After a 20-year estrangement, it appears former Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa and the Cubs have mended their torn relationship. On Thursday, Sosa released an apology, saying in part “I made mistakes.” The Cubs’ all-time home run leader, however, didn’t specify the “mistakes.” It’s no secret that allegations of performance enhancing drug use during the height of his career have kept him out of the Hall of Fame.
“We appreciate Sammy releasing his statement and for reaching out,” said Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts, according to Adam McCalvy on the team’s website. “No one played harder or wanted to win more. Nobody’s perfect but we never doubted his passion for the game and the Cubs.”
In fact, Ricketts invited Sosa to attend the Cubs Convention in Chicago on January 17-19, 2025.
I have mixed feelings about welcoming Sosa back into the fold. Twenty years after he retired, opinions about Sosa on social media are still quite mixed. While he hit a franchise-record 545 of his 609 career home runs with the Cubs, allegations about using performance enhancing drugs continue to haunt him. It didn’t help that he bolted on his teammates in his last game with the Cubs and maintained he didn’t understand English enough to respond to questions from a congressional committee looking into steroid use in major-league baseball.
“I understand why some players in my era don’t always get the recognition that our stats deserve. 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,” said Sosa in his statement through a public relations agency. “I never broke any laws, but in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize.
“We accomplished great things as a team, and I worked extremely hard in the batting cage to become a great hitter. Cubs fans are the best in the world, and I hope that fans, the Cubs and I can all come together again and move forward.”
Author’s take on Sosa
Author Robert Cohen ranks Sosa 14th among the 50 greatest Cubs of all time in his book The 50 Greatest Players in Cubs History. Cohen says “Sammy Sosa experienced a precipitous decline in popularity his last few seasons with the Cubs as stories of his selfish and narcissistic nature began to surface, along with allegations of his use of performance enhancing drugs. As a result, the one-time ‘Toast of Chicago’ has spent most of his retirement living in virtual anonymity, shunning the spotlight he so desperately craved during his playing days.
“Furthermore,” Cohen says, “with it becoming increasingly apparent that Sosa never would have been able to compile the extraordinary numbers he amassed during his peak years with the Cubs had he not resorted to using steroids, his offensive accomplishments have taken on far less significance, with the members of the BBWAA showing him very little support in the Hall of Fame voting.”
For the record, in Cohen’s estimation the top 14 Cubs ahead of Sosa are Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg, Mordecai Brown, Billy Williams, Ron Santo, Ferguson Jenkins, Gabby Hartnett, Billy Herman, Stan Hack, Mark Grace, Hack Wilson, Kiki Cuyler and Andrew Dawson.
Mixed views of slugger
A sample of reactions to Sosa and his statement on Thursday reads like this:
“My problem with Sosa’s statement is that he still doesn’t get it. Sosa took the easy way out, again, by refusing to admit exactly, word for word, what he did wrong,” said Mark Powell of fansided.com. “An apology is a start, but Sosa is essentially apologizing for (insert drug here), and even went as far as to say he did nothing illegal.
“Pro athletes struggle to check their egos at the door,” Powell added. “Sosa is no exception, but one would hope after decades of being barred from the game he loves, he might have learned a thing or two about honesty.”
“Sammy was electric and brought excitement to Wrigley. I for one like Sammy,” one fan said on Fly the Dub.
“Not only did he take steroids, he also corked his bats! He was a disgrace to the Cubs and a disappointment to his fans not to mention a cheater … Shame on him for letting us all down and for disrespecting baseball. He will forever be a stain on my beloved Cubs,” another fan said on Fly the Dub.
Another fan on the same site said, “I loved Sammy from day one as a Cub. What he and Big Mac [Mark McGwire] brought back to baseball — juice or not — I don’t care. They weren’t the only ones [who used performance enhancing drugs]. They just hid it longer … I’m glad the Cubs are welcoming Sammy back to Wrigley Field.”
On other hand, one fan on bleedcubbieblue.com said, “My opinion would be not to invite Sammy back for another decade. Not so much for moralizing or righteous ideas, but because I have this nagging feeling that whatever the venue or tribute Sammy would make it all about him. I don’t have interest in sullying my memories of Sammy any further, so it’s easier for me to just remember the home runs and nothing else.”
“I don’t need an apology. Thanks for the memories, Sammy. From my teenager years to me becoming a man I got to watch this man hit bombs. Steroid aided or not we all cheered loud[ly],” another fan said on bleedcubbieblue.com. “Most of us at one time even emulated his hop.”
Another fan said on the latter website that he “would simply like him [Sosa] to admit to using steroids. I would like him to acknowledge that his numbers are tainted and that he knows it. That said, I don’t think there is any chance this will happen.”
Another fan commented: “Personally, I do not care if Sosa is welcomed back by Ricketts or not. His fans remember his deeds and that’s what counts. I rooted for him and enjoyed those HR’s. There are many deserving players the Cubs have not honored. Move on to someone else.”
Now it’s fair to ask, what will Sosa’s apology lead to? Will his uniform number be retired? Will the Cubs erect a statue of him in Gallagher Way? Will he be a special instructor in spring training? Will he become a Cubs ambassador along with other Cub legends such as Ferguson Jenkins, Ryne Sandberg and Billy Williams?
I bet Ricketts takes it slowly and weighs the pros and cons of Sosa’s appearance at the Cubs Convention in Chicago next month.
The second photo: Sammy Sosa was featured on the front cover of the Cubs Quarterly in May-June 1996, two years before his epic home run race with Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Steve Dunn’s latest book, ‘Pug,’ ‘Fireball,’ and Company: 116 Years of Professional Baseball in Des Moines, Iowa, is available by going to pugfireballandcompany.com. Several bookstores in central Iowa also have the book for sale. His new baseball-related podcast is available on https://www.youtube.com/@SteveDunn-o9i.
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