Dj sammy sosa biography

Dominican baseball player (born 1968)

In this Spanish name, the foremost or paternal surname is Peralta and the second or maternal kinfolk name is Sosa.

Baseball player

Samuel Peralta Sosa (born November 12, 1968) is a-okay Dominican-American former professional baseballright cricketer.

He played in Major Confederation Baseball (MLB) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Cubs. After playing for the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox, Sosa joined the Cubs conduct yourself 1992 and became regarded whereas one of the game's eminent hitters. Sosa hit his Twoscore home run in his 1,354th game and his 5,273rd bat, reaching this milestone quicker by any player in National Matching part history.

He is one method nine players in MLB depiction to hit 600 career dwelling runs.^[1]

In 1998, Sosa, along trade Mark McGwire, achieved international make shy for his home run-hitting adroitness in pursuit of Roger Maris' single-season home-run record. With greatness Cubs, Sosa became a 7-time All-Star while holding numerous gang records.

He finished his life's work with stints with the City Orioles and the Rangers friendship a second time.^[2] With rectitude Rangers, Sosa hit his 600th career home run to transform into the fifth player in MLB history to reach the monument.

Sosa is second all-time careful home runs among foreign-born MLB players and is one use your indicators only three National League lineup since 1900 to reach Clx RBIs in one season (2001).

He is also the one player to have hit 60 or more home runs fall to pieces a single season three period, which he accomplished in 1998, 1999 and 2001. He frank not lead the league advance home runs in any consume those seasons, although he frank lead the league in 2000 with 50 home runs, ray in 2002 with 49.

In a 2005 congressional hearing, Sosa—through his attorney—denied having used performance-enhancing drugs during his playing duration, following multiple accusations.

In smart 2024 public statement, Sosa confessed to having made "mistakes" ill from injuries during his pursuit.

Early life

Sosa was born enhance the Dominican Republic. Though native in a Batey community meet Consuelo,^[3] his officially registered bassinet is San Pedro de Macorís, which was "the largest urban nearby".^[4] Sosa is known lock family and friends as "Mikey".

His maternal grandmother suggested rule birth name of Samuel, gift also came up with emperor nickname: "[She] heard the term on a soap opera she liked and decided from put off moment on he would verbal abuse Mikey."^[5]

Professional career

Texas Rangers (1989)

Sosa masquerade his major league debut consulting room June 16, 1989, with authority Texas Rangers, wearing #17 endure leading off as the eccentric left fielder.

He hit jurisdiction first career home run defer Roger Clemens.^[6]

Chicago White Sox (1989–1991)

On July 29, 1989, the Rangers traded Sosa with Wilson Álvarez and Scott Fletcher to justness Chicago White Sox for Harold Baines and Fred Manrique.^[7] Cloudless 1990, Sosa batted .233 buffed 15 home runs, 70 runs batted in, 10 triples, additional 32 stolen bases.

He as well struck out 150 times, abode most in the American Band. Sosa started the 1991 ready by hitting two home runs and driving in five runs. However, he slumped for class rest of the year good turn batted .203 with 10 rural area runs and 33 runs batted in.

Chicago Cubs (1992–2004)

The Chalk-white Sox traded Sosa and Replete Patterson to the Chicago Cubs for outfielderGeorge Bell before rectitude 1992 season.^[8] Sosa batted .260 with eight home runs presentday 25 RBIs in his cap season with the Cubs.

Ancestry 1993, Sosa batted .261 criticism 33 home runs with 93 RBIs. He also showed surmount speed by stealing 38 bases and became the Cubs' be in first place 30-30 player. Sosa continued tinge hit for power and rush in 1994 but he very improved his batting average. Purify ended up batting .300 joint 25 home runs, 70 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases.

Sosa was named to his leading All-Star team in 1995. Involve 144 games, he batted .268 with 36 home runs arm 119 RBIs. Sosa continued potentate success with the Cubs acquit yourself 1996 as he batted .273 with 40 home runs move 100 RBIs. However, in 1997, Sosa batted just .251 walk off with a .300 on-base percentage, current led the league in strikeouts with 174 despite hitting 36 home runs with 119 RBIs.

After years as a sage power/speed threat with a ascend arm in right field, no problem emerged during the 1998 course as one of baseball's superior. It was in this period that both Sosa and Marker McGwire were involved in picture "home run record chase", during the time that both players' prowess for striking home runs drew national regard as they attempted to certificate Roger Maris' single season voters run mark of 61 cloudless runs.

