Latest news with #Cubs
CNN
36 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Sammy Sosa welcomed back to Wrigley Field for first time in 21 years
Former Cubs great Sammy Sosa, who once was the face of Chicago's Friendly Confines, made his long-anticipated return to the place he used to hit towering home runs and flash his big smile. Slammin' Sammy, as he was affectionately called, is remembered when he and Mark McGwire captivated the nation in 1998 as the pair battled to break Roger Maris' longstanding single-season home run record. Sosa, who won National League MVP honors that year, finished with 66 home runs, and McGwire, who hit 70 homers to break the mark at the time, both later became embroiled in allegations of steroid use. Sosa, a fan favorite whose sprints to his usual right field position ahead of first pitch brought joy and cheers to those sitting in the bleachers, had remained away from Wrigley Field since 2004, when after 13 seasons the slugger's diminishing performances led to a falling out with the organization and his previously adoring fans. Those hard feelings have all but disappeared judging by the scenes that played out on Friday. During the Cubs' home game against the Seattle Mariners, a tribute video highlighting the accomplishments of the renowned No. 21 was played on Wrigley's video board after the second inning. There was a buzz as the crowd stood and applauded the former Cub. In a suite overlooking the field, Sosa stepped forward to acknowledge the warm welcome and blew kisses, his famous celebration after going yard, and waved to those in attendance. A fan held up high a handmade sign with drawn hearts that read, 'Welcome Home Sammy.' The sunny afternoon on Chicago's north shore looked like a near-perfect setting for the anticipated homecoming, with Sosa calling the reception 'amazing' while speaking with the Marquee Sports Network broadcasters. 'I am glad to be back,' he said with a smile. Sosa, now 56, remains the organization's all-time home runs leader (545) and hit 609 homers throughout his 18 seasons with the Cubs, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles. In late 2024, Sosa released a statement apologizing for his mistakes, appearing to allude to performance-enhancing substance use. Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts, in response, said, 'We are all ready to move forward together,' and invited him to the annual Cubs Convention held in January. The former outfielder was given a raucous standing ovation by fans when he was introduced at the event. A month later, Sosa donned his famous No. 21 when he took part as a guest instructor during the club's spring training. Ahead of Friday's game, Cubs manager Greg Counsell recalled why Sosa was so popular in Chicago aside from the Dominican's on-the-field feats, calling him a 'true entertainer.' Counsell said he admired Sosa for his ability to delight crowds. 'It's fun that he's back. It's great for our fans,' he said. 'They spent a lot of time enjoying Sammy's great performances on the field – entertaining baseball fans - so to have him back – it's a lot of fun.' Sosa, along with former first baseman Derrek Lee, are to be inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame later this year.
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Fox Sports
Cubs legend Sammy Sosa welcomed back to Wrigley Field after 20-plus-year hiatus
Legendary Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Field for the first time in more than 20 years on Friday before Chicago's afternoon game with the Seattle Mariners. Sosa, who is set to be inducted into the Cubs' team Hall of Fame this year, arrived at the iconic North Side ballpark in a black SUV. He was greeted by owner Tom Ricketts, who embraced him in a hug as he exited the vehicle. Sosa became the face of the Cubs franchise where he played 13 seasons after coming in a trade from the crosstown White Sox in March 1992. A seven-time All-Star, Sosa hit 545 homers in 1,811 games with the Cubs and hit a franchise-record 66 in 1998 when he was named the NL's MVP. Sosa, now 56, played his final game with the Cubs at Wrigley on Oct. 2, 2004, when he homered and had two hits in an 8-6 loss to Atlanta. During his years with the Cubs, Sosa appeared to bulk up drastically and was a headliner in a generation of baseball's biggest names linked to performance-enhancing drugs. The Cubs traded him to Baltimore with cash in February 2005 for three players. Sosa appeared to acknowledge using performance-enhancing drugs in December when he released a statement saying he was sorry for mistakes, without specifying them. "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 in the statement. "I never broke any laws. But in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize." On Friday morning, Sosa posed for photos with rising Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong outside the team's clubhouse and a video showed Sosa embracing 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 honored Sosa with a video board tribute after the second inning. Sosa waved and bowed to fans from a suite during the presentation. In Thursday's 8-7 loss to Milwaukee, Crow-Armstrong went deep to set a new team record for reaching 20 homers and 20-plus stolen stolen bases the fastest, doing it in 73 games. Sosa had the old mark of 96, set in 1994. Counsell, who faced Sosa as a player, saluted the former slugger for his strength at the plate and long homers, as well as star power. "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." Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- 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.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sammy Sosa gets standing ovation, cheers from Cubs fans in return to Wrigley Field for first time in 21 years
Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Field on Friday to be embraced by Cubs fans for the first time in 21 years. (Photo by DANIEL LIPPITT/AFP via Getty Images) It took 21 years, but Chicago Cubs legend Sammy Sosa finally returned to Wrigley Field. The former MVP and seven-time All-Star received a standing ovation and loud cheers from fans as the team celebrated his career. Ahead of the third inning, the Cubs played a video on the scoreboard in tribute to Sosa. Once fans realized what was going on, they stood up and clapped for the franchise icon. After the video finished, Sosa was welcomed back by the team. Fans continued to stand and cheer for Sosa as he mimicked his old home run celebration on the scoreboard. Advertisement The team teased Sosa's appearance ahead of Friday's game, showing footage of Sosa arriving at the park and hugging team chairman Tom Ricketts. Sosa also met with Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong prior to the game and shared some celebratory words with manager Craig Counsell. During a radio appearance Friday, Crow-Armstrong said he thought it was "important" to have Sosa back Wrigley Field. "I'm glad he's back," Crow-Armstrong added. Sosa, now 56, starred with the team for 13 seasons in the '90s and early 2000s. After being traded to the Cubs in a cross-town deal with the Chicago White Sox, Sosa emerged as a superstar, and one of the game's premier sluggers. Advertisement From 1993 through 2004, Sosa hit .285/.360/.576 in 7,607 plate appearances. He averaged 45 home runs, 116 RBI and 100 runs scored during that period. Sosa made seven All-Star teams, won six Silver Slugger awards and was named the 1998 National League MVP during his time with the Cubs. Sosa gained recognition across the entire league in 1998, when he and St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire competed to break the single-season home run record. Their rivalry became a massive story both inside and outside the game, and is credited for reigniting fan interest in baseball following the 1994-96 MLB strike. McGwire broke the record that season, smashing 70 home runs. Sosa finished with 66. That record was eventually broken by San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds, who hit 73 home runs in 2001. But Sosa's departure from the franchise wasn't smooth. Before the final game of the 2004 season, Sosa reportedly told a team trainer he was injured and wasn't going to play in the contest. He allegedly arrived at the ballpark just 70 minutes before game time and left right after first pitch, never putting on his uniform. Sosa was fined by the Cubs for his actions. Advertisement At least one of Sosa's teammates was furious about how things went down. A Cubs player is alleged to have smashed Sosa's boombox with a baseball bat after the game. The identity of that player remains one of the game's biggest mysteries. The contest marked Sosa's last "appearance" with the Cubs. Sosa was traded to the Baltimore Orioles the following January, ending his tenure in Chicago. His numbers declined with the Orioles before Sosa experienced a brief one-year resurgence with the Texas Rangers in 2007 before retiring. Sosa's exit from Chicago — combined with his alleged involvement in baseball's steroid era — resulted in a two-decades long feud with the organization. Sosa was alleged to have used steroids during his playing career. He appeared at a 2005 Congressional hearing, where a lawyer read a statement from Sosa denying past steroid use. When the Cubs reached the World Series in 2016, Sosa was not invited back to take part in any festivities. His No. 21 was never retired by the team. He's never thrown out a first pitch or sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at Wrigley Field. Advertisement In order for Sosa to return, the slugger reportedly had to make amends, a team spokesperson said in 2014. He didn't do that until 2024, when Sosa released an apology letter to the team and its fans. In response, Ricketts invited Sosa to the team's fan fest in 2025. At the event, the team announced Sosa would be inducted into its Hall of Fame. While Sosa represented the team at its fan convention and served as a guest instructor with the Cubs in spring training, Friday marked the first time he returned to Wrigley Field on positive terms since his unfortunate exit in 2004.
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox Sports
Cubs legend Sammy Sosa returns to Wrigley Field after 20-plus-year hiatus
Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Legendary Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Field for the first time in more than 20 years on Friday before Chicago's afternoon game with the Seattle Mariners. Sosa, who is set to be inducted into the Cubs' team Hall of Fame this year, arrived at the iconic North Side ballpark in a black SUV. He was greeted by owner Tom Ricketts, who embraced him in a hug as he exited the vehicle. Sosa became the face of the Cubs franchise where he played 13 seasons after coming in a trade from the crosstown White Sox in March 1992. A seven-time All-Star, Sosa hit 545 homers in 1,811 games with the Cubs and hit a franchise-record 66 in 1998 when he was named the NL's MVP. Sosa, now 56, played his final game with the Cubs at Wrigley on Oct. 2, 2004, when he homered and had two hits in an 8-6 loss to Atlanta. During his years with the Cubs, Sosa appeared to bulk up drastically and was a headliner in a generation of baseball's biggest names linked to performance-enhancing drugs. The Cubs traded him to Baltimore with cash in February 2005 for three players. Sosa appeared to acknowledge using performance-enhancing drugs in December when he released a statement saying he was sorry for mistakes, without specifying them. '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 in the statement. 'I never broke any laws. But in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize.' On Friday morning, Sosa posed for photos with rising Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong outside the team's clubhouse and a video showed Sosa embracing 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 remained mum on any ceremony or event before or during Friday's game. In Thursday's 8-7 loss to Milwaukee, Crow-Armstrong went deep to set a new team record for reaching 20 homers and 20-plus stolen stolen bases the fastest, doing it in 73 games. Sosa had the old mark of 96, set in 1994. Counsell, who faced Sosa as a player, saluted the former slugger for his strength at the plate and long homers, as well as star power. '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.' ___ AP MLB: recommended
