Sammy Sosa was once a rockstar in Wrigleyville, but it all came to a screeching halt when he left the clubhouse early on the final day of a disappointing 2004 season. He was traded in the offseason and hasn't reconnected with the Cubs since. Given that the Cubs gave out 2016 World Series rings to former bit players, the Sosa story is pretty notable.
Last we heard, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts this past January basically said Sosa needs to come clean about his past, insinuating he needed to admit to PED use during his time with the Cubs.
Wednesday, NBC Chicago dropped a one-on-one interview with Sosa on the matter. For those interested in the topic, hop on over there to watch/read it in full. The big takeaway is Sosa isn't going to be succumbing to Ricketts' request. This appears to be the closest Sosa will get to apologizing and coming clean:
"The ownership they have to understand that I'm a humble man, I'm not a man to have ego, when I was playing I was a little bit because I was focused on what I was trying to do," Sosa said. "But right now I'm gonna be 50 years old. I'm a granddaddy, I'm a grandparent, so things change. So if I made a mistake, I don't have to say that but if I made a mistake, I didn't want to offend any body I don't have a problem with that, I'm sorry because you know, I was in my zone."
Sosa did say he'd love to return to Wrigley for the fans, but that he isn't looking for a job. The article points out Sosa is a successful businessman now, so he's not hurting. This is more a matter of having Sosa back as a Cubs "legend" alongside guys who throw out the first pitch, such as Ryne Sandberg, Ryan Dempster, Kerry Wood, Rick Sutcliffe, etc.
Unless Ricketts changes his mind, it doesn't appear that a situation like that is in the cards for Sosa and the group of fans that would like to see him back in Wrigley in any capacity.
