Sammy Sosa’s legacy: persona non grata?

“Sinny Sosa” was my nickname when I played sandlot baseball as a kid. I earned that moniker because I took a liking to the Chicago Cubs’ Sammy Sosa.

I loved the Dominican outfielder’s unique batting stance and emulated it at home plate.  I was a genuine Sosa fan. I take pride in telling people I was a fan of 30-30 Sammy, his unique batting stance and his genuine Latino personality on the field.

Who could forget the way he blew kisses meant for his mother in the Dominican Republic while he looked into WGN’s dugout camera?  What was there not to like from someone who genuinely enjoyed living out his dream of playing in Major League Baseball?

But somehow 20 years later Sammy isn’t welcome at the friendly confines of beautiful Wrigley Field.  His notable absence during the team’s return to the World Series and historic victory was reported but not well explained. Shame on the Cubs and baseball.  Why would someone so important in Cubs history be deliberately denied the opportunity to be a part of the franchise’s biggest moment?

Nobody is perfect

As a Cubs fan of the Sosa generation who grew up following the hopeless Cubbies it’s a shame Slammin Sammy’s legacy turned out as persona non grata as opposed to his rightful place in baseball history and more importantly franchise history.  One could point out the corked bat incident in 2003. I will never forget it. I was one of the 32,210 at Wrigley Field that night.

Others would be quick to mention the superstar leaving early in the final game of the disappointing 2004 season. But the majority would likely point out the obvious speculation of performance enhancement drug use and his memorable congressional testimony.

It is always easier for us to point out faults after the fact, but it is truly unfair to judge Sosa solely on mistakes he made because, after all, as Bob Costas stated during Mickey Mantle’s eulogy, “God knows, no one’s perfect. And God knows there’s something special about heroes.”

Sosa is far from perfect, as were many of baseball’s greatest heroes. While we judge him for his mistakes we should correspondingly judge him for his tremendous contributions to the game.

Thanks to Sammy, They Came Back

Baseball loyalists will always remember the 1994 strike and the impact it had on our game.  Major League Baseball struggled to bring back the fans it had before the strike. Many consider the lost 1994 season as one of the biggest problems the league ever had.  The argument can be made the New York Yankees returning to prominence helped bring fans back to the national pastime. The Bronx Bombers have their place, but the 1998 home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sosa was the grand slam MLB needed.

On the surface, it was so perfect. It was one of baseball’s oldest and best rivalries, Cardinals vs. Cubs. It was the Dominican kid with the infectious smile and his patented home run hop vs. McGwire, the likable home run hitter.

While they were in an insane chase they seemed to understand the importance of the moment and brought us all along for the ride.  They came back, the fans returned to the ballparks and tuned into the historic 1998 season on TV and radio. While in the end McGwire won the home run chase, Sosa was the National League MVP and led his Cubs to the playoffs for the first time in nine years.  We all won, baseball won.

The numbers don’t lie

Baseball is a numbers game. We all love to discuss the legends’ home runs, RBIs, batting average and other stats.

Sosa’s numbers don’t lie even if one considers that they were likely helped by PEDs. Twice he was a 30-30 man: 1993, 1995. Even before his historic 1998 campaign he hit more than 30 home runs from 1995-1997.

His 609 home runs place him ninth on the all-time home run list. His 1,667 RBIs are good for 29th in baseball history. From 1998 to 2001 he hit more than 50 home runs for four straight seasons. In 2002 he hit 49.  So many are quick to judge him, but the numbers will outlive us all and they will tell us Sosa was a pretty good baseball player. Baseball benefited from his talent.

Not Welcome

Still, Sosa remains person non grata among the Wrigley Field brass.

Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts made that clear again this winter at the team’s annual offseason convention.

“Players from that era owe us a little bit of honesty,” Ricketts said when a fan asked whether the team would welcome Sosa in the future. “The only way to turn that page is to put everything on the table.”

Well, Mr. Ricketts, do the right thing and put it on the table, turn the page and bring back Sosa to Wrigley Field and recognize his contributions to baseball and your Chicago Cubs.

Featured Image: John Zich / AFP