Sammy Sosa excited to return to Cubs and Chicago

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Sammy Sosa is excited to reunite with the Chicago Cubs and local fans at the team’s annual convention.


Sammy Sosawho once stood next to the great Michael Jordan as favorite athletes in one of the great meccas of American sports, he is excited to reunite with the Chicago Cubs and local fans, at the team’s annual convention, which started on Friday at a hotel in the center of the Windy City.

Sosa, the Cubs’ all-time home run leader, is participating in a team activity for the first time since he abruptly left the final game of the 2004 season and nearly a month after he issued a press release in which he apologized for mistakes made during his career and threw an olive branch to the Cubs and their fans.

“Grateful to be back in the city of Chicagoimpressed with the reception, impressed with the fans waiting for my arrival, waiting for me to be with the team, (now) that thank God the doors have opened,” Sosa told AM850 Digital.

“Today a spectacular event begins,” said Sosa. “I think many good, beautiful things are going to happen here. I hope to God that we continue this relationship for many years to come,” he added.

In the previous two years, the Cubs took advantage of their annual convention to announce the new members of their Hall of Fame. In 2023 they presented 1B Mark Grace and SS Shawon Dunston and last year the Dominican 3B Aramis Ramírez and pitcher Kerry Wood.

None of them have a better record than Sosa with the Cubs.

Sosa, the ninth-highest home run producer of all time in Major League Baseball (MLB), with 609, hit .284 with 545 homers and 1,414 RBIs in 1,811 games with the Cubs.

During his 13 years with the lovable losers, “Slammy Sammy” made seven All-Star Games, won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1998 and hit more than 60 home runs three times, the only one to do so. in the MLB.

In 1998 and 1999, Sosa and Mark McGwire of the division rival St. Louis Cardinals captured the world’s imagination with two extraordinary home run battles, in which both broke single-season records. In 2001, Sosa challenged fellow American Barry Bonds, who ended up winning the race and setting the record of 73 home runs in a season.

However, in the last game of the 2004 season, Sosa was captured by Wrigley Field parking lot cameras leaving the facility in the second inning. Chicago traded its star to the Baltimore Orioles before the start of the next season, ending a relationship that began when they acquired Sosa from the neighboring Chicago White Sox in March 1992.

After two decades of feuding, Sosa published a statement on December 19 to begin reconciliation.

“I left everything on the field for the Cubs and their fans, because I wanted to win and make them happy. I loved seeing the fans in the right stands at Wrigley (Field) at every home game,” Sosa’s statement began.

“I understand why some players from my era don’t always get the recognition our stats deserve. There were times when I did whatever it took to recover from injuries in an effort to maintain my strength and perform in 162 games. I never broke any laws. , but in retrospect, I made mistakes and I apologize,” Sosa said in the document in question.

Cubs officials responded immediately and extended an invitation to their prodigal son.

“We appreciate Sammy coming out and reaching out to us. 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. It would be an understatement to say Sammy is “We plan to invite him to the 2025 Cubs Convention and hope, even though the invitation comes on short notice, that he can attend. We are ready to move forward together,” said Tom Ricketts, equipment owner.

On Friday, Sosa sounded like a kid with a new toy, walking the streets of a city he once had at his feet and ready for the so-called “Cubs Con” events.

“Greetings to all my fans in the Dominican Republic and all over the world. Thank God ‘Sammy’s back to Chicago’. Many blessings for everyone,” Sosa told AM850 Digital.