Sammy Sosa has claimed ‘nobody was blind’ to doping during MLB’s steroid era, after the former Cubs slugger appeared to admit to PED use last year.
In a statement released through Aurora Global Consulting in December, Sosa acknowledged he had made ‘mistakes’ while not specifically mentioning drug use.
‘There were times I did whatever I could to recover from injuries in an effort to keep my strength up to perform over 162 games,’ he said. ‘I never broke any laws. But in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize.’
Now, the 56-year-old is hoping that there’s a path for him and confirmed PED users like Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds to get into the Hall of Fame.
‘I believe in time,’ Sosa told USA TODAY Sports. ‘Nobody’s perfect. Time will heal all wounds. I really believe that one day the door will be open for us.’
Sosa also pointed out in the interview that there was ‘no testing’ and ‘no rules’ during the time period.
Sammy Sosa talks with Chicago Cubs players in the dugout before a spring training game
Sosa (left) shares a laugh with rival Mark McGwire in 1998 before either were scandalized
Sosa, who put up historic home run numbers, had denied for years that he used PEDs
McGwire and Bonds have previously admitted to using steroids, while Sosa’s statement released last year is the closest he’s gotten to fully coming clean.
Sosa had denied using PEDs for years and even had a contentious exchange with reporters about the issue earlier this year.
Nonetheless, Sosa and McGwire became part of baseball history in 1998 when both broke the previous single-season home runs record previously set by Roger Maris (61).
McGwire hit 70 and Sosa blasted 66, while Bonds re-set the record three years later with 73.
Sosa has been estranged from the Cubs since he left the franchise in 2004, though he acknowledged he wanted to mend his relationship with the team in his December statement.
‘We accomplished great things as a team, and I worked extremely hard in the batting cage to become a great hitter,’ Sosa said.
‘Cubs’ fans are the best in the world, and I hope that fans, the Cubs and I can all come together again and move forward. We can’t change the past, but the future is bright. In my heart, I have always been a Cub, and I can’t wait to see Cubs fans again.’
Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said the team was ‘ready to move forward together’ with Sosa, and the ex-slugger attended the annual fan convention January 17-19 in Chicago.
He’s also spent time with the team in Arizona during spring training.
‘We appreciate Sammy releasing his statement and for reaching out,’ Ricketts previously said. ‘No one played harder or wanted to win more. Nobody´s perfect but we never doubted his passion for the game and the Cubs. It is an understatement to say that Sammy is a fan favorite.’
Sosa was a seven-time All-Star and the 1998 NL MVP for the Cubs.
He hit .273 with 609 home runs – currently ninth on the career list – with 1,667 RBIs and 234 stolen bases in 18 major league seasons from 1989 to 2007 with Texas , the Chicago White Sox, the Cubs and Baltimore.