Legendary Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Field on Friday for the first time in over two decades, just before Chicago’s afternoon game against the Seattle Mariners.
Sosa, who is set to be inducted into the Cubs’ team Hall of Fame this year, arrived at the historic North Side ballpark in a black SUV. Cubs owner Tom Ricketts warmly greeted him with a hug as he stepped out.
Sosa became the face of the Cubs after joining them in a trade from the White Sox in March 1992, spending 13 seasons with the team. A seven-time All-Star, he hit 545 home runs in 1,811 games with Chicago and set a franchise record with 66 homers in 1998, a season in which he was named National League MVP.
Now 56, Sosa played his final game for the Cubs at Wrigley on October 2, 2004, homering and collecting two hits in an 8-6 loss to Atlanta. During his tenure with the Cubs, Sosa noticeably bulked up and became one of baseball’s biggest stars linked to performance-enhancing drugs controversies.
In February 2005, the Cubs traded him to Baltimore along with cash for three players.
In December, Sosa appeared to admit to using performance-enhancing drugs in a statement where he apologized for mistakes without specifying details. “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,” he said. “I never broke any laws. But in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize.”
On Friday morning, Sosa took photos with rising Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong outside the clubhouse. A video showed him hugging Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell in his office before the game.
“(Sosa) saw the wind blowing out today and planned this trip around a good day to be here,” Counsell joked. “He asked to be in the lineup because the wind’s blowing out.”
The Cubs did not announce any special ceremony or event before or during Friday’s game.
In Thursday’s 8-7 loss to Milwaukee, Crow-Armstrong hit a home run to set a new team record for the fastest player to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, doing so in 73 games, breaking Sosa’s previous record of 96 games set in 1994.
Counsell, who faced Sosa during his playing days, praised the former slugger for his power and star appeal. “Probably the best thing, Sammy was a true entertainer,” Counsell said. “I think when you’re in this long enough, you realize that’s part of this. We’re also here to entertain and I think Sammy was great at that.”
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