Samuel Peralta Sosa (born November 12,1968) is a Dominican-American former professional baseballright fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 18 seasons,primarily with the Chicago Cubs. After playing for the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox,Sosa joined the Cubs in 1992 and became regarded as one of the game's best hitters. Sosa hit his 400th home run in his 1,354th game and his 5,273rd at-bat,reaching this milestone quicker than any player in National League history. He is one of nine players in MLB history to hit 600 career home runs.[1]
Sosa is second all-time in home runs among foreign-born MLB players and is one of only three National League players since 1900 to reach 160 RBIs in one season (2001). He is also the only player to have hit 60 or more home runs in a single season three times,which he accomplished in 1998,1999 and 2001. He did not lead the league in home runs in any of those seasons,although he did lead the league in 2000 with 50 home runs,and in 2002 with 49.
Sosa was born in the Dominican Republic. Though born in a Batey community in Consuelo,[3] his officially registered birthplace is San Pedro de Macorís,which was "the largest town nearby".[4] Sosa is known to family and friends as "Mikey". His maternal grandmother suggested his birth name of Samuel,and also came up with his nickname:"[She] heard the name on a soap opera she liked and decided from that moment on he would be Mikey."[5]
Sosa made his major league debut on June 16, 1989, with the Texas Rangers, wearing #17 and leading off as the starting left fielder. He hit his first career home run off Roger Clemens.[6]
Chicago White Sox (1989–1991)
On July 29, 1989, the Rangers traded Sosa with Wilson Álvarez and Scott Fletcher to the Chicago White Sox for Harold Baines and Fred Manrique.[7] In 1990, Sosa batted .233 with 15 home runs, 70 runs batted in, 10 triples, and 32 stolen bases. He also struck out 150 times, fourth most in the American League. Sosa started the 1991 season by hitting two home runs and driving in five runs. However, he slumped for the rest of the year and batted .203 with 10 home runs and 33 runs batted in.
Chicago Cubs (1992–2004)
The White Sox traded Sosa and Ken Patterson to the Chicago Cubs for outfielderGeorge Bell before the 1992 season.[8] Sosa batted .260 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs in his first season with the Cubs. In 1993, Sosa batted .261 with 33 home runs with 93 RBIs. He also showed his speed by stealing 38 bases and became the Cubs' first 30-30 player. Sosa continued to hit for power and speed in 1994 but he also improved his batting average. He ended up batting .300 with 25 home runs, 70 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases. Sosa was named to his first All-Star team in 1995. In 144 games, he batted .268 with 36 home runs and 119 RBIs. Sosa continued his success with the Cubs in 1996 as he batted .273 with 40 home runs and 100 RBIs. However, in 1997, Sosa batted just .251 with a .300 on-base percentage, and led the league in strikeouts with 174 despite hitting 36 home runs with 119 RBIs.
After years as a respected power/speed threat with a rocket arm in right field, he emerged during the 1998 season as one of baseball's greatest. It was in this season that both Sosa and Mark McGwire were involved in the "home run record chase", when both players' prowess for hitting home runs drew national attention as they attempted to pass Roger Maris' single season home run mark of 61 home runs. In the early months of the year, Sosa trailed McGwire significantly, being as many as 16 homers behind at one point in May. But as the chase progressed, Sosa eventually tied McGwire with 46 home runs on August 10. However, McGwire pulled away slightly and reached 62 home runs to break the record first on September 8. Sosa tied McGwire once again at 62 on September 13. Eleven days later, with two games left to play in the season, the two were tied at 66 home runs each. Sosa ended the season with 66, finishing behind McGwire's 70. It was during that season that Cubs announcer Chip Caray nicknamed him "Slammin' Sammy", a nickname that quickly spread. Sammy produced then career-highs in batting average and slugging percentage, at .308 and .647 respectively. Sosa also led the league in RBIs and runs scored.
Sosa wore #21 with the Cubs in honor of his childhood idol Roberto Clemente.
