Cubs elect Sammy Sosa to team's Hall of Fame after years away from team due to PED questions

Former Chicago Cubs prima Sammy Sosa is being elected to the team’s Hall of Fame, alongside erstwhile archetypal baseman Derek Lee. 

The measurement towards reconciliation betwixt Sosa and the Cubs began erstwhile Sosa released a statement successful December.

"There were times I did immoderate I could to retrieve from injuries successful an effort to support my spot up to execute implicit 162 games. I ne'er broke immoderate laws. But successful hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize," Sosa said successful a connection done Aurora Global Consulting.

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Former Chicago Cubs subordinate Sammy Sosa acknowledges fans arsenic helium is introduced during the opening ceremonial of the Cubs Convention astatine the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk connected Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, successful Chicago.  (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

After that statement, Cubs president Tom Ricketts said the squad is "ready to determination guardant together" and invited Sosa to the Cubs' yearly instrumentality convention.

Sosa attending the normal was the archetypal clip helium had been with the Cubs successful immoderate authoritative capableness since helium past played for the squad successful 2004.

Sosa said that the apology successful his connection from December was not astir utilizing performance-enhancing drugs.

"No. I'm referring, for example, look, 21 years out. I had the fans that loved maine precise much. I had to apologize to them, because, I mean, normally, they spot maine play truthful galore years."

When Sosa was announced astatine the convention, helium received a ample ovation and ran onto the signifier with an American Flag. 

JAPANESE PHENOM PITCHER ROKI SASAKI PICKS DODGERS

Sammy Sosa deed 66 location runs successful 1998. (IMAGN)

"People turn up," Sosa said via ESPN. "That's what happened to me. To springiness that connection out, it was the close clip for me. The effect close distant was incredible. Now, the doorway is open, I person to proceed to lend (to the organization)."

"I deliberation that contiguous was a cleanable day."

Sosa played 13 seasons with the Cubs and is the franchise record-holder with 545 location runs. 

Sosa finished his large league vocation with a .273 batting mean and 609 homers — presently ninth connected the vocation list. He besides had 1,667 RBIs and 234 stolen bases successful 18 seasons from 1989 to 2007.

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Sammy Sosa ended his vocation pursuing the 2007 play with 609 location runs, bully for ninth connected the all-time list. (IMAGN)

Because a batch of Sosa's occurrence has been clouded by questions astir performance-enhancing cause usage passim his career, helium did not marque the Hall of Fame connected the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot. 

Sosa’s adjacent accidental for Hall of Fame information volition beryllium if helium makes the ballot for the modern subordinate committee. 

Sosa and Lee volition beryllium recognized successful the team’s Hall of Fame astatine a crippled this summer. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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