Chicago Cubs Icon Sammy Sosa Apologizes to Fans, Welcomed Back By Franchise

Sammy Sosa's time with the Chicago Cubs was defined by highlights, home runs and controversy.

The slugger had a falling out with the franchise, which has largely shunned him over the past 20 years. From Sosa leaving his final game at Wrigley Field early, to his ties to performance-enhancing drugs and corked bats, the tension between him and the Cubs was real.

And while Sosa never publicly admitted to taking PEDs, he remains one of the faces of MLB's steroid era. The seven-time All-Star was not voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame when his time came, on top of being effectively excommunicated by the Cubs' front office.

Sosa may not be inducted in Cooperstown anytime soon, but one of those stalemates is coming to an end.

The 56-year-old Sosa published a letter Thursday, one day after he was not included on the list of alumni that would be attending the 2025 Cubs Convention. He apologized to fans for his mistakes over the years and reiterated how much his 13 seasons in Chicago meant to him.

"I left it all on the field for the Cubs and Cubs fans because I wanted to win and make the fans happy," Sosa said in his statement. "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."

Cubs owner Tom Ricketts will now be inviting Sammy Sosa back and inviting him to the convention. Nice! pic.twitter.com/x1Di9gbQlt
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 19, 2024

Cubs owner Tom Ricketts put out a statement of his own, confirming that Sosa had been welcomed back into the organization and invited to the Cubs Convention in January.

"We appreciate Sammy releaseing his statement and for reaching out," Ricketts' statement read. "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."

Cubs Statement regarding Sammy Sosa pic.twitter.com/JSsxjjPbtO
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 19, 2024

Sosa got his start with the Texas Rangers, then spent some time with the Chicago White Sox before he eventually moved across town. Between 1992 and 2004, Sosa broke the Cubs' all-time record with 545 home runs.

The 1998 NL MVP led MLB in total bases and runs three times each, and is the only player in league history to record three 60-home run campaigns. He averaged 58 home runs, 141 RBI and a 6.6 WAR between 1998 and 2002, then guided the Cubs to the NLCS in 2003

After bouncing between the Baltimore Orioles in 2005 and Texas Rangers in 2007, Sosa retired in 2009. He finished his big league career with 2,408 hits, 609 home runs, 234 stolen bases, a .273 batting average, an .878 OPS and a 58.6 WAR.

If Sosa does go to the Cubs Convention, he will be joined by Andre Dawson, Shawon Dunston, Mark Grace, Fergie Jenkins, Lee Smith, Billy Williams and Kerry Wood. Michael Busch, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson are among the current players who will be in attendance.

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