Sammy Sosa 2000 Home Run Derby

Sammy Sosa 2000 Home Run Derby, Monday, July 10, 2000
Derby: Sosa has tape-measure night
Associated Press
ATLANTA -- Step aside Junior, Sammy's the man.
Slammin' Sammy Sosa ended Ken Griffey Jr.'s two-year reign as Home Run Derby champion, hitting the longest, loudest and largest number of shots at Turner Field on Monday night.
Sosa beat Griffey 9-2 in the finals and hit 26 overall, including a pair of 508-foot shots -- one to the 755 Club in the left-field upper deck and one that came to rest atop the second green batter's backdrop in straightaway center, below the scoreboard.
"I came here to put on a show. I didn't necessarily come here to get the win, but I guess I got the win," Sosa said.
"I know I have people behind me, who support me and love me," Sosa said to the crowd of 50,118.
With injuries to Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Mike Piazza and Manny Ramirez, there wasn't nearly the drama of last year, when Griffey won but McGwire conquered the Green Monster at Fenway Park, with hundreds of fans filling Lansdowne Street to catch the balls.
Before Monday's competition, scalpers were dumping tickets with $50 face value for $10 each.
"Mark McGwire is one of the guys everybody is looking at," Sosa said. "Because he was not here today, I came here to represent him."
But what started off as a listless, humid night sparked up immediately when Sosa started swinging.
"Sammy made it look easy," said Griffey, who has won the derby three times overall. "When people in the first couple of rows of the upper deck are looking up, that's power. I didn't hear oohs and aahs for my wallscrapers. I heard them for Sammy's upper-deck shots."
Sosa, who lost out to McGwire 70-66 for the home-record record two years ago and 65-63 for last year's title, made flashbulbs sparkle and fireworks explode in the night.
In the semifinals, Sosa beat Everett 11-6 and Griffey topped Carlos Delgado 2-1. Then, Griffey and Sosa were tied 2-2 in the first round of the finals, which was split into two rounds with each player allowed five non-homer swings each.
Sosa, practicing his swing in the runway between rounds, then went ahead with a 429-foot homer to left, took a pitch, and connected on four straight swings -- hard, long shots of 476, 488, 477 and 443 feet. He added two mores, at 460 feet and 508, while fans stood clapping, chanting his name and bowing, much like the Wrigley Field bleacher bums pay homage to him back home in Chicago.
After Sosa finished, he high-fived Griffey and both players hugged.
Sosa thanked his pitcher, Chino Cadahia, the Atlanta Braves' minor league field coordinator.
"He used to be my manager when I was in the minor leagues in Texas (Gastonia in 1987). He knows where I like the ball," Sosa said. "He was throwing me some cookies today. I have to thank him for that."
Griffey, who won the titles in 1994 at Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium, 1998 at Denver's Coors Field and last year, then failed to homer in five straight swings.
Last year, Sosa bombed out at Fenway, hitting just one home run.
"I came here the last three years and I didn't do anything," he said. "I came here today with a different plan. I went up there trying to give myself an opportunity. I took a few pitches."
For a night, Sosa put aside his contract squabble with the Cubs, who wouldn't extend his contract and then, at the request of their star, tried to trade him to the New York Yankees.
"I don't want to talk about a contract right now because I want to wait until the year's over and relax," Sosa said. "Whatever happens from there, happens. I would love to stay in Chicago. This is the city I want to stay with. But if it doesn't work out, you know, if I have to go, I don't have a choice."
He didn't know if his performance would cause Cubs president Andy MacPhail and general manager Ed Lynch to give him the extension he wants.
"One thing for sure," Sosa said. "They were watching tonight."
credit: www.espn.com

[@brianh3982]

Bonds: "I dont think i can hit a ball that far" Bonds: Im lying😂

[@jimclaus1576]

Lol! Well McGwire >> Bonds as far as sheer distance goes. Mark hit a shot ABOVE that upper deck and off the electric scoreboard once in batting practice. That video floating around on KZbin. So when bonds said “I don’t think anyone has hit a shot up there!! Even in batting practice” that’s false. Lol

[@brianh3982]

@@jimclaus1576 lol have a good day

[@53Kost]

20 years ago but it feels like just yesterday!!!.....

[@dontrellmayfieldjr2868]

The steroid era is the best ERA in Major League Baseball history.. Like it or not... that Era is 10 times better than today's game and most definitely they save baseball after the strike in 94.

[@goodvibes4459]

Agreed also you had guys like roger Clemons and curt chilling who were cool dudes. And they were not pussys like todays players who boycott games over politics. They would have just played

[@unyum]

Thanks! Looked for this awhile ago! I remember watching this!!!

[@gallostrabaabeja1]

El mejor ❤ como ese no nace otro.

[@baotheboss]

Thank you Dylan was waiting for this one

[@coolestjabroni7329]

That center field camera shot swing was legendary

[@boltlitening45]

Thanks for sharing, have been looking for this

[@tommytimp]

Joe Morgan, always strategizing, forgetting it's a got damn show for the fans, not a Game 7.

