For the first time in 21 years, Sammy Sosa was in the Chicago Cubs dugout on Tuesday as the team faced the Arizona Diamondbacks in a Cactus League game.
The club has had a strained relationship with the former slugger that helped reignite national interest in baseball with his home run race with Mark McGwire in 1998. Sosa hit 66 home runs that summer, breaking Roger Maris’ all-time single-season home run record (McGwire hit 70 that year).
Since then, however, allegations of steroid use and a corked bat controversy tarnished Sosa’s would-have-been Hall of Fame legacy. He seemed to patch things up with the organization over the offseason and seemed thankful to be back in the dugout on Tuesday.
“It brings back memories. You know, happy to see everyone.”
Sammy Sosa on his return to Cubs spring training! pic.twitter.com/eTAZcNd3yv
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) February 25, 2025
“I’m happy to see everyone,” he said on the game broadcast. “Happy to be here. I also want to say thank you to the Ricketts family for bringing me here. Jed Hoyer, the [General Manager] and Craig Counsell, which has been great to me.”
Sosa added that he’s enjoyed watching the current Cubs players take their cuts and has evened offered advice, saying he’s “an expert in that.”
Sosa finished his career with 609 home runs, hitting 545 of them in his 13 seasons with the Cubs. He ranks ninth on the all-time MLB home run list.
Sammy Sosa’s statement opened the door to a renewed relationship with the Cubs
Sosa’s Cubs return came about in December when the slugger issued an apology — something the team “hinted” was required, according to a report from ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.
“I left it all on the field for the Cubs and Cubs fans because I wanted to win and make the fans happy,” Sosa wrote in his statement. “I loved to see the fans at Wrigley in the Right Field Bleachers every home game. I understand why some players in my era don’t always get the recognition that our stats deserve. 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. I never broke any laws, but in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize.
Ricketts responded with a statement of his own, confirming the organization would welcome Sosa’s return.
“We appreciate Sammy releasing his statement and for reaching out,” the statement read. “No one played harder or wanted to win more. Nobody’s perfect but we never doubted his passion for the game 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.”
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