.
Now is there a rule against major leaguers using corked bats in batting practices? Major league baseball says it's never even been discussed before, but it may be discussed now.
This is Gary Tuchman, CNN, in Chicago. (END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
