Sammy Sosa, Cubs nearing a reunion. The longest, dumbest storyline in Chicago can now end

In a astir benevolent gesture, Chicago Cubs president Tom Ricketts has invited the astir prolific location tally hitter successful franchise history, the man who sold much tickets to Wrigley Field than the brew and the ivy, to the team’s instrumentality normal adjacent month.

The Cubs, of course, sell tickets to their convention.

What’s next, they induce Sosa backmost to Wrigley Field and past jack up the prices for the occasion?

Well, yeah, that should happen, too.

The guidance from Cubs fans, the group who really matter successful this story, will beryllium unthinkable erstwhile Sosa returns to the fold. Imagine the cheers erstwhile he walks retired to the mound to propulsion retired a first transportation this summertime arsenic highlights of his exploits play connected the videoboard.

Sosa deed 545 of his 609 profession location runs successful a Cubs azygous but near the squad nether a unreality aft the 2004 season.

That was 20 years ago. What fans retrieve now is really he deposited each those location runs connected Waveland Avenue and really happy he made them successful 1998, erstwhile he deed 66 and sparred pinch Mark McGwire. That location tally pursuit isn’t looked astatine the aforesaid measurement anymore, but the memories of its excitement remain.

Slammin’ Sammy Sosa was truthful nosy to watch 🤩 pic.twitter.com/P3yZyFpaYl

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) December 19, 2024

Sosa’s existent bequest is really overmuch money he made for the Cubs. He put butts successful seats, beers successful hands and money successful slope accounts.

No 1 person, not moreover Harry Caray aliases Theo Epstein, made much money for the Cubs than Sosa, who singlehandedly made Wrigley Field the spot to beryllium for years while he was clubbing dingers (presumably pinch the thief of immoderate off-label Flintstones vitamins) successful the precocious 1990s and early 2000s.

On Thursday, the long-awaited rapprochement betwixt Sosa and the Cubs happened via property release. Sosa released a missive that included the connection “apologize” and the Cubs released 1 accepting it.

“I near it each connected the section for the Cubs and Cubs fans because I wanted to triumph and make the fans happy,” Sosa wrote. “I understand why immoderate players successful my era don’t ever get the nickname that our stats deserve.

“There were times I did immoderate I could to retrieve from injuries successful an effort to support my spot up to execute complete 162 games. I ne'er collapsed immoderate laws, but successful hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize.”

A connection and an apology from Sammy Sosa: pic.twitter.com/jthuuULVrh

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) December 19, 2024

“We admit Sammy releasing his connection and for reaching out,” Ricketts said successful a statement. “No 1 played harder aliases wanted to triumph more. Nobody’s cleanable but we ne'er doubted his passion for the crippled and the Cubs.

“It is an understatement to opportunity that Sammy is simply a instrumentality favorite. We scheme connected inviting him to the 2025 Cubs Convention and, while it is short notice, we dream that he tin attend. We are each fresh to move guardant together.”

And since it’s apology season, possibly Ricketts tin opportunity sorry for a fewer things. Not ponying up to motion Bryce Harper arsenic a free supplier would beryllium a start. I person immoderate ideas for apology subjects for different members of his family. While we’re astatine it, the Cubs tin springiness a mea culpa for the Tribune Company for accepting each that money generated by Sosa.

The longest, dumbest ongoing storyline successful Chicago — extracurricular of, you know, each the Bears worldly and everything Jerry Reinsdorf-related — tin now end.

No 1 is judge why Ricketts — whose family bought the squad successful 2009, 5 years aft Sosa past played for the Cubs — had this weird obsession pinch Sosa apologizing for utilizing performance-enhancing narcotics successful the steroid era arsenic a information to welcoming him back, but I’m gladsome we tin extremity talking astir it.

In his apology letter, Sosa stopped short of utilizing words for illustration “steroids” aliases “PEDs” and who really cares? He was ne'er caught — he was named successful a 2009 New York Times story astir players testing affirmative successful 2003 — but fixed what we cognize astir the steroid era, nary 1 really needs a signed affidavit.

Sosa’s expected steroid usage was a basking communicative for a agelong clip — retrieve erstwhile Sports Illustrated’s Rick Reilly asked him to return a urine test? — but the steroid era is now conscionable accepted arsenic an unfortunate portion of shot history. Baseball Hall of Fame voters person mostly excluded suspected aliases known steroid users from Cooperstown, and though I don’t needfully work together pinch that stance, that’s the value these players are paying for their shot sins and the ones of their era.

But astir of those athletes person been welcomed backmost to their teams and play a nationalist domiciled successful the game, from broadcasting to marketing. Sosa was the exception. Certainly, portion of that was his fault. Anyone who dealt pinch Sosa knows he wasn’t ever the easiest feline to woody with. His ego could beryllium arsenic large arsenic his biceps.

The Cubs and Sosa had tried mending the narration earlier — including a woody that required him to do an question and reply pinch a section power show — but it takes 2 to make it happen. So while I’m judge Sosa could beryllium a pain, Ricketts could person made this communicative spell distant years ago, but it lingered connected and had grown tiresome.

It’s beneficial for some sides to travel together again. Sosa’s history doesn’t request to beryllium whitewashed, but it besides doesn’t request to beryllium belabored. We’re each adults here. Enough clip has passed that we tin contextualize the steroid era for what it was.

Sometimes, arsenic the aged movie quote goes, you conscionable people the legend.

So hopefully, Sosa comes to Cubs Convention, which could usage a dash of excitement, and gets his hero’s invited — the attendees spell crazy for Pete LaCock and Mike Fontenot, truthful Sosa will bring the location down — and location besides needs to beryllium a Sosa Day astatine Wrigley Field. Dynamic summons pricing was invented for games for illustration that.

And past he should make the team’s small Hall of Fame, which is presently located successful a hallway that connects the left-field concourse to the bleachers. Sosa was connected the ballot past twelvemonth but didn’t get in. The committee is made up of media members, historians and ex-Cubs, so it’s up to them.

They don’t person to extremity there. I’d beryllium each for a Sosa statue. They tin put it wherever it belongs, connected Waveland Avenue, wherever his location runs and his fable tin unrecorded connected forever.

(Photo: John Biever / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

Jon Greenberg is simply a columnist for The Athletic based successful Chicago. He was besides the founding editor of The Athletic. Before that, he was a columnist for ESPN and the executive editor of Team Marketing Report. Follow Jon connected Twitter @jon_greenberg