Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

Sosa Suspended

Aired June 06, 2003 - 14:07   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, CNN ANCHOR: Let's shift gears. Let's talk about Sammy Sosa, shall we? Eight -- eight days -- eight games actually. That's how many games Sammy Sosa has been told to sit out after using that illegal corked bat. But, will he? What are the fans saying? Our Chicago bureau chief, Jeff Flock, is at Wrigley Field where the crowd is, shall we say, partisan?
JEFFREY FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Miles. We talked last hour and I really have sort of searched out in the crowd to try to get a varied viewpoint. Chuck, right in front of there -- believe me, that is Wrigley Field back there behind us. This man is a big Chicago Cubs fan, because I can see it written all over him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it is.

FLOCK: What are your feelings about Sammy Sosa?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he should be kicked out of baseball. Kicked out. Cheating is cheating.

FLOCK: You are a Cubs fan?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't care. Cheating is cheating. Pete Rose, look what they did to Pete Rose. And he didn't even bet on the game that he was plague in. He bet on different games. And here is a man that blatantly cheated. In my opinion, he cheated 504 times.

FLOCK: Well now, as you know, they x-rayed the bats and those bats came up clean. You don't think it is strong?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I don't think so. I think it should have been more severe.

FLOCK: So this eight games doesn't do it for you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it doesn't. You are not setting a good example, and then they're going to give him a role model award today? They shouldn't do that. You know, what kind of role model are we setting for our kids?

FLOCK: Good point, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eight days is not enough.

FLOCK: OK, you make a good point. He's making reference to, Miles, the congressional award on Monday of this week, the day before the cork incident. The U.S. Congress -- it was the House -- voted unanimously to pass a resolution recognizing Sosa for his accomplishments, his 500 homers, and making him a role model.

Is he still a role model to you, sir?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, he is, Jeff. I think Sammy is still a role model to every body out there.

FLOCK: He still deserves the award today, which he's actually going to actually go ahead get today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, absolutely. He's done a lot for baseball.

FLOCK: Him and Mark McGuire both.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

FLOCK: And this cork thing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cork thing, I think, was a thing where he got caught cheating. I think when it came back, that he couldn't catch up with the fastball. He used the cork to maybe get his bat around a little quicker.

FLOCK: So you believe he's lying when he says it was an accident?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do believe he's lying. But, you know, Sammy Sosa has done a lot for baseball. They should recognize that, too.

FLOCK: Both sides the issue there, Miles, represented. And I think both people feeling fairly strongly about their viewpoints. Back to you.

O'BRIEN: I would have expected more unanimity there, right in the shadow of Wrigley Field.

FLOCK: We try to be fair in Chicago, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Fair and balanced. Thanks you very much, Jeff Flock. Appreciate that.

Nick Charles is with us. Sports anchor emeritus. What is your title these days?

NICK CHARLES, SHOWTIME SPORTS COMMENTATOR: I am the Showtime sports commentator.

O'BRIEN: Showtime Sports. Yes, but one of our favorites here at CNN.

CHARLES: Thank you, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Nick... CHARLES: Hot story?

O'BRIEN: Yes. Yes. We want to talk about Funny Cide later, and we are going to bring you back to that. But since you're here, this whole issue of Sammy Sosa. The fact that 76 other bats, plus the five in the Hall of Fame, all came up clean. That helps, doesn't it?

CHARLES: Oh, it absolutely does. I'm looking at it. Is it an honest mistake or deliberate deceit? I think every fan out there is doing the same. As for the suspension, or the impending, he hasn't been suspended yet.

O'BRIEN: Eight games.

CHARLES: For eight games. That was something they had to do. Baseball had to act swiftly. It is bad for the game, it really is. But at the same time, after so is a hit -- in '98 when he had the tremendous run, talk about a high for the game, we went down to the Dominican and spent time with him at his home and such.

And everybody likes him. The latest queue survey, the index they take, he is the most likable player in baseball. So this is really a blow. It damages the game. It taints him a little bit, I think. And it is just the question of how people choose to perceive him. We just heard outside Wrigley Field. I was surprised, too, that one Cub fan with a Cub hat and a Cub jersey would say take, him out of the game.

O'BRIEN: Yes, interesting. Let me ask you this. He is one of the good guys in baseball. And you saw it up close during that year and, certainly, people in the Dominican treat him like a saint. That helps, too. But when it is a nice guy, it makes it sting a little harder too, doesn't it?

