Sammy Sosa had not been invited to return to Wrigley Field, or anything related to the Cubs, since he retired in 2007, but that has all changed.
It has long been speculated that Sosa took performance-enhancing drugs during his career, particularly during his home run binge in the late '90s.
Cubs owners have long said that Sosa would have to apologize and all but admit that he took steroids for the relationship to be repaired.
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Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs during the Cubs' 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves in game three 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 fan festival, Sosa admitted he “made mistakes.”
“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 at Right Field Bleachers at every home game,” Sosa said in a letter. “I understand why some players from my era don't always get the recognition our statistics deserve. There were times when I did everything I could to recover from injuries in an effort to maintain my strength to perform in more than 162 games. I never broke no law, but in retrospect, 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 the fans, the Cubs and I can come together again and “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.”
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 for Sosa to be invited to the 2025 Cubs Convention, owner Tom Ricketts said in a statement.
“We thank Sammy for releasing his statement and for 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 Convention, and although it's short notice, we hope 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 different seasons. He retired with 609 in his career, which ranks ninth all time, but speculation about banned substances has kept him out of Cooperstown.
Earlier this year, Sosa walked out of a press session when asked about his suspected PED use. He was in Chicago for a souvenir event and it was his first time in the Windy City since finishing his degree.
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 Jaffee/AFP via Getty Images)
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Sosa is largely credited with bringing baseball back to life with his own personal home run derby with Mark McGwire in 1998, when the two chased and smashed, Roger Maris' record of 61 home runs in a season. McGwire reached 70 and Sosa reached 66. Sosa even swore under oath that he did not use banned substances.
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