Also in 1998, Sosa's 416 total bases were the most in a single season since Stan Musial's 429 in 1948. Sosa's performance in the month of June, during which Sosa belted 20 home runs, knocked in 47 runs, and posted an .842 slugging percentage, was one of the greatest offensive outbursts in major league history. Sosa won the National League Most Valuable Player Award for leading the Cubs into the playoffs in 1998, earning every first-place vote except for the two cast by St. Louis writers, who voted for McGwire. He and McGwire shared Sports Illustrated magazine's 1998 "Sportsman of the Year" award. Sosa was honored with a ticker-tape parade in his honor in New York City, and he was invited to be a guest at US President Bill Clinton's 1999 State of the Union Address. 1998 was also the first time the Cubs made the post-season since 1989. The Cubs qualified as the NL Wild Card team, but were swept by the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS. In the 1999 season, Sosa hit 63 home runs, again trailing Mark McGwire, who hit 65. In the 2000 season, Sosa led the league by hitting 50 home runs. He received the Babe Ruth Home Run Award for leading MLB in homers.[10]
Sosa as a member of the Chicago Cubs
In 2001, he hit 64 home runs, becoming the first player to hit 60 or more home runs three times. However, he did not lead the league in any of those seasons; in 2001, he finished behind Barry Bonds, who hit 73 homers, breaking the single-season home run record set by McGwire in 1998 (70). In 2001, he also set personal records in runs scored (146), RBI (160), walks (116), on-base percentage (.437), slugging percentage (.737), and batting average (.328).[2] He led the majors in runs and RBI, was second in home runs, second in slugging percentage, first in total bases, third in walks, fourth in on-base percentage, 12th in batting average, and 15th in hits. He also surpassed his 1998 number in total bases, racking up 425. Sosa once again led the league in home runs with 49 in 2002. In recognition of his accomplishments as a hitter, Sosa won the Silver Slugger Award (an award for offensive output, voted on by managers and coaches) in 1995 and in 1998 through 2002.[2]
In 2003, the Cubs won the National League Central Division title. In May, he spent his first period on the disabled list since 1996 after having an injured toenail removed. On June 3, 2003, Sosa was ejected from a Chicago Cubs-Tampa Bay Devil Rays game in the first inning when umpires discovered he had been using a corked bat.[11] Major League Baseball confiscated and tested 76 of Sosa's other bats after his ejection; all were found to be clean, with no cork. Five bats he had sent to the Hall of Fame in past years were also tested, and were all clean as well.[12] Sosa stated that he had accidentally used the corked bat, which he claimed he only used during batting practice, and apologized for the incident.[13] When Cubs manager Dusty Baker was interviewed later, he stated any use of corked bats on his team is strictly prohibited. On June 6, Sosa was suspended for eight games all without pay[14] which was reduced to seven games (again without pay) on June 11 after appeal.[15] Sosa finished the season with 40 home runs and hit two more in the 2003 NLCS against the Florida Marlins, falling to the team in seven games.
Sosa in 2004
In May 2004, Sosa suffered an odd injury while sitting next to his locker chatting with reporters before a game in San Diego's Petco Park. He sneezed very violently, causing severe back pain. He was diagnosed with back spasms and placed on the disabled list.[16] He finished with 35 homers, far below his numbers of his best years. Despite his declining production and release from the team at the end of the 2004 season, between 1995 and 2004 Sosa clubbed 479 home runs[17] which is the most home runs by a player in history over a 10-year span.[18] He also owns numerous team records for the Cubs and he holds the major-league record for the most home runs hit in a month (20, in June 1998). His tenure came to an end without fanfare, as he did not play in the final game of the regular season (played in Chicago) per his request, with Sosa reportedly leaving Wrigley Field before the game had ended. Sosa had stated he had permission from Baker to not play, while Baker stated that former assistant trainer Sandy Krum (serving as the go-between for the two) told Baker that Sosa had felt a bit injured and wanted out of the final game, but he expected Sosa to be on the bench who weren't in the starting lineup.[19]
Baltimore Orioles (2005)
Sosa in spring training with the Orioles in 2005
On January 28, 2005, the Cubs traded Sosa to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for infielder-outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr., infielder Mike Fontenot, and RHP Dave Crouthers. To facilitate the deal, Sosa and his agent agreed to waive the clause that guaranteed his 2006 salary, and the players' union indicated it would not object to that agreement. Under the deal, Sosa earned $17.875million for the 2005 season, with the Cubs paying $7million of his salary. By playing for the 2005 Orioles alongside fellow 500-home-run batter Rafael Palmeiro, Sosa and Palmeiro became the first 500 home run club members in history to play together on the same team after reaching the 500 home run plateau.[a] Sosa finished the 2005 season batting .221 with 14 home runs, his worst performance since 1992, and continuing his post-2001 trend of declines in batting average, homers, total bases, and RBI. On December 7, 2005, the Orioles decided not to offer him an arbitration contract, effectively ending his Baltimore Orioles tenure and making him a free agent.
