I might be in the minority, but I don't believe Sammy Sosa is a repeat offender. I don't believe that Sosa's home-run success has been a result of corked bats -- or any other cheating mechanisms, for that matter.

	For Sammy's sake, let's hope time does heal all wounds.

However, I do believe that when Sosa walked up to the plate Tuesday night, he knew exactly which bat he had in his hands and exactly what he was doing. There are too many holes in his story to convince me otherwise.

Sosa claims that he used the now-infamous bat to put on a show for fans during batting practice. But during home games, batting practice occurs prior to fans being admitted to the park. Perhaps it's something of a road show, but I doubt it. And by making that argument, the idea that advantages of a corked bat are overrated, and that it doesn't give the batter more distance is also squelched.

When a power hitter like Sosa resorts to less-than-ethical tactics, I have to assume that his motivation is more psychological than physical. Since his helmet was shattered by Solomon Torres on April 20, Sosa has clearly been uncomfortable at the plate. He's been struggling. Here are some key Sosa stats between that helmet incident and the corked-bat incident: .243 average with only one home run and four RBI (plus 34 K's in 80 at-bats).

The corked bat may have given Sosa a psychological edge he felt he needed to find his rhythm, to get that one hit or one home run to get him back on track. That's unfortunate considering the fallout and speculation that's now attached to the incident.

Certainly, a suspicious eye is now cast on Sosa's accolades. And although the rest of his bats came up clean, we're led to wonder what other events Sosa deemed as exhibitions. What about the All-Star Game's Home Run Derby? Or the preseason Home Run Derby in Las Vegas? Or other long-ball events where money is at stake? Sosa opened himself up to this sort of speculation. But let's keep this in perspective and stick to what we do know.

We know that Sammy Sosa made a mistake. An eight-game suspension has held him accountable for his actions. Within major league baseball, Sosa remains a dominant force and a future Hall of Famer. But because of this incident, sadly, his reputation will forever be tainted. And that's too bad.