Sports Al Dente

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.”

The Chicago Cubs are focusing on improving their bullpen and bench as the offseason continues, according to Jed Hoyer, the team’s president of baseball operations.

Speaking on the first day of the Cubs’ annual fan convention, Hoyer also mentioned that the team’s opening day third baseman is likely already within the organization. He reiterated that the front office plans to reinvest the money saved from the Cody Bellinger trade into the team’s roster. Hoyer also provided an update on infielder Nico Hoerner, saying he is recovering well from flexor tendon surgery.

The Cubs finished second in the NL Central for the past two seasons, with an 83-79 record both years. The team hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020.

One of the biggest struggles for the Cubs in 2024 was their bullpen. The relievers had 35 losses, the fourth-most in the majors, along with 26 blown saves and a 3.81 ERA.

“Just in general, we’re involved in a lot of different relievers,” Hoyer said on Friday. “I think we have tons of lines in the water, I guess I would say, and it’s a little bit of a staring contest at times with all these guys. But there’s a lot of talent out there, and we’ll just look to upgrade the roster however we can.”

The Cubs made moves to improve their roster by trading for outfielder Kyle Tucker from Houston on December 13. They’ve also added Matthew Boyd, Eli Morgan, and Colin Rea to their pitching staff since the end of the season.

In the trade for Tucker, the Cubs gave up Isaac Paredes, and top prospect Matt Shaw is one of the team’s top candidates to take over at third base.

Hoyer is in the final year of his contract with the Cubs, and he chose not to discuss any talks with team chairman Tom Ricketts about his future with the organization.

“I get it, it’s a topic, but it’s not something I’m concerned about,” Hoyer said. “I’m excited about this season.”

Tucker and the Cubs agreed to a $16.5 million, one-year contract ahead of the convention, avoiding a potentially tough arbitration hearing.

Tucker turned 28 on Friday, and the convention crowd sang happy birthday to him. Tucker is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.

When asked about any discussions on a longer contract during the negotiation of his one-year deal, Tucker said, “No, not yet.”

“We’ll see where that leads to a little later,” he added. “But right now, just kind of got through the arbitration process and we’ll see what happens after that.”