[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13832]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


CONGRATULATING SAMMY SOSA OF CHICAGO CUBS FOR HITTING 500 MAJOR LEAGUE 
                               HOME RUNS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 2, 2003

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 195, a 
resolution to congratulate Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs for hitting 
500 major league home runs.
  There is no doubt that Mr. Sosa's exploits on the baseball diamond 
will one day earn him a place in Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame 
in Cooperstown, NY. There is no doubt that his drive and talent make 
him a role model to scores of American children who one day hope to 
stare down a fastball in the batter's box of any ballpark.
  However, it is his spirit, energy and commitment off the field that 
has earned him a place in the hearts of citizens all over the world, 
including those in his native Dominican Republic. Just a couple of 
weeks after he and Mark McGwire shattered baseball's single season home 
run record in 1998, he traveled to the Dominican Republic to help 
rebuild the country after it was devastated by Hurricane Gorges. He 
continues to offer his time and money to provide children with the 
opportunities that poverty denied him, allowing them to dream that they 
too can rise above their economic circumstances and reach their 
potential.
  Those in my district, which includes the proud Dominican community of 
Washington Heights, know that Sammy Sosa isn't the first Dominican to 
achieve success in the Big Leagues. He follows in the footsteps of 
trailblazers like Felipe Alou, Joaquin Andujar, George Bell, Rico 
Carty, Tony Fernandez, Pedro Guerrero, Juan Marichal, and Jose Rijo. 
He, as well as contemporaries like Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez and 
Alex Rodriguez, remind others of how necessary it is to use fame and 
fortune to help others.

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