Sosa with the Orioles in 2005
In 2005, The Sporting News published an update of their 1999 book Baseball's 100 Greatest Players. Sosa did not make the original edition, but for the 2005 update, with his career totals considerably higher, he was ranked at Number 95. During a stretch of nine consecutive years, Sosa hit 35 or more home runs and 100+ RBIs, all with the Chicago Cubs.[2]
Year off (2006)
At the end of January 2006, the Washington Nationals offered Sosa two different minor-league offers, both of which he turned down. On February 15, 2006, Sosa's agent Adam Katz stated: "We're not going to put him on the retirement list. We decided that [not putting him on that list] was the best thing to do. But I can say, with reasonable certainty, that we've seen Sammy in a baseball uniform for the last time."[20] During that year, Sosa accompanied President Leonel Fernández of the Dominican Republic on several diplomatic trips including to the United States, Japan, and Taiwan.
Texas Rangers (2007)
Sosa played his final MLB season with the Rangers in 2007 before retiring two years later.
The Texas Rangers, Sosa's original team, signed him to a minor league deal worth $500,000 on January 30, 2007.[21] This was the same contract that Sosa turned down the previous year from the Nationals. The contract included an invitation to spring training, where Sosa competed for a spot in the lineup with Nelson Cruz, Jason Botts, and other rookies/prospects.[22] Sosa was successful during spring training and was added to the team's 25-man roster. He started the 2007 season as the Rangers' designated hitter and occasional right fielder. At the same time, the Chicago Cubs awarded Sosa's number 21 to new pitcher Jason Marquis, who coincidentally served up Sosa's 600th career home run. This caused some concern, due to Sosa's accomplishments with the Cubs, including his status as the Cubs' all-time home run leader.[23]
On April 26, 2007, Sosa made history by hitting a home run in his 45th major league ballpark. He has also homered in The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports, near Orlando, Florida, a usually minor-league and Spring training park that hosted a regular season series between the Rangers and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in May 2007, although he did not hit a homer at the two regular season games the Cubs played at the Tokyo Dome in 2000 vs. the Mets. On June 20, 2007, Sosa hit a home run off of Jason Marquis during an inter-league game against the Chicago Cubs. Sosa became only the fifth man in history, following Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds, to hit 600 regular season home runs. The home run was the first one that Sosa had recorded against the Cubs, and as a result he has hit a home run against every active MLB team.[24] Sosa is the Cubs' all-time home run leader, having hit 545 with that team.
End of career (2008–2009)
On May 28, 2008, Sosa announced that he instructed his agent not to offer his services to any MLB team for the 2008 season, and planned on filing for retirement, but never did.[25] On December 25, 2008, Sosa announced he intended to unretire and play in the World Baseball Classic and once again test the free agent market in hopes of signing with a Major League ballclub in 2009. Sosa said that he had been keeping in shape at his home, and was hoping that after a strong World Baseball Classic he would prove to major-league teams that he was still capable of playing in MLB. However, he was not selected as part of the Dominican Republic's roster. He remained a free agent and did not actively look for a team.
On June 3, 2009, Sosa announced his intention to retire from baseball. He made the announcement in the Dominican Republic and said that he was calmly looking forward to his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame since his statistics were up to par.[26]
On June 16, 2009, The New York Times reported that Sosa was on a list of players who had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, in baseball's steroids scandal. The paper stated that this information had been obtained from unnamed attorneys with knowledge of Major League Baseball drug test results from 2003.[27]
Previously, Sosa sat alongside Rafael Palmeiro, Jose Canseco, and Mark McGwire at a 2005 hearing before Congress. His attorney testified on his behalf,[28] stating, "To be clear, I have never taken illegal performance-enhancing drugs. I have never injected myself or had anyone inject me with anything. I have not broken the laws of the United States or the laws of the Dominican Republic. I have been tested as recently as 2004, and I am clean."[29]
National Baseball Hall of Fame consideration
In an interview with ESPN Deportes, Sosa said he would "calmly wait" for his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, for which he became eligible in 2013. In results announced on January 9, 2013, Sosa was not elected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) into baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, receiving 12.5% in his first year on the ballot—the requirement for election is 75%. In the following years, his voting percentage dropped as low as 6.6% in 2015 to a high of 17% in 2021. A candidate remains eligible for inclusion on subsequent ballots as long as he receives a minimum of 5.0% of the vote in a given year, and is removed from consideration by the BBWAA after 10 years of not being elected; thus, Sosa's final appearance was on the 2022 ballot, where he received 18.5% of votes.[30]
Personal life
Sosa is married to Sonia Rodríguez, a former Dominican TV dancer,[31] with whom he has four children. In 2009, Sosa appeared at a music awards show looking much lighter in complexion than he had just months earlier. The buzz around this drastic change prompted him to go on a Spanish-language television station to deny that he was ill, or that he hated being dark-skinned, or that his new skin tone was the result of steroid use. Sosa explained that he uses a bleaching cream before going to bed that softens and lightens his skin.[32]
Mark David McGwire, nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001 for the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He won two World Series championships, one with Oakland as a player in 1989 and one with St. Louis as a coach in 2011. One of the most prolific home run hitters in baseball history, McGwire hit 583 home runs during his career, which ranked 5th-most in MLB history at the time of his retirement and currently ranks 11th. He holds the major-league career record for at bats per home run ratio (10.6), and is the former record holder for both home runs in a single season and home runs hit by a rookie. McGwire was one of several central figures in baseball's steroids scandal.
