(670 The Score) Cubs legend Sammy Sosa officially returned to the good graces of the organization Friday, receiving a thunderous ovation from fans as he headlined Cubs Convention.
For his part, Sosa reveled being in the spotlight once again.
“It was incredible,” Sosa said on Inside the Clubhouse on 670 The Score. “I was waiting for this moment for 21 years. Today was the opportunity for me to show the love, and they showed me the love also. Everything went very good.”
The reunion represented the end of a long-strained relationship between Sosa and the franchise and came about a month after Sosa apologized for his past “mistakes,” a mea culpa that Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts had sought. In his apology letter, Sosa made an indirect reference to the use of performance-enhancing drugs, but he has never directly admitted to using steroids.
As Sosa explained it, his apology now is for being gone for so long – “21 years, buddy,” he said – and for anyone he may have hurt in his playing career. Sosa played for the Cubs from 1992-2004, hitting a franchise record 545 homers and earning All-Star honors seven times. He hit 609 homers in his MLB career.
“When I was playing, I played great,” Sosa said. “I maybe hurt some people and I don’t even know about it … Let’s say 90% of the fans were very happy, 10%, like always, are going to say whatever they want. So be it.”
Sosa was named to the Cubs Hall of Fame on Friday, an honor that meant a lot to him.
“It was a beautiful night,” Sosa said.
“It was the right moment for me to be back here.”