Becomes the first Latino to ever reach the 500 home run plateau and the 18th player to do so in Major League Baseball history!

Written by Ozzie Gonzalez, Latinosportslegends.com

April 7, 2003 -- Sammy Sosa became the 18th player to hit 500 career homers and the first Latino to ever reach that plateau, when he connected for a solo home run Friday night in the Cincinnati Reds' new ballpark.

After getting hit by a pitch, striking out and flying out, Sosa lined a 1-2 pitch from reliever Scott Sullivan in the seventh inning into the seats in right field, touching off a standing ovation from the crowd and his family members as he rounded the bases. Then Sosa came out for a curtain call as the 29,048 fans kept on cheering. 

His mother, wife, brother and four close family friends accompanied him from New York, where he barely missed hitting No. 500 against the Mets.

He raised his arms in celebration and gave his trademark home run hop as soon as the ball left the bat and headed for history. He then dropped his head, circled the bases and raised both index fingers as he touched home. "When I made contact, I knew the ball was gone and I'm like, 'Wow, I got it,''' Sosa said. "When I went to the plate, I
pointed to the sky to show my respect to God." 

After once again failing to hit one off starter Danny Graves, he got that pitch from Sullivan, a sidearm thrower who now has served up four of Sosa's 500. Sosa is a dozen homers short of former Cub Ernie Banks, who finished tied with Eddie Matthews at 14th on the list. Mel Ott had 511, and Eddie Murray is next ahead of Sosa with 504.

"It's great because I don't have to think about it anymore,'' said Sosa at a post-game press conference, "I don't have to go up there every at-bat thinking of hitting the ball out of the park."

Sosa now has homered in 38 ballparks, off 303 pitchers.

Sosa is the first of four players to reach the milestone this year. Texas' Rafael Palmeiro has 491 homers, Los Angeles' Fred McGriff has 478 and Cincinnati's Ken Griffey Jr. has 469.

Among Latinos, no player in Major League Baseball history has ever hit 500 career home runs. The closest to reach that plateau was former 1998 MVP, Jose Canseco (Cuban) with 462.

Sosa's home run made him only the fifth player to reach 500 homers before his 35th birthday. Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays also were 34, and Jimmie Foxx was 32 years old.

Despite Sosa's historical home run, the Reds hit three homers of their own for their first victory in their new ballpark, 10-9.

Web site design, development and maintenance by
  Latino Legends in Sports.™
© Copyright 2002, All Rights Reserved.