Rafael Palmeiro Corrales is a Cuban-American former baseball first baseman and left fielder. He played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for three teams. Palmeiro was an All-American at Mississippi State University before being drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1985. He played for the Cubs (1986–1988), Texas Rangers, and the Baltimore Orioles.
Jorge Antonio Bell Mathey, better known as George Bell, is a Dominican former left fielder and American League MVP in Major League Baseball who played 12 seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs (1991) and Chicago White Sox (1992–1993). Bell batted and threw right-handed.
Alfonso Guilleard Soriano is a Dominican former professional baseball left fielder and second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals, and Chicago Cubs, and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
Aramis Nin Ramírez is a Dominican former professional baseball third baseman, who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and Milwaukee Brewers. He was named an All-Star three times during his career.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2001 throughout the world.
Carlos Felipe Peña is a Dominican former professional baseball first baseman and current broadcaster. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, and Kansas City Royals.
Víctor Israel Díaz is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets and Texas Rangers, in the KBO League for the Hanwha Eagles and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Chunichi Dragons.
Derrek Leon Lee, nicknamed "D-Lee", is an American former professional baseball first baseman. Lee played with the San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB).
The following are the baseball events of the year 1998 throughout the world.
Jerry Wayne Hairston Jr. is an American former professional baseball infielder and outfielder. He played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He played every position except pitcher and catcher during his baseball career. He is the grandson of former major leaguer Sam Hairston, the son of former major leaguer Jerry Hairston Sr., and the brother of Scott Hairston.
Michael Eugene Fontenot Jr. is an American former professional baseball infielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and Philadelphia Phillies. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Fontenot was commonly used at second base, shortstop, or third base during his career. He won a World Series with the Giants in 2010.
During Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1998 season, Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals and Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs pursued the league's long-standing and highly coveted single-season home run record (61), set in 1961 by Roger Maris. The season-long chase culminated on September 8, 1998, when McGwire, facing Sosa and the Cubs, hit his 62nd home run of the season to break the record. McGwire finished the season with 70 home runs, while Sosa finished with 66. The 1998 home run record chase, as well the previous year's pursuit of the record, was widely credited by sports analysts with restoring interest in MLB among its fan base following the 1994 strike that resulted in that season prematurely ending and the cancellation of the 1994 World Series. McGwire's record was later broken in 2001 by Barry Bonds, who hit 73 home runs.
Geovany Soto is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher. He played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most prominently as a member of the Chicago Cubs, where he appeared in the MLB All-Star Game and was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 2008. He also played for the Texas Rangers, the Oakland Athletics, the Los Angeles Angels and the Chicago White Sox.
The St. Louis Cardinals 1998 season was the team's 117th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 107th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 83–79 during the season and finished third in the National League Central division, 18 games behind the Houston Astros. First baseman Mark McGwire broke Roger Maris' single-season home run record this season by hitting 70 home runs, battling with the Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa, who finished runner-up in the National League with 66.
The 1998 Major League Baseball season ended with the New York Yankees sweeping the San Diego Padres in the World Series, after they had won a then AL record 114 regular season games. The Yankees finished with 125 wins for the season, which remains the MLB record.
The 1999 Major League Baseball season ended with the New York Yankees sweeping the Atlanta Braves in the World Series.
The 1998 Chicago Cubs season was the 127th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 123rd in the National League and the 83rd at Wrigley Field. The Cubs finished second in the National League Central with a record of 90–73.
Leury García is a Dominican professional baseball utility player who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox. While primarily used as an infielder and center fielder, Garcia has experience at every position except catcher and first base.
Christopher Rafael Morel is a Dominican professional baseball utility player for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs. Morel signed with the Cubs as an international free agent in 2015, and made his MLB debut with them in 2022.
↑ MacMullan, Jackie (October 17, 2002). "A bronze homage to Babe". The Boston Globe. p.E3. Archived from the original on July 25, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2011. By 2001, they were paying their own way to present Sammy Sosa with his Babe Ruth Award.(subscription required)
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