Sammy Sosa jogged onto the stage holding an American flag, and the crowd erupted in applause.
It felt like the old days — except this time, Sosa was dressed in a suit, and the event took place in a downtown hotel ballroom instead of at Wrigley Field.
Sosa and the Chicago Cubs are back together after the slugger made an appearance at the team’s annual fan convention on Friday. The Cubs also announced that Sosa will be inducted into the franchise’s Hall of Fame this year, alongside former first baseman Derrek Lee.
The reunion began when Sosa released a statement last month apologizing for unspecified mistakes. While Sosa has faced questions about using performance-enhancing drugs, he clarified that the apology wasn’t related to that issue.
“No. I’m referring, for example, look, 21 years out,” said Sosa, who played his final season with the Cubs in 2004. “I had the fans that loved me very much. I had to apologize to them because I mean normally they see me play so many years.”
Although Sosa, 56, didn’t go into details about his apology, it didn’t seem to matter to Cubs fans, who had been hoping for a reunion for years, or to the organization, which gave him a warm welcome after years of ignoring the seven-time All-Star.
When Sosa was announced as part of the Cubs’ Hall of Fame class, the crowd gave him a standing ovation. The cheers grew louder when he appeared on stage holding the flag, bringing back memories of when he ran out to right field in the Cubs’ first home game after the September 11 attacks in 2001.
Another round of applause followed when Sosa returned to the stage later in the ceremony, wearing his old No. 21 Cubs jersey. “I think that today was a perfect day,” Sosa said.
Sosa became a star with the Cubs after being traded from the crosstown White Sox in March 1992 for George Bell. Known as Slammin’ Sammy, he hit a team-record 545 home runs and drove in 1,414 RBIs during his 13 years with the Cubs.
Sosa gained national attention in 1998 when he had an unforgettable home run race with Mark McGwire. Sosa hit 66 home runs that season and won the NL MVP award, while McGwire finished with 70 homers, setting the MLB single-season record at the time.
However, Sosa’s relationship with the Cubs became strained due to accusations of using performance-enhancing drugs and questions about his behavior. He was traded to Baltimore after a controversial incident in 2004, when he showed up late for the season finale at Wrigley Field and left early.
Sosa denied using performance-enhancing drugs during his 2005 testimony before Congress.
“I got a chance to play with Sammy my first year here, and he was always good to me,” Lee said. “You know, he taught me a lot about hitting. One of the hardest workers you’ll ever see. Came to play every day. He admitted mistakes, apologized for them, moved on. We’ve all made mistakes, and we all want forgiveness. So, time to move on. It’s been a long time.”
Sosa finished his MLB career with a .273 batting average, 609 home runs (currently ninth on the all-time list), 1,667 RBIs, and 234 stolen bases in 18 seasons from 1989 to 2007.
He fell short of Hall of Fame election in 2022, during his 10th and final appearance on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot. His next chance for induction would come if he is placed on the ballot for the contemporary player committee, which meets next December.
“I think Sammy was a part of some magical summers here, some important summers here,” said Cubs manager Craig Counsell, who faced Sosa as a player. “He entertained people like very few did in a Chicago Cubs uniform. So it’s good that he’s back. It’s great that he’s here.”
