Sammy Sosa Sergi Alexander/FilmMagic
Former Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa says he “made mistakes” during his 18-year Major League Baseball career in a statement that some observers interpreted as an acknowledgment of past steroid use.
Sosa, 56, hit 609 career home runs, good for ninth on the MLB all-time list. But as dominant as he was, his legacy has been tarnished by accusations that he used steroids, particularly during the famous 1998 home run chase where he and Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals both broke what was then the single-season home run record.
McGwire finished that season with a then-record 70, while Sosa hit 66. He retired in 2007 and, because of his suspected use of performance enhancing drugs, is not in the Hall of Fame.
“I understand why some players in my era don’t always get the recognition our stats deserve,” Sosa said in a statement on Thursday, December 19.
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He added, “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.”
Sammy Sosa Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Sosa spent 13 seasons with the Cubs, one of the most iconic franchises in American sports, and the team appears ready to welcome him back.
“We appreciate Sammy releasing his statement and for reaching out,” Cubs owner Tom Ricketts said in a statement on Thursday. “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.”
Sammy Sosa Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Like him or not, Sosa has an important place in baseball history. His home run chase with McGwire is widely credited with helping bring popularity back to Major League Baseball after the 1994 strike canceled that year’s World Series.
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“We accomplished great things as a team, and I worked extremely hard in the batting cage to become a great hitter,” his statement continued. “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.”
Sosa’s statement comes nearly 20 years after he testified in front of Congress as the true extent of MLB’s steroid problem was coming into focus.
“To be clear,” he said at the time, “I have never taken illegal performance-enhancing drugs. I have never injected myself or had anyone inject me with anything.”
The Cubs have extended Sosa an invitation to appear at the 2025 Cubs Convention from January 17-19, where he is expected to reunite with the team and its fans.
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