Sammy Sosa never received more than 18% of the necessary 75% of votes for Hall of Fame induction despite hitting 609 career home runs and being the only player in history with three seasons of 60 or more homers.
Everybody knows the reason.
It was obvious to anyone who followed baseball closely in the 1990s and early 2000s that Sosa’s achievements were allegedly aided by performance-enhancing drugs. Same as Mark McGwire. Same as Barry Bonds. Same as Alex Rodriguez.
Unlike McGwire and A-Rod, Sosa never admitted it publicly, however. In 2009, the New York Times reported that Sosa tested positive for PEDs during anonymous survey testing in 2003, the leak occurring shortly after the slugger announced his retirement and denied doing steroids, telling ESPN he would “calmly wait for my induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame.”
Obstinance had its price. The Chicago Cubs, the team with whom Sosa spent the bulk of his 18-year career, turned their back on him. Even though 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 steroid use.
That day came Thursday.
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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 together” 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 for reaching out,” Ricketts said. “No one played harder or wanted to win more. Nobody’s perfect but we never doubted his passion for the game and the Cubs. It is an understatement to say that Sammy is a fan favorite.”
Sosa’s statement didn’t directly address steroids, but it appeared what his apology was addressing.
“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,” Sosa said. “I never broke any laws, but in hindsight I made mistakes and I apologize.”
Sosa hit 545 home runs in 13 seasons with the Cubs, and in 1998 was named the National League Most Valuable Player after he belted 66 homers, four fewer than McGwire but five more than the previous record-holder, Roger Maris of the New York Yankees.
Read more: Sosa’s Retreat Better Than Return
The following 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 career home runs and was a seven-time All-Star.
“We accomplished great things as a team, and I 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 that fans, the Cubs and I can all come together again and move forward. We can’t change the past, but the future is bright. In my heart, I have always been a Cub, and I can’t wait to see Cubs fans again.”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
