No matter your view of Sammy Sosa, David Gassko's column at The Hardball Times on him is worth reading: "No one really knows what to think about Sammy Sosa. We used to. He was once every fan’s favorite player, Slammin’ Sammy, hitting home runs into orbit and celebrating by clapping for himself. In an era when players were criticized for showboating, Sammy was always let off the hook—he wasn’t showing off, he was celebrating because he loved the game, and the excitement.

"He was the excitement. Until his production fell off." . . . more