CHICAGO (670 The Score) — Twenty-one years later, a familiar chant poured out of the bleachers of Wrigley Field.
Sam-my! Sam-my! Sam-my!
On Friday, Sammy Sosa was back at the Friendly Confines and in the good graces of the Cubs organization. He left the team on poor terms following the 2004 season, an ugly departure that cast a shadow over his spectacular tenure with this team.
Over the winter, Sosa made peace with Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts, who for years wouldn’t allow him back into the organization until he showed contrition. Sosa returned to Chicago in January for the annual fan convention at the Sheraton Grand ballroom, but until Friday, he hadn't returned to Wrigley Field since he departed suddenly at the conclusion of the 2004 season.
“I’m just happy to be back," Sosa said. “Especially the standing ovation the fans gave to me, it touched me.
“It was an emotional moment for me.”
Since Wrigley Field installed video boards back in 2015, many highlights of Sosa’s 13 years with the Cubs have been celebrated – his running out to right field with his familiar peace-sign salute, the swing of his 62nd home run back in 1998 and the celebration with his teammates following the 2003 NL Central title. But there was always an emptiness after each montage. Sosa himself was notoriously absent.
In the third inning Friday afternoon as a montage of Sosa’s career was played, the cameras panned to a ballpark suite. For the first time, Sosa was there to receive a raucous ovation.
“I always believed it was going to happen,” Sosa said. “But most of that was God’s time. The time was perfect. You know, I’m here again, and I worked to be here. The relationship is tremendous.”
When Sosa walked out after the 2004 season, his exit was celebrated by teammates at the time. He played the 2005 season with the Orioles and joined the Rangers in 2007, hitting his 600th career homer against the Cubs in Texas. Revelations of Major League Baseball’s steroid era lingered over the careers of Sosa and many others.
Sosa has never admitted to using steroids during his career, even during a 2005 congressional hearing. Sosa’s tie to steroid use came when the New York Times reported in 2009 that he was among the MLB players who had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs back in 2003. The perceived sins of Sosa’s time in the game have followed him since, keeping him from the Baseball Hall of Fame despite career accomplishments worthy of that honor.
In Chicago, Sosa’s legacy is one of countless fond memories. He was a superstar for the Cubs whose highlights and flair are still celebrated.
The Cubs intended for Sosa’s return to Wrigley Field to be a surprise, but the news of it leaked out early Friday morning. Ricketts was among the first to greet Sosa as he arrived at a ballpark that has changed significantly since he last was here.
Sosa joined the Cubs in their clubhouse, meeting with new stars like Pete Crow-Armstrong. He also visited with many familiar figures who have remained around the organization since his departure.
The return of Sosa to the Cubs and Wrigley Field was 21 years in the making – a reunion that required putting egos aside and cherishing those memories.
“They have a lot to remember,” Sosa said. “The hop, the home runs, running to right field, the smile, the opportunity to interact with the fans and the peace (sign).
“This is my house.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.