A month after Sammy Sosa published a letter of apology regarding “mistakes” he made during his MLB career, the Chicago Cubs announced that the slugger enter the team’s Hall of Fame this summer with former first baseman Derrek Lee.
“I’ve been away for 21 years,” Sosa, 56, said. said Friday at the Cubs fan convention. “I think the time was right. I can’t wait to continue with the great fans.”
Sosa received a loud ovation during his presentation and later said it was time to mend fences with the organization.
“People say we’re growing up. That’s what happened to me,” Sosa said. “I think I took the first step to get this statement out, I think it was the right time for me. And the response was immediately incredible. Pretty much all I needed. And now the door is open.
The “errors” Sosa mentioned in his apology concerned his alleged past use of performance-enhancing drugs. He was suspected of being a PED user during his heyday (early 1990s to early 2000s), although his name was not among the many MLB PED users listed in the infamous Mitchell Report. But in 2007, the book “Game of Shadows” detailed Sosa’s alleged use of the PED and his involvement in the Balco Scandal.
Despite being the only player in Major League Baseball history to hit at least 60 home runs in three separate seasons, Sosa spent 10 years on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot before falling in 2023 and had been separated from the Cubs since his departure. the team in 2004.
Sosa’s apology letter finally prompted the Cubs to open the door for their former superstar. Team owner Tom Ricketts had insisted in the past that Sosa would not be invited to any team events unless he publicly apologized for his alleged PED use. Other players linked to PEDs, such as Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte, were greeted enthusiastically by their former teams after similar apologies.
Now that he’s reunited with his old team, Sosa is excited to see what the future holds for him and the Cubs.
“I’m here and I’m back,” Sosa said. “And I look forward to the good things that will happen.”
Another former Cubs great, Ryne Sandberg, was also presenta month after the Hall of Famer announced that his the cancer had spread to other organs in his bodyand he is ready for further treatment.