In the early months of the year, Sosa trailed McGwire significantly, being as go to regularly as 16 homers behind finish even one point in May. On the contrary as the chase progressed, Sosa eventually tied McGwire with 46 home runs on August 10. However, McGwire pulled away marginally and reached 62 home runs to break the record primary on September 8.

Sosa discomfited McGwire once again at 62 on September 13. Eleven cycle later, with two games outstanding to play in the interval, the two were tied surprise victory 66 home runs each. Sosa ended the season with 66, finishing behind McGwire's 70. Come into being was during that season think it over Cubs announcer Chip Caray nicknamed him "Slammin' Sammy", a name that quickly spread.

Sammy turn then career-highs in batting recurrent and slugging percentage, at .308 and .647 respectively. Sosa further led the league in RBIs and runs scored.

As well in 1998, Sosa's 416 integral bases were the most hold your attention a single season since Stan Musial's 429 in 1948. Sosa's performance in the month prop up June, during which Sosa banded 20 home runs, knocked domestic 47 runs, and posted program .842 slugging percentage, was solve of the greatest offensive outbursts in major league history.

Sosa won the National League Near Valuable Player Award for substantial the Cubs into the playoffs in 1998, earning every first-place vote except for the figure cast by St. Louis writers, who voted for McGwire. Significant and McGwire shared Sports Illustrated magazine's 1998 "Sportsman of picture Year" award. Sosa was traditional with a ticker-tape parade fence in his honor in New Royalty City, and he was entitled to be a guest unbendable US President Bill Clinton's 1999 State of the Union Place of birth.

1998 was also the leading time the Cubs made loftiness post-season since 1989. The Cubs qualified as the NL Savage Card team, but were cheerful by the Atlanta Braves feigned the NLDS. In the 1999 season, Sosa hit 63 fondle runs, again trailing Mark McGwire, who hit 65. In depiction 2000 season, Sosa led primacy league by hitting 50 impress runs.

He received the Sister Ruth Home Run Award famine leading MLB in homers.^[10]

In 2001, he hit 64 home runs, becoming the first player discover hit 60 or more habitat runs three times. However, take steps did not lead the foil in any of those seasons; in 2001, he finished behindhand Barry Bonds, who hit 73 homers, breaking the single-season rub run record set by McGwire in 1998 (70).

In 2001, he also set personal registers in runs scored (146), Tally (160), walks (116), on-base equation (.437), slugging percentage (.737), stand for batting average (.328).^[2] He puzzled the majors in runs talented RBI, was second in fine runs, second in slugging proportion, first in total bases, gear in walks, fourth in on-base percentage, 12th in batting normally, and 15th in hits.

Why not? also surpassed his 1998 distribution in total bases, racking rally 425. Sosa once again loaded the league in home runs with 49 in 2002. Tidy recognition of his accomplishments sort a hitter, Sosa won honesty Silver Slugger Award (an honour for offensive output, voted elegance by managers and coaches) play a role 1995 and in 1998 get through 2002.^[2]

In 2003, the Cubs won the National League Principal Division title.

In May, loosen up spent his first period social contact the disabled list since 1996 after having an injured finalize removed. On June 3, 2003, Sosa was ejected from straighten up Chicago Cubs-Tampa Bay Devil Radiation game in the first play when umpires discovered he abstruse been using a corked bat.^[11] Major League Baseball confiscated mushroom tested 76 of Sosa's succeeding additional bats after his ejection; stand-up fight were found to be unmixed, with no cork.

Five balmy he had sent to goodness Hall of Fame in erstwhile years were also tested, gift were all clean as well.^[12] Sosa stated that he esoteric accidentally used the corked clobber, which he claimed he lone used during batting practice, ground apologized for the incident.^[13] As Cubs manager Dusty Baker was interviewed later, he stated harry use of corked bats adjustment his team is strictly bootleg.

On June 6, Sosa was suspended for eight games standup fight without pay^[14] which was abridged to seven games (again outofdoors pay) on June 11 fend for appeal.^[15] Sosa finished the patch with 40 home runs become more intense hit two more in glory 2003 NLCS against the Florida Marlins, falling to the group in seven games.

In Can 2004, Sosa suffered an humorous injury while sitting next redo his locker chatting with hustle before a game in San Diego's Petco Park. He sneezed very violently, causing severe nuisance pain. He was diagnosed sustain back spasms and placed relocation the disabled list.^[16] He over with 35 homers, far farther down his numbers of his surpass years.

Despite his declining drive and release from the company at the end of honesty 2004 season, between 1995 pole 2004 Sosa clubbed 479 trace runs^[17] which is the important home runs by a theatrical in history over a 10-year span.^[18] He also owns many team records for the Cubs and he holds the major-league record for the most domicile runs hit in a thirty days (20, in June 1998).

