It was a magical season in 1998. “The Race” – we all have our memories of it. It was the year that saved baseball, and it ranks as one of the greatest of all time.

In hindsight, however, it was a turning point. The dark secret of baseball was reaching critical mass, like a balloon inflated in a box full of needles. Beyond the The 1998 season spelled the beginning of the end of the so-called steroid-era.

And while each of the men sharing center stage would go on to produce for a few more seasons, who could have guessed that they’d be where they are today? Both seemingly barred from the Hall of Fame, despite their larger-than life careers.

Pun intended, by the way.

But let’s put aside the steroid argument for a moment. Do they deserve to be barred from Cooperstown? That’s for the voters to decide. But what if only one could make it in? Read on, and watch me cast my “WannaBe Vote.”

Batting Average: .263 (McGwire) vs .273 (Sosa)
Sammy leads by an even ten points. He also played to more seasons than McGwire (18 vs. 16). But neither of these averages are really Hall of Fame material. They do, however, finish above the highest non-pitcher currently in Cooperstown (Ray Schalk, .253)

Runs Batted In: 1,667 (Sosa) vs. 1,414 (Mcgwire)
Both are impressive totals, but Sosa gets the edge once again. Sammy also had nine straight seasons with 100-plus (all coming in succession), while McGwire had only seven.

All-Star Appearances: 12 (McGwire) vs. 7 (Sosa)
This is a little surprising. There is an explanation, however. Before Sosa’s amazing string of seasons from 1995-2003, he was only a slightly better than average player. Mcwire, on the other hand, was much more consistent throughout his career.

Home Runs: 609 (Sosa) vs. 583 (McGwire)
This could largely be considered a draw, if you take into account the extra two seasons that Sammy had over McGwire. But facts are facts, and the bottom line is this: Sosa broke the 600 mark, McGwire didn’t.

Cheating: Sosa’s Corked Bat
I said I wouldn’t bring steroids into this, and I’m not. But the fact that Sosa was found to be playing with a corked bat has always rankled me.

Verdict: Sammy Sosa
While it may pain me to admit it, I’d have to say that Sammy Sosa has a much stronger Hall of Fame case than McGwire does. His home run and RBI totals give him a pretty clear-cut victory, and the extra ten points on his batting average seal the deal.

But will either man actually make the Hall? We’ll see. But if it had to be just one, my money’s on Sosa.

- Taylor Maxwell

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Tags | 1998 baseball season, Baseball, Hall of Fame, Mark McGwire, MLB, RBIs, Sammy Sosa, Sosa vs. McGwire