Sammy Sosa admits making ‘mistakes’ amid steroid speculation, apologizes to estranged Cubs
Sammy Sosa hadn’t been invited to Wrigley Field or anything related to the Cubs since his retirement in 2007, but that has changed.
It has long been speculated that Sosa used performance-enhancing drugs during his career, particularly during his career Home run binge in the late 90s.
Cubs owners have long said that Sosa would have to apologize and almost admit to taking steroids for the relationship to be repaired.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
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)
On Wednesday, when the Cubs announced a festival for fans, Sosa acknowledged as much “Made a mistake.”
“I left everything on the field for the Cubs and the Cubs fans because I wanted to win and make the fans happy. I loved seeing the fans at Wrigley in the Right Field Bleachers at every home game,” Sosa said in a letter. “I understand why some players of my era don’t always get the recognition our stats deserve. There were times when I did everything I could to recover from injuries and maintain my strength to play over 162 games. I have never broken.” There are no laws, but in retrospect I made mistakes and I apologize for them.
“We have achieved great things as a team and I have worked extremely hard in the batting cage to become a great hitter. The Cubs fans are the best in the world and I hope the fans, the Cubs and I can all come together again. “We can’t change the past, but the future is always a Cub in my heart and I can hardly do it expect to see Cubs fans again.
Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs strikes out in the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field in Chicago. (John Zich/AFP via Getty Images)
The letter was enough to invite Sosa to the 2025 Cubs Convention. owner Tom Ricketts said in a statement.
“We appreciate Sammy releasing his statement and coming forward. Nobody played harder or wanted to win more. Nobody is perfect, but we never doubted his passion for the game and the Cubs,” Ricketts said. “To say Sammy is a fan favorite is an understatement. We plan to invite him to the 2025 Cubs Convention, and although it is short notice, we hope he can attend. We are all ready to move forward together.”
Sosa is the only player in MLB history to hit at least 60 home runs in three different seasons. He retired with 609 in his career, which ranks him ninth all-time, but PED speculation kept him out of Cooperstown.
Earlier this year, Sosa left a media session when asked about his suspected PED use. He was in Chicago for a memorial event and it was the first time he had been to the Windy City since the end of his career.
Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals (right) and Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs laugh during a pregame press conference at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. (Stephen Jaffee/AFP via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Sosa is largely credited with revitalizing the sport of baseball with his personal home run derby against Mark McGwire in 1998. Roger Maris‘ Record of 61 home runs in a season. McGwire got 70 and Sosa got 66. Sosa even swore under oath that he wasn’t taking PEDs.
Follow Fox News Digital Sports coverage of Xand subscribe the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