CHARLES: Well, yes, it does. People don't want to believe it. You know, somebody was quoted saying, the people down there are really heart broken. People in the United States, too. You don't want to believe it. It was a feel-good story, I remember, covering McGuire and Sosa. Somebody made the analogy the other day -- they made the point. Jose Canseco, a former player, on ESPN in fact, saying you wouldn't be doing this if it were Mark McGuire. The media is vilifying this guy. And I thought he was out of line. There is no cultural bias involved. What McGuire did, he had that Androstenedione -- they found it in his locker. It was illegal substance he was allowed to take. If that let to hitting home runs further, or more of them, so be it. Sosa is a is a different story here. A corked bat, as I know you explained earlier, and showed people-- I think you had a demonstration earlier this week is...

O'BRIEN: Yes, we did.

CHARLES: ... either delusionary on the part of a player. But it is deceitful and it breaks the rules.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I think that is a bit of a red herring. And unfortunate that he and -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE) with comments today, saying if it had been somebody who was not Latin, it would have been different treatment. And I think that's just unfortunate to bring that all into the mix.

OK. So an eight-game suspension. Is this just a bump in Sammy Sosa's career or is this one of those things that when they write his obituary, it's going to be up there in the headlines?

CHARLES: It is going to be a footnote, I think. Because we don't know, Miles. Again, 76 bats coming clean. One -- he knew who he was doing. These know what their bats are. They know like you know what your favorite tie is. They know their favorite bat is.

O'BRIEN: That is -- I mean, they always know what bat to put in there?

CHARLES: They sleep with their bats. You know how it is. But it is always as somebody said the other day, it is going to be his purgatory. You know, he certainly was in heaven a long time, and he is still going to be remembered and liked and loved by a lot of people. This isn't exactly hell for him, an eight-game suspension. But it is, for the moment, his purgatory.

O'BRIEN: All right, Nick Charles, we'll talk Funny Cide in just a little bit. Possibility of a Triple Crown. I know that is very exciting...

CHARLES: Exciting.

O'BRIEN: ... to you.

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 6, 2003 - 14:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's shift gears. Let's talk about Sammy Sosa, shall we? Eight -- eight days -- eight games actually. That's how many games Sammy Sosa has been told to sit out after using that illegal corked bat. But, will he? What are the fans saying? Our Chicago bureau chief, Jeff Flock, is at Wrigley Field where the crowd is, shall we say, partisan?
JEFFREY FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Miles. We talked last hour and I really have sort of searched out in the crowd to try to get a varied viewpoint. Chuck, right in front of there -- believe me, that is Wrigley Field back there behind us. This man is a big Chicago Cubs fan, because I can see it written all over him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it is.

FLOCK: What are your feelings about Sammy Sosa?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he should be kicked out of baseball. Kicked out. Cheating is cheating.

FLOCK: You are a Cubs fan?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't care. Cheating is cheating. Pete Rose, look what they did to Pete Rose. And he didn't even bet on the game that he was plague in. He bet on different games. And here is a man that blatantly cheated. In my opinion, he cheated 504 times.

FLOCK: Well now, as you know, they x-rayed the bats and those bats came up clean. You don't think it is strong?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I don't think so. I think it should have been more severe.

FLOCK: So this eight games doesn't do it for you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it doesn't. You are not setting a good example, and then they're going to give him a role model award today? They shouldn't do that. You know, what kind of role model are we setting for our kids?

FLOCK: Good point, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eight days is not enough.

FLOCK: OK, you make a good point. He's making reference to, Miles, the congressional award on Monday of this week, the day before the cork incident. The U.S. Congress -- it was the House -- voted unanimously to pass a resolution recognizing Sosa for his accomplishments, his 500 homers, and making him a role model.

Is he still a role model to you, sir?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, he is, Jeff. I think Sammy is still a role model to every body out there.

FLOCK: He still deserves the award today, which he's actually going to actually go ahead get today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, absolutely. He's done a lot for baseball.

FLOCK: Him and Mark McGuire both.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

FLOCK: And this cork thing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The cork thing, I think, was a thing where he got caught cheating. I think when it came back, that he couldn't catch up with the fastball. He used the cork to maybe get his bat around a little quicker.

