Cubs Icon Sammy Sosa Apologizes to Fans for Past 'Mistakes' During MLB Playing Career

It appears as if the Chicago Cubs and Sammy Sosa have reconciled.

While the former star right fielder and franchise he became famous for have remained at a distance throughout his retirement, Sosa released a statement Thursday reminiscing about his memories with the Cubs and apologizing for his mistakes.

"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 wrote, in part. "I never broke any laws, but in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize."

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts released his own statement and invited Sosa to the annual Cubs Convention in January:

The Cubs convention happens every winter and brings current and former players of the team together to look back at memories and look ahead to a new season with fans. Activities include panel conversations and autograph sessions, and Sosa surely would have been invited to one in the past if he and the franchise remained in each other's good graces.

However, Ricketts remained steadfast in his position that Sosa wouldn't be welcomed back to the team without some form of apology.

Sosa was one of the players from his generation tied to alleged performance-enhancing drug use, which is surely why he is not in the Hall of Fame. While he didn't admit to using them in his apology, there seems to be something of a head nod to potential use when he said "there were times I did whatever I could to recover from injuries."

His departure from the Cubs after the 2004 season was also far from a ceremonious one, as he refused to play in the final game of the season.

Still, that was more than 20 years ago at this point, and both sides appear ready to move forward together.

Sosa was a Cubs icon when he played for the team from 1992 through 2004. He was a National League MVP, seven-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger during that span that included three seasons of more than 60 home runs.

One of those seasons was the famous 1998 one when he and Mark McGwire captured the attention of the nation in pursuit of Roger Maris' single-season home run record of 61 long balls. McGwire ended up with 70, while Sosa hit 66.

Barry Bonds eventually broke both of their marks with the 73 he hit in 2001.

McGwire and Bonds were also tied to PEDs but have since been embraced and recognized by the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants, respectively. This seems to open the door for the Cubs to do the same with Sosa, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him around Wrigley Field and the organization at times during the 2025 campaign and beyond.