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Former Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa denies suffering from skin condition that plagued Michael Jackson



BY Christian Red and Isaac Lopez
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS

Wednesday, November 11th 2009, 4:00 AM


Sammy Sosa (r.) with wife Sonia in Las Vegas on November 4. Sosa's skin has been a topic of discussion, but the former Chicago Cubs slugger denies any health woes.

Sammy Sosa's health is fine, and his fans need not worry about any dire medical condition afflicting the former Cubs slugger, who chased Roger Maris' single-season home run record alongside Mark McGwire in 1998.

And no, the Dominican-born Sosa says he is not trying to imitate the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, who suffered from the condition vitiligo, when the skin loses its pigment.

"I'm doing well, doing well, thanks to God. A little surprised by the tsunami of attention," Sosa said in a Spanish interview with Univision reporter Tony Dandrades Tuesday on the program "Primer Impacto." It was the first of a two-part interview.

Photographs of Sosa during a recent appearance at the Latin Grammys in Las Vegas showed his facial skin tone to be almost white. He last played in the majors in 2007 with Texas.

"What's going on with your skin?" asked Dandrades.

"I use a cream to keep my skin smooth and soft. I apply it before I go to bed. When I was playing for Chicago all those years, I was in the sun a lot for 1 o'clock games," said Sosa, who turns 41 tomorrow. "The flashes (from the cameras) also made my skin look lighter. I'm surprised with the controversy this has caused."

Sosa, who would not tell Dandrades the name of the cream he uses, did say that it is European and that he is in negotiations to market the product. He added that he wears colored contact lenses because he wanted to "try something different. I'm not trying to be superficial."

Asked by Dandrades if Sosa was trying to be like Jackson, the 1998 NL MVP laughed.

"Not at all, I respect him very much," said Sosa, who gave the interview at his Miami penthouse apartment on Monday. "I'm not a racist. I'm not like that. I'm just a happy person."

Sosa, who is sixth on baseball's all-time home run list with 609, said he started using the cream after finishing his playing career. He said that he cannot stay in the sun too long if the cream is applied. Sosa also chuckled when Dandrades asked if the rest of Sosa's body had the same skin tone as his face.

"That would be a problem," said Sosa.

Sosa was reported to have tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs during MLB's 2003 survey testing year. He also made an awkward appearance before Congress in 2005 when he said, "I have never taken illegal performance-enhancing drugs. I have never injected myself or had anyone inject me with anything. I have not broken the laws of the United States or the laws of the Dominican Republic."

Steroids are legal in Sosa's native Dominican Republic.

Well, I see the NOSEY journalists are still alive and doing what they do best. Digging in manure trying to find "the story". I saw this photo in the LA Times sports section and I wondered what in tarnation this had to do with sports!

Me van a perdonar pero Samy se ve rarisimo!! wth!! ahora parece sobrino de Juanga Juan Gabriel) LOL .
But, I guess when one has money anything is possible! I saw this interview with Tony Dandrades. Hmm..he'll make a killing with this "cream" hehe.

I think he looked better with his natural skin color. I hate it when people of color, instead of embracing their natural beauty, go to such extremes as to bleach their skin, and change their facial features. That is true self hatred. It's a sad situation. Shame on you Sammy. In my opinion there is nothing more sexy than a beautiful brown skin man. Maybe I'm prejudice because I'm a brown skin woman.

I don't know who talked Sammy into donning the whiteface makeup but imho he looks like a payaso, I agree with you juberma, shame on him.

We are who we are. Sometimes I wish I was 5'8" with long legs free of arthritis but I am who I am and thankGod for my body ...that its relatively healthy. I saw Samy once at a fashion show and to me he seemed very virile and masculine..un macho de hombre! But, his face his right to change...I guess...sigh.