A month after Sammy Sosa released a letter of apology regarding “mistakes” he made during his MLB career, the Chicago Cubs announced that the slugger would be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame this summer along with former first baseman Derrek Lee is recorded.
“I’ve been out for 21 years,” Sosa, 56, said Friday during the Cubs’ fan convention. “I think the time was right. I look forward to continuing with the great fans.”
Sosa received a loud ovation at his introduction and later said it was time to mend ties with the organization.
“People say you grow up. This happened to me,” Sosa said. “I believe it was the right time for me to take the first step in publishing this statement.” And the response was immediately incredible. That’s pretty much all I needed. And now the door is open.”
The “mistakes” Sosa mentioned in his apology concerned his alleged past use of performance-enhancing drugs. He was suspected to be a PED user during his heyday (early 1990s to early 2000s), although his name was not among the numerous MLB PED users listed in the infamous Mitchell Report. But in 2007, the book Game of Shadows detailed Sosa’s alleged PED use and his involvement in the BALCO scandal.
Despite being the only player in Major League Baseball history to hit at least 60 home runs in three different seasons, Sosa was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame for ten years before retiring in 2023, and has been with the Cubs since his retirement alienated the team in 2004.
Sosa’s apology letter ultimately spurred the Cubs to open the door to their former superstar. Team owner Tom Ricketts had insisted in the past that Sosa would not be invited to team events unless he publicly apologized for his alleged PED use. Other players linked to PEDs, such as Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte, received enthusiastic receptions from their former teams after similar apologies.
Now that he’s back with his old team, Sosa is excited about what the future holds for him and the Cubs.
“I’m here and I’m back,” Sosa said. “And I look forward to the good things that lie ahead.”
Another former Cubs star, Ryne Sandberg, was also in attendance, a month after the Hall of Famer announced that his cancer had spread to other organs in his body and he would need to receive further treatments.