Home Run Derby

Sammy Sosa is about to become only the fifth player in Major League Baseball history to swat 600 Home Runs.

Home Run Derby thinks that’s a big deal.

In some form of baseball irony, Sosa could hit #600 against the Chicago Cubs, for whom he hit 545 of his 599 Home Runs. It would be his first career Home Run against the Cubs.

In preparation for this event, here’s a look back at Sosa’s career by way of his baseball cards whenever his Home Run odometer clicked over a new digit.

We’ll even throw in the pitchers who provided the opportunity.

Home Run #1 - June 21, 1989

Why not start off against a legend in the making? Sosa’s very first Home Run was hit off Roger Clemens.

The rookie Ranger hit a solo shot in the 4th inning of a 10-4 win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Home Run #100 - May 14, 1995

Sosa turned the Century mark against another legendary pitcher, Trevor Hoffman, the future all-time saves leader.

Sosa hit a Home Run in the ninth inning during a 7-9 loss to the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field.

Home Run #200 - August 24, 1997

This one wasn’t quite as exciting and the pitcher wasn’t a future Hall of Famer either.

Steve Kline served up a three-run Home Run to Sosa in a 12-3 stomping that the Cubs put on the Montreal Expos at Wrigley Field.

Home Run #300 - June 26, 1999

It took Sosa just over 22 months for his next 100 HR.

This time it was the lone highlight of a 2-6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies as Robert Person served up the milestone and sent the Wrigley Bleacher Bums home happy.

Home Run #400 - May 16, 2001

Sosa was hitting Home Runs like crazy and it wasn’t long before he logged #400.

Unfortunately for Cub fans, this Home Run was the lone bright spot during a 2-6 loss. The Houston Astros’ Shane Reynolds got the neck exercise.

Home Run #500 - April 4, 2003

Sosa started off a crazy 2003 with a bang - his 500th trip around the bases.

Scott Sullivan provided Sosa with the fireworks, but the Reds beat the Cubs 10-9 at the newly opened Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.

Sammy Sosa HR by numbers

Here’s some fun Sammy Sosa Home Run facts for you …

• Sosa has hit Home Runs in an MLB record 44 different ballparks
• Sosa has hit Home Runs off of 363 different pitchers
• Sosa has hit Home Runs off of 29 of the 30 MLB clubs (Nats = Expos)
• The only MLB team Sosa has never hit a Home Run against is the Chicago Cubs
• The only current Cubs’ pitcher Sosa has hit for a Home Run is closer Ryan Dempster.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 19th, 2007 at 1:45 pm and is filed under Milestone Home Runs, Stats. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.