I wasn’t going to mention anything about Sammy Sosa’s recent announcement that he was retiring–two years after the fact.

But something that Sosa asked at his press conference got me thinking…and laughing.  Pondering his chances at enshrinement in the Hall of Fame, Sosa asked reporters, “Don’t I have the numbers to be inducted?”

Sure you do Sammy–but right now your chances of getting in are about as good as Garth Iorg’s.

Sorry Sosa, but you’re forever going to be linked to steroids (even though he’s never tested positive) the same way you’ll forever be linked to Mark McGwire and the home run chase of 1998.

But like Barroid Bonds, the proof is in the pictures.

First off, here’s Sosa in his early years with the White Sox…

Steroids...no. Awesome mustache...YES!

In Sosa’s 2+ years with the Sox, his highest home run total was 15.  But then he got traded to the Cubs, and the rest as they say, is history.

With the Cubbies, Sosa’s HR totals steadily increased, from 33 to 40 to 66, 63, 50, and 64!  Talk about a power surge.

But I think I see where the increased power came from…

I’d like to say the pic on the left has been photoshopped…i’d really like to.

But Sammy fell out of favor with the Cubs and their fans, and after a very, very mediocre year with the Orioles in 2005, Sosa was out of ball for 2 years, until he signed in 2007 (his final year) with the Rangers.

From this pic, it seems as if Sosa gave up on the PED’s in a last ditch effort to save his reputation…

Like his White Sox days...minus the cheesy mustache

Unfortunately for Sammy Sosa, his reputation is forever tarnished…and his chances of enshrinement are slim at best.

But hey, maybe he and Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens can take a road trip to Cooperstown to reminisce about what might have been.