To say that the 1998 home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa transcended baseball would be a severe understatement. The world was captivated by the chase, which pitted a soft-spoken American first baseman against an energetic outfielder from the Dominican Republic.
McGwire and Sosa were larger-than-life figures, both in terms of their cartoonishly muscular physiques and the colossal home runs that flew off their bats. Though we’ve since learned that their performances were chemically aided, their battle for home run supremacy remains a subject of fascination more than two decades later.
The new ESPN documentary Long Gone Summer looks back at the 1998 home run chase and how public perception of it has shifted over time. Regardless of the PED use that eventually tarnished the central figures’ reputations, the race was glorious to watch unfold.
The following factors explain why the chase became part of the larger cultural conversation.
One Crazy Summer
The 1998 baseball season was defined by more than just historic home run feats. In fact, the race between McGwire and Sosa was just one of many unforeseen developments that resulted in a topsy-turvy regular season.
Just a cursory glance at the summer of 1998 shows that it was one of the wildest seasons in modern baseball history. Consider the following events from that year: the Yankees racked up 114 wins to set an American League record, Cal Ripken Jr.’s consecutive games played streak came to an end, a rookie struck out 20 batters in a start, and the defending World Series champions (the Marlins) finished with the worst record in all of baseball.
David Wells achieved perfection, Alex Rodriguez joined the 40-40 club, and 36-year-old Roger Clemens won his second straight Cy Young for Toronto. There were also major structural changes throughout the league, including the addition of two new franchises in the Devil Rays and the Diamondbacks.
With all that transpired, fans had to reassess their notions of what players could achieve. The line between possible and impossible was blurred even further when McGwire and Sosa started crushing dingers at an unprecedented pace. It was completely unexpected, but so were most things happening across the game.
After a players’ strike led to the cancellation of the World Series in 1994, many fans grew disillusioned with the state of America’s pastime. It would be overly simplistic to claim that the 1998 season “saved” baseball, but the fervor surrounding the home run chase proved that the game could still capture our collective imagination.
Division Rivalry
The pursuit of the single-season home run record made for ideal unscripted drama, in part because McGwire and Sosa paired their homer-hitting theatrics with charismatic personas. As understated as he normally was in interviews, McGwire was anything but boring when he came to bat. His light-tower power was awe-inspiring, even in batting practice. The more gregarious Sosa was also a delight; fans adored his signature “Sammy hop,” as well as his practice of pointing to the heavens when he crossed home plate.
The race between McGwire and Sosa would have been appointment television even if the two players had never crossed paths. But what heightened the intensity of the race was how often they shared the diamond. Both players toiled in the National League Central division: McGwire for the St. Louis Cardinals and Sosa for the Chicago Cubs. As a result, the two had multiple chances to make history in each other’s presence.
The most memorable encounter occurred on September 8th, when McGwire hit his 62nd home run to surpass the previous single-year mark set by Roger Maris in 1961. The Cardinals were finishing up a series at home against none other than Sosa’s Cubs. When McGwire finished his triumphant trot around the bases, he was met by a mob of teammates that emerged from the dugout. Also waiting to greet McGwire was Sosa, who embraced his rival with an affectionate bear hug.
The mutual respect between the two sluggers was evident throughout the race, especially when, in a side-by-side press conference with Sosa in September, McGwire told reporters that it would be “beautiful” if they ended up tied. McGwire would finish the year atop the home run leaderboard, with 70 home runs compared to Sosa’s 66.
Ultimately, it was McGwire who claimed the home run record, and Sosa who won the National League MVP. All told, the two players homered on the same date 18 times — 15 times from June onward. The back-and-forth nature of the race, combined with the mutual admiration between the two division rivals, made their pursuit of history unforgettable.
Hallowed History
As anyone who studies the sport’s history can attest, records matter in baseball. True devotees of the game can cite Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak or Nolan Ryan’s seven career no-hitters as evidence of these players’ legendary talents.
Likewise, the single-season home run record has long been one of baseball’s hallowed marks. In 1927, Babe Ruth broke his own record by swatting an unfathomable 60 home runs. The Babe’s record stood until 1961, when another Yankee, Roger Maris, set the mark for a 162-game season with 61 blasts. The enduring fascination with this record made it impossible to ignore the revelatory performances of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in 1998.
McGwire showed great reverence toward his home-run hitting forebears, Roger Maris in particular. Although Maris passed away thirteen years before Big Mac’s pursuit of history, the surviving members of his family were on hand for McGwire’s record-setting 62nd blast.
At first, Maris’s children were not comfortable with anyone breaking the record, especially after witnessing the emotional turmoil their father experienced while chasing the Babe. They changed their tune (at least publicly) when they met McGwire and saw how profoundly he respected their father’s achievement.
According to McGwire, he knew he was destined to break the record when a representative from the Hall of Fame brought a special item to the ballpark: the bat that Maris used to hit his 61st homer in ‘61. Said McGwire,“When I touched his bat tonight, before the game, I knew tonight was going to be the night. When I touched and held Roger’s bat. . . . I just put it into my heart.”
Our perception of McGwire has changed drastically since that night. In that moment, however, his sincerity was made evident by his tear-strewn visage. And it made sense, too. McGwire understood that Ruth and Maris were not just great home run hitters; they were true American icons. To place himself among their ranks was to acknowledge his status as a symbol of American strength and fortitude. It was no surprise, then, that McGwire was named the 1998 “Hero of the Year” by Time Magazine.
Searle’s Final Say
The 1998 home run chase transcended cultural boundaries like no baseball story has since. For six months, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa became superheroes in the public imagination. They were congratulated by foreign dignitaries, had their likenesses depicted in plush toys, and were applauded by baseball lovers and non-fans alike. While their legacies have been tainted by PED use, the race itself was filled with tender personal moments and a stirring reverence for years past.
