Former big-league slugger Sammy Sosa has ended his two-decade estrangement from the Chicago Cubs following a public apology he made on Thursday. Sosa did not directly admit to using performance-enhancing drugs, but said "I made mistakes and I apologize."
Sosa, now 56 years of age, released the following statement:
"I left it all on the field for the Cubs and Cubs fans because I wanted to win and make the fans happy.
"I loved to see the fans at Wrigley in the right field bleachers every home game.
"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. 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.
"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."
Soon after, the Cubs released their own statement in which Sosa was welcomed back into the fold as one of the team's most famous alumni.
"We appreciate Sammy releasing his statement and for reaching out. No one played harder or wanted to win more. Nobody's perfect but we never doubted his passion for the game and the Cubs," said lead team owner Tom Ricketts. "It is an understatement to say that Sammy is a fan favorite. We plan on inviting him to the 2025 Cubs Convention and, while it is short notice, we hope that he can attend. We are all ready to move forward together."
The 2025 Cubs Convention is set for Jan. 17-19 in Chicago.
Sosa spent parts of 13 seasons with the Cubs, and for much of that time he was one of the most potent power hitters in baseball history. Of his 609 career home runs, 545 came with a Cubs jersey on his back. In 1998, he tangled with Mark McGwire for the single-season home run record, and for his efforts he was given the National League MVP award. In all, Sosa had three 60-homer seasons with the Cubs, and he made seven All-Star appearances.
That's obviously the stuff of a franchise legend, but his Cubs tenure ended in 2004 with mutual acrimony. As well, Sosa had long been dogged by allegations of his using performance-enhancing drugs -- allegations that have played a leading role in his paltry Hall-of-Fame support.
That's because of his extreme late-career power spike and because he was reported by the New York Times as having tested positive for steroids in 2003. Sosa's appearance before Congress during a 2005 hearing on PED use in sports was also widely panned as uncooperative and evasive. Sosa's Thursday statement marks a contrast with his past firm denials of PED use, albeit with some hedging language. It was, however, enough for Ricketts, who has long wanted Sosa to be more forthcoming about what may or may not have been going on during his peak years.