Sammy Sosa is all however admitting to and apologizing for taking steroids.
The longtime big-league slugger put out a press release Wednesday as a part of a reconciliation along with his former staff, the Chicago Cubs.
“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,” the assertion learn partially. “I never broke any laws but in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize.”
For years, there was a rift between Sosa and the membership after his controversial 2004 departure after 13 seasons enjoying proper subject in Chicago.
However now, it seems the franchise is welcoming Sosa again.
“We appreciate Sammy releasing his statement and for reaching out,” Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts wrote in a press release. “Nobody performed tougher or needed to win extra. No one’s good however we by no means doubted his ardour for the sport and the Cubs.
“It is an understatement to say that Sammy is a fan favorite. We plan on inviting him to the 2025 Cubs Convention and, while it is short notice, we hope that he can attend. We are all ready to move forward together.”
Sosa, who hasn’t been welcomed again to Wrigley Discipline for the previous 20 years, sounded excited to return to the Pleasant Confines.
“We accomplished great things as a team, and I worked extremely hard in the batting cage to become a great hitter,” Sosa wrote. “Cubs’ fans are the best in the world, and I hope that fans, the Cubs and I can all come together again and move forward. 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.”
Sosa’s time in Chicago was highlighted by his epic house run race with Mark McGwire in 1998.
The Cardinals slugger hit 70 in comparison with Sosa’s 66 in a race that reinvigorated the game after the 1994 strike canceled the top of the common season and playoffs.
In 2004, his ultimate season in Chicago earlier than being traded to the Orioles, Sosa arrived late to a recreation after which left the sport early, bringing his Cubs tenure to a bitter finish.
Sosa’s latter years had been shrouded in performance-enhancing drug rumors, which he denied in entrance of Congress in 2005.
In 18 MLB seasons, Sosa hit 609 house runs (ninth-most all time), together with 545 with the Cubs, that are probably the most in franchise historical past.