FLOCK: So you believe he's lying when he says it was an accident?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do believe he's lying. But, you know, Sammy Sosa has done a lot for baseball. They should recognize that, too.

FLOCK: Both sides the issue there, Miles, represented. And I think both people feeling fairly strongly about their viewpoints. Back to you.

O'BRIEN: I would have expected more unanimity there, right in the shadow of Wrigley Field.

FLOCK: We try to be fair in Chicago, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. Fair and balanced. Thanks you very much, Jeff Flock. Appreciate that.

Nick Charles is with us. Sports anchor emeritus. What is your title these days?

NICK CHARLES, SHOWTIME SPORTS COMMENTATOR: I am the Showtime sports commentator.

O'BRIEN: Showtime Sports. Yes, but one of our favorites here at CNN.

CHARLES: Thank you, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Nick... CHARLES: Hot story?

O'BRIEN: Yes. Yes. We want to talk about Funny Cide later, and we are going to bring you back to that. But since you're here, this whole issue of Sammy Sosa. The fact that 76 other bats, plus the five in the Hall of Fame, all came up clean. That helps, doesn't it?

CHARLES: Oh, it absolutely does. I'm looking at it. Is it an honest mistake or deliberate deceit? I think every fan out there is doing the same. As for the suspension, or the impending, he hasn't been suspended yet.

O'BRIEN: Eight games.

CHARLES: For eight games. That was something they had to do. Baseball had to act swiftly. It is bad for the game, it really is. But at the same time, after so is a hit -- in '98 when he had the tremendous run, talk about a high for the game, we went down to the Dominican and spent time with him at his home and such.

And everybody likes him. The latest queue survey, the index they take, he is the most likable player in baseball. So this is really a blow. It damages the game. It taints him a little bit, I think. And it is just the question of how people choose to perceive him. We just heard outside Wrigley Field. I was surprised, too, that one Cub fan with a Cub hat and a Cub jersey would say take, him out of the game.

O'BRIEN: Yes, interesting. Let me ask you this. He is one of the good guys in baseball. And you saw it up close during that year and, certainly, people in the Dominican treat him like a saint. That helps, too. But when it is a nice guy, it makes it sting a little harder too, doesn't it?

CHARLES: Well, yes, it does. People don't want to believe it. You know, somebody was quoted saying, the people down there are really heart broken. People in the United States, too. You don't want to believe it. It was a feel-good story, I remember, covering McGuire and Sosa. Somebody made the analogy the other day -- they made the point. Jose Canseco, a former player, on ESPN in fact, saying you wouldn't be doing this if it were Mark McGuire. The media is vilifying this guy. And I thought he was out of line. There is no cultural bias involved. What McGuire did, he had that Androstenedione -- they found it in his locker. It was illegal substance he was allowed to take. If that let to hitting home runs further, or more of them, so be it. Sosa is a is a different story here. A corked bat, as I know you explained earlier, and showed people-- I think you had a demonstration earlier this week is...

O'BRIEN: Yes, we did.

CHARLES: ... either delusionary on the part of a player. But it is deceitful and it breaks the rules.

O'BRIEN: Yes, I think that is a bit of a red herring. And unfortunate that he and -- (UNINTELLIGIBLE) with comments today, saying if it had been somebody who was not Latin, it would have been different treatment. And I think that's just unfortunate to bring that all into the mix.

OK. So an eight-game suspension. Is this just a bump in Sammy Sosa's career or is this one of those things that when they write his obituary, it's going to be up there in the headlines?

CHARLES: It is going to be a footnote, I think. Because we don't know, Miles. Again, 76 bats coming clean. One -- he knew who he was doing. These know what their bats are. They know like you know what your favorite tie is. They know their favorite bat is.

O'BRIEN: That is -- I mean, they always know what bat to put in there?

CHARLES: They sleep with their bats. You know how it is. But it is always as somebody said the other day, it is going to be his purgatory. You know, he certainly was in heaven a long time, and he is still going to be remembered and liked and loved by a lot of people. This isn't exactly hell for him, an eight-game suspension. But it is, for the moment, his purgatory.

O'BRIEN: All right, Nick Charles, we'll talk Funny Cide in just a little bit. Possibility of a Triple Crown. I know that is very exciting...

CHARLES: Exciting.

O'BRIEN: ... to you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com