Sammy Sosa He hasn't been invited back to Wrigley Field, or anything Cubs-related, since his retirement in 2007, but that's all changed.
It has long been rumored that Sosa took performance-enhancing drugs during his career, most notably during his career Late 90s home run party.
Cubs ownership has long said Sosa would need to apologize and admit to taking steroids to repair the relationship.
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Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs during the Cubs' 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the 2003 NLDS at Wrigley Field in Chicago. (Dilip Vishwanat/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images)
And on Wednesday, when the Cubs announced a fan fest, Sosa acknowledged as much “Make mistakes.”
“I left everything on the field for the Cubs and Cubs fans because I wanted to win and make the fans happy. I loved seeing the fans at Wrigley at Right Field Bleachers at every home game,” Sosa said in a letter. “I understand why some players in my era didn't always get the credit our stats deserved. There were times when I did everything I could to recover from injuries in an attempt to maintain my strength to perform over 162 games. I never broke any rules, but it's too late 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. The Cubs fans are the best in the world, and I hope that the fans and the Cubs and I can come together again and move forward. We can't change the past, but the future is bright in my heart. I was always a Cub and can't wait to see Cubs fans again.
Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs hits a home run in the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field in Chicago. (John Zeck/AFP via Getty Images)
The message was enough to invite Sosa to the 2025 Cubs Conference. Owner Tom Ricketts said in a statement.
“We appreciate Sammy making his statement and reaching out. No one played harder or wanted to win more. No one is perfect, but we never doubted his passion for the game and the Cubs,” Ricketts said. “It's an understatement to say Sammy is a fan favorite. We plan to invite him to the 2025 Cubs Conference, and although it's short notice, we're hopeful he can attend. We're all ready to move forward together.”
Sosa is the only player in MLB history to hit at least 60 home runs in three separate seasons. He retired with 609 in his career, which tied him for ninth all-time, but PED speculation kept him out of Cooperstown.
Earlier this year, Sosa He left the media session When asked about his suspected PED use. He was in Chicago for a memorial event, his first time in the Windy City since his career ended.
Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals, right, and Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs laugh during a pregame news conference at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. (Stephen Jaffe/AFP via Getty Images)
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Sosa is largely credited with bringing baseball back to life with his personal home run derby with Mark McGwire in 1998 in which they both homered and crashed. Roger MarisHe hit 61 homers in one season. McGwire hit 70, and Sosa hit 66. Sosa even swore under oath that he never took PEDs.
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