[Joie Chen, Cnn Anchor:] And there is plenty of drama left in this baseball season, with two players in reach of Mark McGwire's home run record. Already? Well, as CNN's Gary Tuchman reports, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds may share the limelight, but they don't share an outlook.
[Gary Tuchman, Cnn Correspondent:] The fans at Atlanta's Turner Field are in a frenzy over a visitor.
[Unidentified Male:] Sammy! We love you, Sammy!
[Crowd:] Sammy!
[Tuchman:] Sammy Sosa, the man who battled Mark McGwire to the wire for baseball's home run season record in 1998, is now in the hunt again.
[Unidentified Female:] Thank you, Sammy. We came a long ways to see you!
[Tuchman:] And the Chicago Cub says he is thoroughly enjoying it.
[Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs Player:] If it's meant for me to be the man, I will do it. But if not, Mark is the man.
[Tuchman:] Unless Barry becomes the man. Although Sosa has made a splash, Barry Bonds still holds the home run lead. He's just a good September away from Mark McGwire's record of 70. Good news for Bonds, right?
[Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants Player:] No, I don't want 70.
[Question:] Why not?
[Bonds:] I don't need it. I need to win. I don't need 70 home runs. What is 70 home runs going to do for me?
[Tuchman:] Ask Sosa the same question?
[Sosa:] I'm just happy to be here in America. So for me, it's like, enjoy everything.
[Tuchman:] Sammy Sosa is on the verge of becoming the first major leaguer to hit 60 homers in three different seasons.
[Sosa:] I love to talk with the press, making some friends lovely.
[Question:] And do you feel pressure on your shoulders?
[Sosa:] Never. I'm a gladiator. A gladiator don't feel pressure never.
[Bonds:] I'm done with interviews today.
[Tuchman:] Barry Bonds isn't quite as enthused by the press scrutiny.
[Sosa:] It's just too much. This is not why I play baseball. This is not why, you know I play baseball for love of the game of baseball and to support my family.
[Unidentified Female:] Barry!
[Tuchman:] The Giant slugger is not as prolific in the autograph department another reason he's not as popular of a figure as Sammy Sosa.
[Bonds:] Not everyone's going to like you. That's life. That's the way it is. You can't change it. You just pray for those people. That's all you can do.
[Tuchman:] Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds have different outlooks about the home run race. But they do have a lot in common: They're both being counted on to lead their teams to the playoffs. And they're both poised to make history. Gary Tuchman, CNN, Atlanta.