(AUDACY) Ozzie Guillén played with and against Sammy Sosa, and while he doesn't have a vested interest in the Chicago Cubs, Guillén doesn't believe that they've done right by one of the most dominant players in franchise history.
The fiery Guillén -- who played 13 seasons with the White Sox and managed them to a World Series title in 2005 -- explained that the Cubs failing to have a relationship with Sosa doesn't sit right with him.
"It's not my business, I'm not part of the team," Guillén said on NBC Sports Chicago on Sunday. "They treat Sammy Sosa like he was convicted of something.
"The reason the Cubs were back on the map was because Sammy Sosa," Guillén continued.
After stints with the Texas Rangers and White Sox to begin his career, Sosa clicked with the Cubs, playing there from 1992-2004. Across those 13 seasons, Sosa hit 545 of his 609 career home runs. He edged out Mark McGwire for the National League MVP in 1998, when he hit 66 home runs. That was one of three seasons in which Sosa hit 60 or more home runs -- all three came with the Cubs -- a feat that no other player in MLB history has accomplished.
Of course, there's credible evidence that Sosa used performance-enhancing drugs for at least part of his time with the Cubs.
Sosa tested positive for what was supposed to be anonymous PED tests administered during the 2003 season, Michael S. Schmidt of The New York Times has reported. Sosa's results, along with those of Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, leaked. Sosa was also accused of amphetamine use.
Beyond that, Sosa was suspended for using a corked bat during a game in the 2003 season, which he said was just a mistake because he would use the bat in batting practice sometimes. He was suspended for seven games because of the incident.
Sosa didn't leave Chicago on great terms, as he was fined by the Cubs -- and eventually traded to the Baltimore Orioles -- after he left in the middle of the team's final game of the 2004 campaign.
Suffice to say, there were a lot of fences that needed mending after Sosa's departure from the Cubs. Seemingly, that may never happen. Where others like McGwire have since admitted to PED use and been welcomed with open arms back into baseball, Sosa has continued to insist that he didn't cheat. If the 52-year-old Sosa hasn't admitted anything by now, it's hard to believe that he ever will.
Cubs owner Tom Ricketts -- whose purchase of the team didn't become official until October of 2009, years after Sosa last played for the organization -- said in 2018 that he doesn't intend to welcome back Sosa until he apologizes for PED use.
A seven-time All-Star, Sosa has admitted that he made a mistake in leaving the final game of the 2004 season early, and he has said that he would welcome the opportunity to return to Wrigley Field. But he also drew a line in the sand back in 2018.
"But I’m not going to go up there and say, ‘I’m here, please bring me back and give me a chance,'" Sosa said. "No way. I’m not hungry. I have too much pride."
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