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¿Por qué Nezza cantó el himno nacional en español en el juego de los Dodgers? 'necesitaba hacerlo'

¿Por qué Nezza cantó el himno nacional en español en el juego de los Dodgers? 'necesitaba hacerlo'

USA Today4 days ago

The feels are real when a student choir sings the Star Spangled Banner
3,000 students gathered to sing the Star-Spangled Banner at the Hyatt Regency in Louisville during the Kentucky Music Educators Conference.

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Sammy Sosa looks his old self in two-decade return to Wrigley Field after Cubs feud
Sammy Sosa looks his old self in two-decade return to Wrigley Field after Cubs feud

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Sammy Sosa looks his old self in two-decade return to Wrigley Field after Cubs feud

At long last, Sammy Sosa is back at Wrigley Field. The slugger and Cubs legend returned to Wrigley for the first time in 21 years on Friday — and he's back to looking the way he did during his playing days. Sosa's skin was visibly darker again, after it had become increasingly lighter in the years following the end of his MLB career in 2007. Advertisement In 2009, Sosa told Univision that the lightening of his complexion was due to a cosmetic facial cream he used to soften his skin. Cubs fans welcomed the former MVP back to Wrigley with open arms, giving Sosa a standing ovation after the team played a tribute video on the scoreboard before the third inning of Friday's game between Chicago and the Mariners. Advertisement As a camera panned to Sosa in the stands, the seven-time All-Star did his iconic home run celebration as the crowd roared. Sosa played 13 seasons with the Cubs, hitting 545 home runs over that stretch. 4 Cubs legend Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Field for the first time in 21 years on Friday. Matt Marton-Imagn Images He's most famous for blasting a ridiculous 66 homers in 1998, falling just short of Mark McGwire's 70 bombs that were then a single-season record. Advertisement But Sosa had a tension-filled exit from Chicago, which led to his two-decade absence from Wrigley Field and the Cubs organization. In the final game of the 2004 season, his last in Chicago, Sosa arrived just 70 minutes before first pitch and left shortly after the game began, getting fined by the Cubs as a result. One Cubs player, whose identity still remains unknown, smashed Sosa's boom box in the clubhouse after that game, enraged by the slugger's actions. 4 Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa hits a home run against the Marlins in June 1998. ASSOCIATED PRESS Advertisement Tensions between the Cubs and Sosa also stemmed from Sosa's alleged use of steroids throughout his career. The Cubs never retired Sosa's No. 21 nor invited him back for any team festivities, with a team spokesperson telling ESPN in 2014 that Sosa needed to 'make amends' with the organization. Sosa did that by releasing a statement in 2024 apologizing for 'mistakes,' and he was accordingly welcomed back into the organization's good graces. 4 Former Chicago Cubs star Sammy Sosa addresses the media in the fourth inning during a game against the Seattle Mariners at Wrigley Field on June 20, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Getty Images 4 Chicago Cubs former player Sammy Sosa greets fans during the game against the Seattle Mariners at Wrigley Field. Matt Marton-Imagn Images He was invited to the Cubs Convention fan event over the winter and is set to be inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame this summer. And now, he's made his long-awaited return to Wrigleyville.

Why Sammy Sosa is finally returning to Wrigley Field after 21-year absence
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USA Today

time11 hours ago

  • USA Today

Why Sammy Sosa is finally returning to Wrigley Field after 21-year absence

Sammy Sosa is one of the greatest Chicago Cubs of all time, earning seven All-Star appearances during his 13-year career with the team and landing a spot in the team's Hall of Fame. But since his departure from the team in 2004 and particularly his retirement from baseball in 2007, that relationship was outright severed. That changed in the last year, and now, Sosa is set to make his return to Wrigley Field for the first time since his last game with the Cubs. Sosa's appearance on Friday was initially meant to be a surprise with a grandiose mid-game reveal, but USA TODAY Sports MLB columnist Bob Nightengale posted the scoop on social media Friday morning. Sosa's strained relationship with the Cubs began with his departure from the team in 2004. Before he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles, Sosa opted not to play in his final game in Chicago. He left Wrigley Field in the first inning, and though he later argued he stayed later into the game, the Cubs ultimately released surveillance footage showing Sosa leaving the parking lot. Between his ugly exit and, later, when it was revealed that he had reportedly failed a test for performance-enhancing drugs, his relationship with the Cubs ended. Owner Tom Ricketts, who bought the team in 2009 after Sosa's retirement, stated that Sosa wouldn't be welcomed back until he apologized for doping. That apology (sort of) came last December, when Sosa took accountability for his "mistakes." Though he did not explicitly admit to using PEDs, that was good enough for Ricketts, who invited Sosa to the annual Cubs Convention event. Now, the two will take an even bigger step in repairing their relationship with Sosa returning to the stands at Wrigley for Friday's game against the Seattle Mariners. Sosa will also be inducted as a member of the Cubs Hall of Fame later this year.

