MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 01: Sammy Sosa attends Sports Illustrated The Party Brought To You By The Undisputed Group And ABG Entertainment With DaBaby, Black Eyed Peas, And Marshmello at Fontainebleau Hotel on February 01, 2020 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for Sports Illustrated)
Legendary Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa and the organization have appeared to make amends after years of conflict, with Sosa expected to be invited to the 2025 Cubs Convention.
Sosa issued a public apology on Thursday for “mistakes” he made during his playing career, and said he can’t wait to see the team’s fans again.
“We can’t change the past, but the future is bright,” he said in the letter. “In my heart, I have always been a Cub and I can’t wait to see Cubs fans again.”
Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts, who has publicly said Sosa would not be welcome back into the organization until he apologized for his past actions, issued a statement on behalf of the team, confirming that Sosa will be invited to Cubs Convention in January.
“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,” he said. “We are all ready to move forward together.”
The team said the invitation was “short notice,” but expressed hope that Sosa would attend the convention.
Sosa is the only player in MLB history to have hit 60 or more home runs in three different seasons, doing so in 1998, 1999 and 2001 with the Cubs. He won the National League MVP award in 1998, helped lead the Cubs to two playoff appearances, and leads the team in a host of offensive categories.
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Still, Sosa has been persona non grata since leaving the organization after the 2004 season. In addition to his acrimonious departure, where he infamously refused to play in the final game of the season, he has since drawn the ire of Ricketts, who has said that the slugger needed to be honest about his alleged use of performance enhancing drugs during his Cubs career.
Sosa has steadfastly refused to using PEDs during his career, and while his letter said he did not “break the law,” he did acknowledge he had made mistakes in an effort to recover from injuries, a seeming admission to using the substances.
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“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,” he said. “I never broke any laws, but in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize.”
Sosa also said that he worked extremely hard in the batting cage to improve himself as a hitter, and that he looks back fondly on the things the team accomplished during his time in Chicago.
In addition to an invitation to Cubs Convention, the possibility also exists that Sosa could be selected to join the Cubs’ Hall of Fame. The Cubs have selected dozens of former players and broadcasters to join the Hall of Fame, but Sosa’s conspicuous absence from that group has only heightened calls for the slugger and the team to make amends.
Here is Sosa’s full letter, which was released via his PR agency:
“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.”
Here is Ricketts’ full statement:
“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.
“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.”
