Sammy Sosa has been elected to the Chicago Cubs’ Hall of Fame, alongside former first baseman Derrek Lee, just weeks after Sosa apologized for “mistakes” made during his baseball career. The announcement came on January 17, 2025, at the Cubs’ annual fan convention in Chicago, where Cubs chairman Thomas Ricketts revealed that both Sosa and Lee would be inducted in 2025.
Sosa, who is ninth on the MLB’s all-time home run list, shared his excitement about the honor, saying, “It was like I was running to right field. Fantastic. The fans deserved it. I put on a show today. Everyone was happy. I saw a lot of smiles. I think that today was a perfect day.” He added, “People, they say you grow up. That’s what happened to me.
I believe that me making the first step to get that statement out, I think it was the right time for me. And the response right away was incredible. Pretty much, that’s all I needed. And now the door is open.”
Sosa had made headlines in December with a public apology, acknowledging his mistakes during his time in the league. In the statement, he mentioned, “I understand why some players in my era don’t always get the recognition our stats deserve.”
He also explained that, “There were times I did whatever I could to recover from injuries in an effort to keep my strength up to perform over 162 games. I never broke any laws, but in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize.”
Sosa, who hit a remarkable 66 home runs in 1998, had faced long-standing accusations of using steroids. He had previously denied using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and was distant from the Cubs after his retirement in 2007.
However, after his apology, Cubs chairman Ricketts issued a statement praising Sosa’s honesty and passion for the game, welcoming him back into the Cubs family. “No one played harder or wanted to win more. Nobody’s perfect, but we never doubted his passion for the game and the Cubs,” Ricketts said.
Sosa, when asked about his statement during the fan convention, responded, “The statement is the statement,” and declined to revisit it. He explained further, “I’m referring to … look, 21 years out [of the game]. I have fans that love me very much. I have to apologize to them because normally they see me play so many years that I was here.”
Both Sosa and Lee will be celebrated by the Cubs at a game this summer, marking Sosa’s first official appearance at Wrigley Field since 2004. Lee played for the Cubs from 2004 to 2010, while Sosa was with the team from 1992 to 2004.
Ricketts praised both players in a news release, calling them “two of the greatest hitters ever to play for the Chicago Cubs,” and expressed the franchise’s “privilege” to have Sosa back at the convention. Sosa expressed his gratitude, saying, “I’m honored to be in the Cubs Hall of Fame” and looked forward to returning for the ceremony later in the year.