Nezza's national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium ignites debate over team's immigrant support
Nezza's national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium ignites debate over team's immigrant support

Chicago Tribune

time2 days ago

  • Chicago Tribune

Nezza's national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium ignites debate over team's immigrant support

LOS ANGELES — As fans removed their caps and stood for the national anthem Saturday night at Dodger Stadium, they were met with a surprising rendition of 'The Star-Spangled Banner.' Latin pop and R&B singer Nezza stood in front of the crowd, closed her eyes and belted the song out — in Spanish. Her 90-second rendition, and a behind-the-scenes video she shared on social media of team representatives discouraging it beforehand, quickly went viral and have become a flashpoint for Dodgers fans frustrated by the team's lack of vocal support for immigrant communities impacted by the deportation raids across the U.S., including numerous neighborhoods in and around Los Angeles. Protests over the arrests made by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have captured international attention and mostly been held in areas a short drive from Dodger Stadium. Nezza says even after the discouragement from the team's representative, she hadn't yet decided whether to sing in English or Spanish until she walked out onto the field and saw the stands filled with Latino families in Dodger blue. 'This is my moment to show everyone that I am with them that we have a voice and with everything that's happening it's not OK. I'm super proud that I did it. No regrets,' the 30-year-old singer told The Associated Press. The team has yet to make a statement on the record regarding the arrests and raids. Manager Dave Roberts has said he doesn't know enough about the issue to comment, but Dodgers hitter Kiké Hernández separately spoke out on Instagram over the weekend. 'I am saddened and infuriated by what's happening in our country and our city,' he said in a post in English and Spanish. 'I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights.' In her viral TikTok video, Nezza is shown speaking with an off-camera Dodgers employee who tells her, 'We are going to do the song in English today, so I'm not sure if that wasn't transferred or if that wasn't relayed.' She's received an outpouring of support since Saturday from celebrities like Jason Mraz, Kehlani, Chiquis, Ava DuVernay, The Kid Mero, Becky G and more. 'Don't you dare turn your backs on us now. We, as a city, have embraced you and need your support more than ever. Think about who fills up your stadium,' said Becky G, addressing the Dodgers in her Instagram story. The Spanish-language version Nezza sang, 'El Pendón Estrellado,' is the official translation of the national anthem and was commissioned in 1945 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt from Peruvian-American composer Clotilde Arias. Column: Pride and community at Chicago White Sox's Mexican Heritage Night game amid immigration crackdownsNezza says her manager immediately received a call from an unidentified Dodgers employee saying their clients were not welcome at the stadium again, but the baseball team said in a statement to the AP: 'There were no consequences or hard feelings from the Dodgers regarding her performance. She was not asked to leave. We would be happy to have her back.' Dodger Stadium has a long history with immigrant communities in Los Angeles. Many proudly wear Dodger blue jerseys and merchandise as an extension of their love for the city — the team still sells special 'Los Dodgers' jerseys on its official website — and attend the stadium's multiple heritage nights honoring Mexican, Salvadoran, Guatemalan and more immigrant communities, including those from outside Latin America. The Dodgers' fan base is heavily Latino, and the team is among the select few to offer Spanish-language television broadcasts. The franchise is also frequently praised for its history seeking out diverse talent, including Jackie Robinson (baseball's first Black player), Fernando Valenzuela (a Mexican icon who transcended baseball) and Chan Ho Park (the first Korean in the big leagues). But the relationship is not without tension, with some Mexican American and Latino residents resentful of the team's forceful eviction of Latino families in the 1950s to build Dodger Stadium in what is popularly known as Chavez Ravine. Fans have since called for a boycott online, while others say they'd be willing to return if the team spoke out. 'We love you. You've been so much a big part of our lives. … We would like to understand that you love us just the same. Or are we just money to you?' asked Power 106's Brown Bag Mornings host Letty Peniche in an Instagram video. Los Angeles resident Alora Murray is considering a temporary boycott. 'Nobody is messing around about this,' said Murray. 'Los Angeles is built upon the Dodgers. For them to not kind of be with us, I feel like us boycotting or not going to games will send that message.' Many in the Latino community have been sharing videos of stadium security confronting fans who have political signs or messages on their clothing. Longtime Dodger fan Emeli Avalos says she doesn't believe the team is apolitical since they released a statement to condemn Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. 'If it's really about staying out of politics, then why do they support that? But when people down the street from them are getting taken, kidnapped, why do they stay silent?' she said. Avalos attended Pride Night on June 13 wearing a shirt that said 'Abolish ICE' on the front and 'FDT' — an acronym for an expletive directed at President Donald Trump — on the back. In a popular TikTok video, Avalos is seen speaking with Dodgers security. She says she thought she was going to be asked to leave but was instead asked to cover the back of her shirt with her jersey. 'They told me, 'The front is fine, you just gotta cover the back,'' said Avalos, who said she will not be returning to the stadium. Another video of a fan being confronted by security for holding a banner with 'ICE' crossed out circulated online over the weekend, furthering criticism of the team. When asked about the incidents, a Dodgers spokesperson pointed to the team's stadium guidelines, which state the team 'does not allow signs or banners of any kind.' Also prohibited is any attire the Dodgers deem — at their sole discretion — to be obscene, profane, vulgar, indecent, violent, threatening, abusive or prejudiced against any individual or group. Nezza does not think she will return to the stadium, despite the Dodgers' statement, but says she hopes her performance will inspire others to use their voice and speak out. 'It's just shown me like how much power there is in the Latin community,' she said. 'We gotta be the voice right now.'

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