For the first time in nearly 21 years, Chicago Cubs legend Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon before the team took on the Seattle Mariners.
Upon arrival, Sosa was greeted with a hug from Cubs owner Tom Ricketts. However, that paled in comparison to the way Sosa was greeted by the fans.
Sosa’s return to Wrigley Field was supposed to be a surprise, but it was spoiled by an early morning leak. Still, fans were thrilled to see the all-time legend, who will be inducted into the Cubs’ Hall of Fame later this year.
The last time Sosa stepped foot in Wrigley Field was on the final day of the 2004 season when he reportedly left during the first inning after telling then-manager Dusty Baker he wasn’t playing. Sosa and his agent later denied that, saying he left later in the game, but the Cubs claimed to have videotape of his early departure.
The Cubs traded Sosa to the Baltimore Orioles the following February, and the two sides remained estranged until this past winter when he released a long-requested apology.
“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.”
Some took that as an admission of PED use, but Sosa claimed the apology was directed at fans for his absence over the past 20-plus years.
Either way, Sosa is back in Chicago, and fences appear to have been mended.
