Last Updated: April 9th, 2024 by Michael Schatz
If you were a kid in 1998 then there were two players you probably imitated a lot: Ken Griffey Jr.’s sweet swing, and Sammy Sosa’s hop-skip after a home run. In my opinion, that has to be one of the better home run routines ever. And Sammy looked so cool doing it!
He was a star in his day, best known for hitting moonshots, but let’s not forget that Sammy was a pretty darn good player. Along with his 609 home runs, he hit a respectable .273 with 1667 RBIs and a .344 on base. Not too shabby.
Of course, he’s best remembered for his epic home run race with Mark McGwire in 1998. What those two did that summer not only captivated fans across the country, but it was the shot in the arm baseball needed. It’s not hyperbole to say those two men saved baseball. And let’s not forget that for all the praise Big Mac gets for ultimately winning that home run race and setting a then record of 70 home runs, it was Sammy who walked away with the NL MVP Award. His slash of .308/66/158/.377 was more than deserving.
So let’s take a trip down memory lane and relive some of Slammin’ Sammy’s best moments.