"God picked me" - When Sammy Sosa credited Divine intervention for his victory over Ken Griffey Jr. in historic 1998 home run race

The 1998 MLB season was one to remember with Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr., and Mark McGwire battling to be the top slugger. The trio brought out the best in each other, and there were constant fireworks at the plate.

Initially, the home run race was thought to be between Griffey and McGwire. However, Sosa had the best season of his career at the time, making him a household name across the world.

When it was all said and done, McGwire came out on top with a record-breaking 70 home runs. Sosa finished his season with 66, four short of McGwire but 10 more than what Griffey finished with, and thanked the man upstairs.

"What is meant to be is meant to be. If it were meant to be Griffey, it would have been Griffey. But God picked me" - Sammy Sosa stated in ESPN's documentary Long Gone Summer.

ESPN covered the historic home run race that season in a documentary called Long Gone Summer. In the documentary, not only was the home run race covered, but also the PED scandal both McGwire and Sosa were involved in.

While Sammy Sosa won the home run battle between the two, Ken Griffey Jr. won the hearts of fans

MLB - Ken Griffey Jr. (Image via USA Today)

In 2009, the New York Times came out with a report accusing players of taking performance-enhancing drugs. Sammy Sosa's name was one that came up alongside 104 other MLB players.

While he has denied the allegations throughout the years, the fallback was monumental. Fans were disappointed that the ones they looked up to could be considered cheaters.

However, one name that was not on that list or the Mitchell Report that came out in 2007, and that was Ken Griffey Jr. Unlike Sosa and McGwire, he has never been accused of taking PEDs throughout his career.

This is a player that many older generations tell their children to look up to. He was exciting to watch, a great teammate and handled himself great both on and off the field.

Today, Griffey Jr. is still a part of the league. He currently works as a senior advisor to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, focusing on improving youth baseball development and diversity in the minors. He can also be spotted at many games, working as a photographer, and has even made appearances at multiple NFL games.