Home Run Derby

Sammy Sosa’s 2007 Spring Training to date:  4 Games; 12 At-Bats; 5 Hits; 2 Home Runs; 6.00 AB/HR; 4 Strikeouts. 

Sammy crushed one 450 feet yesterday, but it was against the D-Backs’ Livan Hernandez, who’s kinda like Sosa’s BP pitcher – he’s got an 8.17 AB/HR ratio against his buddy from the Dominican.  The 33% K rate and no walks makes me think that he’s probably swinging at everything right now.  He’s obviously still got his power stroke.  Perfect for the Texas DH spot.

The early returns would imply the Rangers signed themselves a bargain in Sosa, who at this point is guaranteed $500,000 with incentives (based mostly on AB) which could pay him $2.2 million more.  But there’s a lot of Spring left, and Spring Training success doesn’t always translate into Regular Season heroics.  More on that in coming days … 

Sosa began his MLB career in Texas before being traded to the White Sox and then the Cubs and Orioles.  It took me a while, but I finally found a picture of Sosa back in 1989 in his first go-round with the Rangers.  Then and Now …