“They made people think I’m a monster” - When Sammy Sosa ended his relationship with the Cubs on a bad note
Sammy Sosa enjoyed an 18-year career, mainly with the Chicago Cubs. He finished his career with 609 home runs, which ranks him ninth all-time right behind sluggers like Ken Griffey Jr. and Jim Thome.
However, his time in Chicago ended on a sour note. Many in the media pointed fingers at him for being a prima donna. It did not help when he did not dress and ultimately left without warning for the Cubbies' final game during the 2004 season.
He was then traded to the Baltimore Orioles during the offseason, and the club shunned him for many years. However, Sosa felt the club made him out to be something he wasn't, via the Chicago Magazine.
"[The Cubs] threw me into the fire. They made [people] think I'm a monster," Sosa said.
Sosa was unhappy with the way the club treated him. He even mentioned that they refused to let him announce his retirement at Wrigley Field following the 2007 season.
Sammy Sosa looking to mend relationship with Cubs
A 2009 article from The New York Times accused Sammy Sosa of being one of the players who tested positive for PEDs in 2003. However, Sosa has largely denied these claims many times throughout his life.
This has become another reason why he and the Cubs have not patched their relationship. However, Sosa said he was ready to mend the relationship when asked if it was time for him and team chairman Tom Ricketts to clear the air.
"Like I said, I have a lot of misunderstandings in my past, but now I'm a real man. I feel great. So, I recognize my mistake. So hey, why not?" Sosa said.
The meeting has yet to take place, even with Chicago fans urging the front office to get back in good graces with a former star. But that is likely not to happen unless Sosa comes clean.
He was also asked directly about his steroid use, but he stepped around the question. Sosa is nearly the only player that was involved in the reports that has not come clean and issued an apology. Others like Alex Rodriguez or Andy Petite have, and their relationship with their former teams and the league is great.
It will be interesting to see if Sosa and the Cubbies ever fall back into good graces.