Former Chicago Cub slugger Sammy Sosa last night batted down rumors that he's lightening his skin to look more white -- blaming his pasty new look on wrinkle-fighting, European skin cream.

"It's a bleaching cream that I apply before going to bed. . . . I use [it] to soften [my skin], but [it] has bleached me some," the ex-baseball star told the TV network Univision.

"I'm not a racist.I live my life happily . . . I don't think I look like Michael Jackson."

Sosa's lighter face first made headlines last week after he was photographed at the Latin Grammy Awards. He also blamed the bright TV lights for making him look lighter than he is.

Sosa made his remarks on the Univision Spanish network. He declined to identify the cream.
Sosa, who turns 41 on Thursday, hit 609 homers over 18 seasons in the majors with the Cubs, White Sox, Rangers and Orioles. He hasn't appeared in a big league game since 2007.