Summer of ’98 is a book by Mike Lupica, who wrote for the New York Daily News. Lupica had been one of the most famous sports journalists in the United States. Summer of ’98 chronologically details the 1998 baseball season with a chapter on every month. The book has the main protagonists of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa (two larger-than-life Sluggers). Both broke the single-season home run record.. The record of 61 was set by Roger Maris in 1961. In 1998, McGwire hit 70 home runs, and Sosa hit 66.
The Story of the Summer of ’98
In 1994, there was a strike in Major League Baseball. As a result, attendance at games and viewership of them plummeted. People were worried that the work stoppage in baseball would permanently damage the sport. The McGwire-Sosa home run battle in ’98 was national news and got people excited and captured the imagination of baseball fans and the nation. The book The Summer of ’98 discusses the value of the relationship between fathers and sons, as McGwire’s son was ever present.
It is a good book, not just about baseball, but about how McGwire and Sosa’s accomplishments were a lie. Though they have both denied it, they both cheated and used steroids, which was rampant in baseball at the time. Sosa even made a documentary about that season in 2020, where he denied, again, using steroids. In a sad turn of events, both Sosa and McGwire are now viewed as jokes and cheaters. Neither is in the Hall of Fame, despite their great numbers.
Mark McGwire Statistics
McGwire hit 583 homers in his career and was one of baseball’s most feared power hitters. He walked 1,317 times and led the league in walks twice. He was an All-Star 12 times in his career. He was only a .263 hitter during his career but was not known for a high batting average. He was out of baseball just three years after The Summer of ’98. What is funny about him is that he hit 49 home runs and won Rookie of the Year in 1987. He did not need to use steroids.
Sammy Sosa Statistics
Sosa is younger than McGwire and played in the major leagues for seven years after 1998. Like McGwire, Sammy Sosa hit over 500 home runs in his career. He hit 609. 500 home runs used to be the measuring stick to get into the Hall of Fame. He is, like McGwire, not in the Hall of Fame. He was a home run hitting machine who hit more than 30 home runs 11 times. He was a seven-time All-Star and batted .252 during his career.
What Else Happened in The Summer of ’98?
There were other compelling story lines that summer. They were not a big part of the book but were still interesting. First, the New York Yankees were awesome that year. They scored 965 runs and won the World Series and 125 baseball games. Larry Walker won the batting title in 1998, batting .363. He played in Colorado, and there was a big to-do about playing there at elevation and benefitting from it. Not surprisingly, McGwire led all Major League Baseball in on-base plus slugging.
Conclusion
The Summer of ’98 did get fans more interested in baseball. Attendance increased, and so did the viewership of many games. However, Major League Baseball is very far behind the National Football League. This is a well-written book; Lupica is excellent, and it is not just about baseball. However, baseball fans have soured on the effect of 1998. We are all happy that baseball recovered, but that drug-riddled era is seen by many as fake.
