Sammy Sosa admits to using steroids and apologizes.
The longtime major league slugger released a statement Wednesday as part of a settlement with his former team, the Chicago Cubs.
“There were times when I did everything I could to recover from my injury in order to stay fit enough to play more than 162 games,” the statement read in part. “I never broke the law, but in hindsight I am sorry for my mistake.”
There was a long-standing rift between Sosa and the club after Sosa's controversial departure in 2004, after playing right field for 13 seasons in Chicago.
But now, the team appears to be welcoming Sosa back.
“We are grateful to Sammy for making this statement and reaching out,” Cubs president Tom Ricketts said in a statement. “No one wanted to play harder or win more. No one is perfect, but we never doubted his passion for the game and the Cubs.
“It's no exaggeration to say that Sammy is a fan favorite. We plan to invite him to the 2025 Cubs Convention and we hope he can attend, albeit at short notice. We all move forward together. I’m ready.”
Sosa, who hasn't been welcomed back to Wrigley Field for the past 20 years, seemed excited to return to the Friendly Confines.
“We accomplished great things as a team. We practiced hard in the batting cage to become great hitters,” Sosa wrote. “Cubs fans are the best in the world, and I hope that the fans, the Cubs, and I can unite again and move forward. We can't change the past, but the future is bright. In my heart, I will always be a Cub.” I can't wait to see Cubs fans again.”
Sosa's time in Chicago was highlighted by his epic home run race with Mark McGwire in 1998.
After the 1994 strike ended the regular season and canceled the playoffs, the Cardinals slugger hit 70 at-bats to the Cardinals' 66, and the Cardinals' strike revitalized the Cardinals.
In 2004, his last season with Chicago before being traded to the Orioles, Sosa's tenure with the Cubs came to a bitter end when he was late to a game and then left early.
Sosa's later years were surrounded by rumors of performance-enhancing drugs, which he denied before Congress in 2005.
In 18 MLB seasons, Sosa hit 609 home runs (9th all-time), including 545 with the Cubs, the most in franchise history.
