Sammy Sosa, left, and Mark McGwire in Long Gone Summer.

By: Anton Massopust III

“I think that what me and Mark did shocked the world,” Sammy Sosa

The newest documentary from ESPN – 30 for 30: Long Gone Summer has a great title. The documentary features Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa’s famous home run chase to beat Roger Maris’s record of 61 home runs in 1961. In the Summers of 1998 baseball was an all-time low after the baseball strike from Aug. 12, 1994 to Apr. 2, 1995. There was no world series in 1194 and people were saying they were sick of baseball and they’ll never watch another baseball game ever again. But that summer of 1998 both the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs produced two huge home run Kings: First Baseman Mark McGwire and Right Fielder Sammy Sosa. 

This documentary talks about the rise Mark McGwire, the California kid who lived, breathed, and ate baseball. He wanted to be a pitcher but was moved to first base when he got to the majors because he was a good hitter and knew how to hit the homerun.

Sammy Sosa played for the Chicago Cubs. He was from the Dominican Republic and looked at baseball as a means to get out of poverty. Sosa eventually made it to the big leagues, and he was a homerun phenomenon. 

The chase was to beat Rodger Maris, the legendary Yankee slugger who beat Babe Ruth’s record with 61 homeruns in 1961.

You see how both McGuire and Sosa surpassed that record, but Mark McGwire came out out on top. He beat the record first, then Sammy Sosa surpassed him. 

Although they were very generous and kind men who came together with love of the game and good sportsmanship, it was later found out they were both taking steroids. 

At first, it seems that during the chase, Major League Baseball first let this slide, but it became apparent that both men, like many of the top players had to admit they were using steroids. Mark McGwire eventually admitted to it, while Sammy Sosa denied the allegations.

This documentary is worth watching, especially if you were a baseball fan. Check out the library of 30 for 30. There is a little something on there for everybody. LongGone Summer is interesting and both a sad and joyful tale.