The problem with that theory, nineiron, is that Sosa goes to bat about 650-700 times a year during the regular season. It is therefore very likely that if he grabs a random bat he would get the corked one every now and then. I think that’s baloney too, but it’s not improbable that it could happen. If it does, there’s a high probability he would be caught, since corked bats are likelier to break.
In any case, he was appropriately punished.
As to the GQ, there is a remarkably strong belief among major league players that corking a bat adds distance, and if it did it would be fun to have batting practice with, as if you were using an aluminum bat. Of course, anyone who has used different weights of aluminum bats knows that a lighter bat DOESN’T hit the ball further. The loss in mass offsets the increase in bat speed. If I use a 26-ounce aluminum bat I cannot hit the ball as far as I can with a 28- or 30-ounce bat.
Of course, a corked bat would benefit a player in game play by improving his contact The increase in bat speed would increase the player’s ability to meet the ball with the bat, especially on fastballs.