[Infernal Mass]

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Sosa Homers in Return From Suspension
By The Associated Press
published 03:35 AM - JUNE 19, 2003 Eastern Time

It didn't take long for Sammy Sosa to return to form. In his first game since serving a seven-game suspension for using a corked bat, Sosa hit a two-run homer, made a sliding catch, he even broke his bat.

"That's the Sammy Sosa we all know," manager Dusty Baker said after the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 on Wednesday night.

It wasn't all perfect, however. In his return, there were more boos than cheers. Some fans screamed "Corky!" during his at-bats, and the reaction got nastier as the game went along.

He did his home-run hop, then rounded the bases with his head down after he hit a two-run homer off the top of the batter's eye pavilion in the fifth. His first homer since May 1 came off Jimmy Haynes (1-6) and was estimated at 464 feet _ the most impressive shot yet at Great American Ball Park.

The crowd of 39,053 booed him every step of the way.

It was a stark contrast to the season's opening week when the Cincinnati fans treated him like baseball royalty, giving him a standing ovation after he hit his 500th homer on April 4. It was the first historic homer at the ballpark.

Sosa hasn't been able to shake the notoriety of June 2, when his bat cracked in half on his first-inning grounder to second at Wrigley Field. The umpires found cork inside, prompting fans and other major leaguers to question his three 60-homer seasons.

The slugger claimed it was an honest mistake and X-rays cleared his other bats, resulting in an eight-game suspension being reduced to seven. Now, he knows he will have to deal with the jeers of fans.

"I'm a tough man," Sosa said. "I pray every night. I'm strong physically and mentally. Anybody else probably would be home, but I'm not."