Sammy Sosa never received more than 18% of the necessary 75% of votes for induction into the Hall of Fame, despite hitting 609 home runs and being the only player in history with three seasons of 60 or more home runs.
Everyone knows the reason.
It was clear to anyone who followed baseball closely in the 1990s and early 2000s that Sosa’s performance was allegedly aided by performance-enhancing drugs. Same as Mark McGwire. Same as Barry Bonds. Same as Alex Rodriguez.
However, unlike McGwire and A-Rod, Sosa has never publicly admitted this. In 2009, the New York Times reported that Sosa tested positive for PEDs during anonymous survey testing in 2003, with the leak occurring shortly after the slugger announced his retirement and denied using steroids, telling ESPN that he would “wait quietly for my introduction in the Baseball Hall’. of fame.”
Stubbornness had its price. The Chicago Cubs, the team with which Sosa spent most of his 18-year career, turned their backs on him. Although Bonds and McGwire were inducted into the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals Halls of Fame, respectively, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts repeatedly said Sosa was not welcome at Wrigley Field until the day he apologized for using steroids.
That day came Thursday.
Read more: Reports of Sammy Sosa’s name on the positive test list come as no shock
Sosa, 56, issued a statement apologizing for what appeared to be his alleged use of PEDs, and Ricketts said the Cubs are “ready to move forward with Sosa.” The Cubs plan to invite Sosa to the team’s annual fan convention Jan. 17-19 in Chicago.
“We appreciate Sammy releasing his statement and reaching out,” Ricketts said. “No one played harder or wanted to win more. No one is perfect, but we never doubted his passion for the game and the Cubs. To say Sammy is a fan favorite is an understatement.”
Sosa’s statement wasn’t directly about steroids, but it appeared that’s what his apology addressed.
“There were times when I did everything I could to recover from injuries in an effort to maintain my strength to perform for more than 162 matches,” Sosa said. “I never broke any laws, but in retrospect I made mistakes and I apologize for them.”
Sosa hit 545 home runs in 13 seasons with the Cubs, and was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1998 after hitting 66 home runs, four fewer than McGwire but five more than the previous record holder, Roger Maris of the New York Yankees . .
Read more: Sosa’s retreat is better than returning
The next year, McGwire hit 65 and Sosa 63. In 2001, Bonds set the record that still stands with 73, and Sosa hit 64. Sosa ranks ninth in home runs and was a seven-time All-Star.
“We have accomplished great things as a team and I have worked extremely hard in the batting cage to become a great hitter,” Sosa said. “Cubs fans are the best in the world, and I hope fans, the Cubs and I can all come together again and move forward. We cannot change the past, but the future looks bright. I have always been a Cub at heart and I can’t wait to see Cubs fans again.”
Get the day’s best, most interesting and strangest stories from the LA sports scene and beyond with our newsletter The Sports Report.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