[@boltlitening45]

Chris Berman was really about Sammy that day... "Ohhhhhhh nooooo, goooonnnneee"

[@genaroortiz44]

El mejor pelotero de todos los tiempos sami sosa

[@lions_tribe7759]

Pari mi aqui en chicago siempre sera mi mejor pelotero. Amor de este Borikua

[@canadasugardaddysugardaddy1797]

Bonds was doing his best to he self depreciating And humble with the “I don’t think I can hit the ball that far”. Yeah right, in his heart, he knows he can out crush Sosa all day long

[@danielferrer9464]

He wouldn't be able to out crush 2002 HR derby Sammy, no way.

[@thickerconstrictor9037]

Bonds was definitely a much better hitter all around and he hit some monster shots but Sosa could definitely hit the ball farther

[@joeanderson444]

129 HR's in 2 years?? 243 HR's in 4 years? How about 8 shy of 300 homers in just 5 seasons? 367 HR's in his last 7 years with Cubs? 66-63-50-64-49-40-35 is a hell of a stat line for a streak that I've ever seen! From 1993-2004 he hit 537 homers (1744 games); I don't care how he did it because many others that were questionable if you will, didn't produce that many HR's in 12 seasons! Although Bonds (1706 games) hit 527 from 1993-2004 and was a better hitter/player, shows how great of a feat this was!

[@SammySosaChannel]

Yeah, and he averaged 61 HR over a 4 season period from 1998-2001. He also holds the record for most HR in any 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 year span in MLB history.

[@bpolk1685]

The day Barry said enough is enough

[@austinyoung2723]

Love these age of baseball

[@rjperfetto584]

The ball simply doesnot jump in Georgia for some reason, a warm weather climate, you would think it would travel better.

[@baruchac]

Maybe too close to sea level.

[@scootscootriot1020]

@@baruchac Atlanta is actually about 750 feet above sea level. They called Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, “The Launching Pad.” Turner Field was just a giant ballpark.

[@tooch1180]

God I miss the juice.

[@penucogomez7970]

uno de los mejores pelotero de rd

[@emmanuelquezada9082]

Grande sammy 💪💪💪💪💪

[@rjperfetto584]

Sammy was definitely corking it in Milwaukee in 2002, ridiculous shots that year.

[@rjperfetto584]

@Bob S It certainly does, why use it if it DOESN'T.

[@reducecotwo]

It helps when you're surrounded by a stadium full of fans plus his people, lol

[@rjperfetto584]

@@reducecotwo It was mostly the corked bat and " STUFF"

[@reducecotwo]

@@rjperfetto584...You're probably right... I also remember him shattering quite a few bats over the years.

[@NMagChiTown]

Of course you have proof of this right? Interesting how all of the bats x-rayed by MLB of Sosa's didn't have cork in it, except the one Sammy broke on field...

[@austinyoung2723]

I thought he hit one off the scoreboard I remember it

[@tonymason9855]

Bonds sounding like a 12 year old boy lol was that a side effect?

[@redpillfreedom6692]

Shrinking balls certainly was.

[@gmoney8585]

Bonds like i gotta up my dosage💉

[@NZA333]

roids dont make miracles… a lot of players were in roids and didnt make it to the derby… u still have to hit the ball consistently and well

[@thickerconstrictor9037]

Sosa had zero interest in any question with something besides the word fun. Someone made a bet similar to super troopers and meow. Also if century 21 was buying someone a $250,000 house in 2023 they would be getting a 850 square-foot one bedroom haha

[@carlosantigua6115]

Lo de Samuel Sosa, fue fantastico, unico Caribeño que se hecho en un bolsillo a la gente del pais mas rico del mundo, se supo administrar muy bien y hoy disfruta del logro de su trabajo y fama, solo miren como eloquecen esos gringos ojos azules con un negro del pais mas bello del Caribe Rep. Dominicana, ahora mismo lider en la region en turismo, el mundo entero quiere venir aqui, donde es verano todo el año.

[@Ghost29303]

Home Run Derbies suck now .

[@mrlucky4585]

Does it have enough juice don’t worry it’s got plenty of juice

[@gmoney8585]

Arod I think im gonna do the same thing sammy did😮💉

[@nestordelarosa5608]

Hola q

[@timbird2065]

It’s amazing what steroids does 😡. Same with Mark McGuire as well.

[@rjperfetto584]

Guys are taking now, especially with this dumb clock speed rounds now.

[@NMagChiTown]

Caminiti was on roids, so was Clemens, why weren't they in the Derby?? Roids don't make someone hit the ball consistently well. Have known plenty of wrestlers and football players who thought their athleticism would transfer to baseball, could not put the bat on the ball.

[@the_ap_1561]

You still have to be able to hit the ball. Sure the ball might go farther but it doesnt make you a bteter hitter. Everybody was doing it back then and he is still the only one ever with 3 60 HR seasons. Remember the batters had to face pitchers using steroids as well

[@isanderaponte4067]

Some roids and a cushioned bat outta do the job 😆