# Sammy Sosa is white now?!? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 9, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942 "2009-11-09T20:38:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/1 "2009-11-09T20:38:02Z")
Oh man, my eyes… This can’t be credible, [can it](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/07/sammy-sosas-skin-photos-p_n_349602.html)? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![conway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@conway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conway)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/2 "2009-11-09T20:43:01Z")
Explained: [MLB Major League Baseball News, Expert Analysis, Rumors, Live Updates, & more - Yahoo Sports](http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Not-to-worry-Sammy-Sosa-is-just-rejuvenating-hi?urn=mlb,201086) I guess he’s rejuvenating his skin…whatever that means. ---
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/3 "2009-11-09T21:34:01Z")
Yikes - is it just me, or does he look just a bit like Al Capone? [http://lh5.ggpht.com/\_eOYAivRbbu0/SviKUx4ZeYI/AAAAAAAAF0Q/ZVIsx4qXeCw/Sosa%20vs%20Capone.jpg](http://lh5.ggpht.com/_eOYAivRbbu0/SviKUx4ZeYI/AAAAAAAAF0Q/ZVIsx4qXeCw/Sosa%20vs%20Capone.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/4 "2009-11-09T21:48:48Z")
> [@conway](#): > > I guess he’s rejuvenating his skin…whatever that means. Well, he does look kind of undead in the newer photos. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/5 "2009-11-09T21:58:54Z")
I like his wife’s expression in that link. I can imagine her thinking, “I could have sworn I married a black guy.” ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/6 "2009-11-09T23:44:41Z")
I think chemical peels can sometimes have that effect, as can dermabrasion. Even more likely if you combine the two. If, on top of either one or both he has also been staying out of the sun and/or using sunblock (which is recommended after such procedures) both the removal of the top layer of skin and the lack of UV exposure could go a long way to explaining his new paleness. Such procedures are done to make faces look more youthful. Or he could just be bleaching his skin. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/7 "2009-11-09T23:57:11Z")
For one thing, he’s wearing ridiculous contacts. I don’t know from skin treatments, but I’m wondering about vitiligo. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/8 "2009-11-10T17:52:49Z")
He’s been possessed by the ghost of Michael Jackson… ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/9 "2009-11-10T17:56:09Z")
He wore a glove on hand for no apparent purpose? ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/10 "2009-11-10T18:35:35Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > He wore a glove on hand for no apparent purpose? He did that for years whilst playing right field for the Cubs. ---
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/11 "2009-11-10T20:45:34Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > He did that for years whilst playing right field for the Cubs. Nice. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/12 "2009-11-10T20:48:05Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > He wore a glove on hand for no apparent purpose? > [@Lochdale](#): > > He did that for years whilst playing right field for the Cubs. > [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](#): > > Nice. That was a joke that started back in the 80s, I think. First time I heard it it was in reference to Steve Sax of the Dodgers. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/13 "2009-11-10T20:51:54Z")
When I was in India, I watched some local TV and saw a commercial for skin whitening cream (from Nivea or some big name brand). It was shown as socially necessary as deodorant commercials are here. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/14 "2009-11-10T21:47:14Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > That was a joke that started back in the 80s, I think. First time I heard it it was in reference to Steve Sax of the Dodgers. Meet [Dick Stuart](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Stuart), AKA Dr. Strangeglove AKA Ironfingers AKA The Man with the Iron Glove ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/15 "2009-11-10T21:51:33Z")
Creepy ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/16 "2009-11-10T22:20:17Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > When I was in India, I watched some local TV and saw a commercial for skin whitening cream (from Nivea or some big name brand). It was shown as socially necessary as deodorant commercials are here. Philippines, too. The actresses are whiter than haole albinos. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/17 "2009-11-13T11:47:01Z")
So white people spend all day in the sun so they can get brown, while the brown people spend all day buying cream so they can look white OK :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sammy-sosa-is-white-now/516942/18 "2009-11-13T14:19:17Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > He wore a glove on hand for no apparent purpose? Did the glove fit?