‘Skinny Kid’ Became a Big Man

The eyebrows of the baseball world were raised last year when the Chicago Cubs’ Sammy Sosa, who had never hit more than 40 home runs in a season, hit 66 and blasted his way past Babe Ruth and Roger Maris, finishing only behind Mark McGwire’s record 70 home runs.

Who could have predicted it?

Certainly not Dodger coach Manny Mota, who once managed a Dominican Republic team in winter ball that had a rookie named Sosa.

“He was a little, skinny kid,” Mota said. “He was a line-drive hitter. What I really liked was the way he threw and the way he ran.

“He didn’t get to play much. I wish I could have given him more time.”

*

It’s a plea as old as the days of Ruth, but as poignant as ever.

The kid who is dying of an incurable disease wants the home-run hitter to hit one for him, or to autograph a ball or bat.

Sosa gets these heart-tugging requests. But unlike the others, these have a cruel twist to them: Many are phony.

According to Chuck Wasserstrom, the Cubs’ media information coordinator, several such bogus appeals have been made through the team.

“People will do anything to get something signed,” Wasserstrom said. “We will be told that a kid has cancer, and it turns out that the ‘kid’ is 37 years old, had cancer when he was 13 and was cured.

“These requests never even get to Sosa because we screen them first.”

*

Two disabled fans filed a civil lawsuit in Los Angeles on Wednesday because, they allege, the Dodgers forced them to buy season tickets for their disabled-service dogs, then canceled the entire ticket application.

Dorik Pernan, the only plaintiff listed in the suit, alleges that he was told that he and another disabled fan were required to get seats for the dogs if they were to accompany their masters to the games.

Pernan claims that when he was told his civil rights had been violated, he asked the Dodgers to reimburse him for the dogs’ tickets. Instead, he said in the lawsuit, the club called his credit card company and had the entire season-ticket package, five seats in all, canceled.

“We haven’t seen the lawsuit,” a Dodger spokesman said, “and therefore, we have no comment.”

*

Center fielder Devon White, out since Sunday because of a strained right hamstring, said it is doubtful that he could play in Friday’s opener of a three-game series against the Cardinals in St. Louis.

“It doesn’t look good,” White said. “But it should be good in a couple more days. I am not going to rush it. I am not trying to be a superhero.”

*

When Raul Mondesi hit two home runs in both Monday’s and Tuesday’s games, it marked the first time that had been accomplished by a Dodger since Todd Zeile did it in September 1997. Zeile homered twice against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium and then against the Rockies at Coors Field.