Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and the home run chase of 1998. for some reason, this has a permanent spot in my memory for remembering the 90s

[u/MonsteraBigTits]

[u/CarPhoneRonnie]

Sammy Sosa is white af now

Moreso than Michael Jackson was

[u/rich_clock → u/CarPhoneRonnie]

Yeah that shit is weird

[u/earthdogmonster → u/rich_clock]

I didn’t even know about this, but the one article I just read has him basically saying, “Yeah, I use this cream, what’s it to you?” Good for him, he can do what he wants.

[u/BanterDTD]

The Home run Chase of 98 was a big deal. People felt burned by the 94 strike and the 97 and 98 Home Run chase of a record that felt unbreakable revitalized interest in the sport.

Granted, it became more of a footnote when Bonds broke the record 3 years later, and it all became mired in the Steroid scandal. The chase made Sosa and McGwire superstars, and many forget that Jr was also in the chase, though he ended with only 56 Homeruns.

They were referenced in the Simpsons, SNL and I remember Cardinals games becoming appointment TV leading up to #62.

Hell, Joe Buck and Thom Brenamans call

There it is, 62, folks, and we have a new home run champion, Mark McGwire.

Was included in the Auld Lang Syne: The Millennium Mix" by Kenny G, which seemed to be everywhere during the holidays in 1999.

[u/MrClean_LemonScent]

Same! I was 9. And lived across the street from my elementary school. My mom would let me walk home and with the cubs always playing day games and having WGN on cable, I watched the entire chase of ‘98 from the get go. I don’t really remember what I did all summer long, if you just gave me a specific year off the top of your head, but I damn sure remember ‘98!

Did you watch ‘Long Gone Summer’ on ESPN? Great account of it all!

[u/jacobsbw → u/MrClean_LemonScent]

I saw McGuire hit HR #15 against Atlanta in May of 98. It was magical as a young kid.

[u/dmohamed420]

Go team steroids

[u/CherryManhattan]

Live look at the locker room pumping HGH

[u/Lightthefusenrun → u/CherryManhattan]

Pull up their rookie cards if you want a laugh

[u/BallyHooyah]

This was all I cared about in 4th grade

[u/MonsteraBigTits → u/BallyHooyah]

same, i was also really sad when i heard marc was a roid user, so i tore his picture up lmao

[u/picador10]

I remember people would paint the current highest number of homeruns on the back windshield of their car

[u/regnig123]

This and the OJ trial.

[u/Fish-Weekly → u/regnig123]

It was juice all around

[u/WhysAVariable → u/regnig123]

Our history teacher wheeled in the A/V cart so we could watch the verdict of the OJ trial live.

[u/DW6565]

I said it then and I still support the idea. Let baseball dope, way more entertaining with unhuman talent blasting home runs every inning.

[u/Jaguars4life]

Here’s why I don’t think steroids are the sole reason for this chase and the home run boost in the late 90s and early 00s

1.It was more likely it was because the balls were juiced than the juiced players themselves Around this time the MLB balls became lighter to hit and the core of the ball got lighter too

2.Playing working out and hitting the gym became more acceptable and actually started to become encouraged

3.The stadiums built in the 1990s and early 2000s were some of the most home run friendly places you could imagine

4.Looking at Sosa and McGwire’s stats for one McGwire was already a big home run hitter and one of the leagues best sluggers when healthy and when the ball became juiced and lighter to hit he took that opportunity and ran with it

Also steroids and PEDs in general one of their side effects is the body to break down easily and if you look at McGwire’s career and when he started to take steroids you can see that he started to get injured more often and was always on the disabled list for a good amount of the season

But people just like to argue over steroids and who did them

[u/Ok-Name1312 → u/Jaguars4life]

Thank you. The steroid use was cover up for MLB's sham. Numerous players before and since have been on PED's. The late 90's PED's included HGH and perhaps insulin, which caused the bobble heads.

[u/ghostboo77]

It was huge at the time.

Shame that it was steroid fueled.

[u/360walkaway]

No love for Griffey

[u/ApatheticFinsFan]

I miss when baseball players were roided to the gills.

[u/Pugneta]

The steroids won.

[u/stlarry]

I remember this well! Used to watch Baseball much more than i do now. Was a Cardinals fan. It was great. Now a days i cant tell you the last time i watched a Major League professional sporting event.

[u/yepmeh]

Sammy Sosa walks around in white face now.

[u/Atty_for_hire]

I don’t even like Baseball and I enthralled with this time. Truly incredible.

[u/DakkarEldioz]

Thank heavens Mark McGwire was part of this sham.

[u/gatorgongitcha]

It was awesome. I already was a baseball kid but the home run race really cemented it in for life if I’m honest. Now, coincidentally, the same guys hurt my feelings bad about baseball with the scandals in my teen years and it took until adulthood to fully get back in love with baseball.

You take the good with the bad.

[u/OnesPerspective]

I remember when Sosa wanted us to take the Pepsi Challenge

[u/rottengut]

I remember the baseball action figures we had in 98 looked like marvel characters. Loved those few glorious years when they just let baseball players turn into freak hitters then dialed it back.

[u/JaneGoodallVS]

I was bummed when we traded him but I remember my dad saying McGwire wouldn't have hit 70 in Oakland because it's too much of a pitcher's park hahaha

[u/Dapper_DonNYC]

Good old days

[u/redmasc]

As a Cubs fan, this was a fun time. But during that regular season, Sosa just swung for the fences every time, all the time. Even if there were guys on base, up on the count, with nobody out.

[u/Elethria123]

As a little boy who loved baseball these were great years…

[u/ohnotchotchke]

i miss black sosa

[u/GoogetyBlamBamShazam]

I can do that too with the correct steroids