It Was a Great Season; Let’s Not Go Crazy

How can the 1998 season get any better? Try this. . . .

Ninth inning, World Series Game 7, Red Sox vs. Cubs. Sammy Sosa hits a home run to tie it up when suddenly Cub Manager Jim Riggleman goes to the bench for a pinch-hitter and, capitalizing on a secret roster move he made in September, calls up Ernie Banks.

Hey, we can dream.

BARRY WEISS

Valley Village

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Bill Plaschke should be ashamed of himself! To imply that Mark McGwire is a racist because he was not raised in poverty, and because he made the observation that he felt he was a more disciplined hitter than Sammy Sosa, is really stretching it.

Even those of us who are not sportswriters have noticed that Sammy really swings from the heels. This is part of the excitement of this season. This from a guy who thought he would never be interested in baseball again.

Incidentally, tell Mr. Plaschke that he is not the only person who has seen poverty and squalor and will forever remember the stench of open sewers. Latin America does not have an exclusive on these things.

DAVID KIRKPATRICK

Lancaster

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Bill Plaschke is a little confused. Sosa didn’t push McGwire. McGwire pushed Sosa. Last year, Mac hit 58 homers without anyone pushing him, where Sosa, who never hit more than 40, hit 66 this year.

SID LAZAROW

Orange

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Bill Plaschke couldn’t be more wrong about Sammy Sosa becoming a footnote to history. Being runner-up doesn’t necessarily mean being forgotten. Before Maris ever hit 61, baseball fans all knew that Foxx and Greenberg ranked behind the Babe’s 60 and 59, and who can ever forget Alf Landon?

The 1998 season was remarkable from the standpoint of individual and team accomplishments. What was even more remarkable was that good things were happening to good people. Albert Belle had one of the finest seasons ever recorded by a hard-core scumbag, while good guys McGwire, Sosa and Ripken deserved, and got, the media attention. The distinction that Plaschke missed is not that the latter three posted awesome numbers, but that they did it throughout with class and dignity. Someone may eventually surpass their records, but they’ll never surpass the graciousness with which all three handled the situations and the pressures.

Sosa’s 66 will be remembered for a long, long time, and the man’s class will be remembered even longer, so Plaschke needn’t worry about that any longer.

ALLEN E. KAHN

Playa del Rey

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Let me get this straight. The score is tied, with two on base, and you pitch to a man going for his 69th home run? Does anyone else get the feeling that baseball has conspired to give these homers to recapture a disenchanted public who rightfully abandoned the game after greedy owners and pampered millionaire players deprived us of a World Series?

DOUG HOPKINS

Upland