At long last, Sammy Sosa is back at Wrigley Field.
The renowned slugger and Cubs icon made his return to Wrigley Field for the first time in 21 years this past Friday, once again resembling his appearance from his active playing days.
Sosa’s skin was visibly darker again, after it had become increasingly lighter in the years following the end of his MLB career in 2007.
In 2009, Sosa told Univision that the lightening of his complexion was due to a cosmetic facial cream he used to soften his skin.
Cubs fans warmly embraced the former MVP upon his return, offering a standing ovation after a tribute video in his honor was displayed on the scoreboard ahead of the third inning during Friday’s match against the Mariners.
As a camera panned to Sosa in the stands, the seven-time All-Star did his iconic home run celebration as the crowd roared.
Sosa played 13 seasons with the Cubs, hitting 545 home runs over that stretch.
He’s most famous for blasting a ridiculous 66 homers in 1998, falling just short of Mark McGwire’s 70 bombs that were then a single-season record.
But Sosa had a tension-filled exit from Chicago, which led to his two-decade absence from Wrigley Field and the Cubs organization.
During the 2004 season’s final game, which marked the end of his tenure in Chicago, Sosa arrived only 70 minutes before the game began and departed shortly after it started, which led to a fine from the Cubs.
One Cubs player, whose identity still remains unknown, smashed Sosa’s boom box in the clubhouse after that game, enraged by the slugger’s actions.
Tensions between the Cubs and Sosa also stemmed from Sosa’s alleged use of steroids throughout his career.
The Cubs never retired Sosa’s No. 21 nor invited him back for any team festivities, with a team spokesperson telling ESPN in 2014 that Sosa needed to “make amends” with the organization.
Sosa did that by releasing a statement in 2024 apologizing for “mistakes,” and he was accordingly welcomed back into the organization’s good graces.
He was invited to the Cubs Convention fan event over the winter and is set to be inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame this summer.
And now, he’s made his long-awaited return to Wrigleyville.