Surmount tenure came to an declare without fanfare, as he upfront not play in the valedictory game of the regular seasoned (played in Chicago) per authority request, with Sosa reportedly notice Wrigley Field before the effort had ended. Sosa had acknowledged he had permission from Baker to not play, while Baker stated that former assistant slobber Sandy Krum (serving as leadership go-between for the two) unwritten Baker that Sosa had change a bit injured and called for out of the final project, but he expected Sosa perfect be on the bench who weren't in the starting lineup.^[19]

Baltimore Orioles (2005)

On January 28, 2005, the Cubs traded Sosa prospect the Baltimore Orioles in switch for infielder-outfielder Jerry Hairston Junior, infielder Mike Fontenot, and RHP Dave Crouthers.

To facilitate leadership deal, Sosa and his intermediary agreed to waive the commitment that guaranteed his 2006 compensation, and the players' union exact it would not object prevent that agreement. Under the pose, Sosa earned $17.875 million for excellence 2005 season, with the Cubs paying $7 million of his intense. By playing for the 2005 Orioles alongside fellow 500-home-run pelt Rafael Palmeiro, Sosa and Palmeiro became the first 500 nation state run club members in story to play together on justness same team after reaching position 500 home run plateau.^[a] Sosa finished the 2005 season stuffing .221 with 14 home runs, his worst performance since 1992, and continuing his post-2001 tendency craze of declines in batting generally, homers, total bases, and Run.

On December 7, 2005, decency Orioles decided not to present him an arbitration contract, distinguished ending his Baltimore Orioles tenantry and making him a wellorganized agent.

In 2005, The Betting News published an update weekend away their 1999 book Baseball's Century Greatest Players.

Sosa did yowl make the original edition, on the contrary for the 2005 update, adjust his career totals considerably improved, he was ranked at Numeral 95. During a stretch delineate nine consecutive years, Sosa violence 35 or more home runs and 100+ RBIs, all versus 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 temper.

On February 15, 2006, Sosa's agent Adam Katz stated: "We're not going to put him on the retirement list. Surprise decided that [not putting him on that list] was high-mindedness best thing to do. On the other hand I can say, with dishonorable certainty, that we've seen Sammy in a baseball uniform provision the last time."^[20] During walk year, Sosa accompanied President Leonel Fernández of the Dominican State on several diplomatic trips containing to the United States, Gild, and Taiwan.

Texas Rangers (2007)

The Texas Rangers, Sosa's original lineup, signed him to a subsidiary league deal worth $500,000 argument January 30, 2007.^[21] This was the same contract that Sosa turned down the previous assemblage from the Nationals. The bargain included an invitation to pool training, where Sosa competed financial assistance a spot in the array with Nelson Cruz, Jason Botts, and other rookies/prospects.^[22] Sosa was successful during spring training delighted was added to the team's 25-man roster.

He started influence 2007 season as the Rangers' designated hitter and occasional in reserve fielder. At the same previous, the Chicago Cubs awarded Sosa's number 21 to new flagon Jason Marquis, who coincidentally served up Sosa's 600th career component run. This caused some fascination, due to Sosa's accomplishments take up again the Cubs, including his standing as the Cubs' all-time countryside run leader.^[23]

On April 26, 2007, Sosa made history by intrusion a home run in enthrone 45th major league ballpark.

Dirt has also homered in Position Ballpark at Disney's Wide Fake of Sports, near Orlando, Florida, a usually minor-league and Emanate training park that hosted spick regular season series between rectitude Rangers and the Tampa Shout Devil Rays in May 2007, although he did not fortune a homer at the twosome regular season games the Cubs played at the Tokyo Span in 2000 vs.

the Mets. On June 20, 2007, Sosa hit a home run bottleneck of Jason Marquis during mammoth inter-league game against the City Cubs. Sosa became only nobility fifth man in history, adjacent Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Helix Aaron, and Barry Bonds, money hit 600 regular season building block runs. The home run was the first one that Sosa had recorded against the Cubs, and as a result appease has hit a home call together against every active MLB team.^[24] Sosa is the Cubs' all-time home run leader, having cuff 545 with that team.

End of career (2008–2009)

On May 28, 2008, Sosa announced that sharptasting instructed his agent not be familiar with offer his services to lower-class 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 Area Baseball Classic and once correct test the free agent hawk in hopes of signing pick up a Major League ballclub layer 2009.

Sosa said that stylishness had been keeping in athletic at his home, and was hoping that after a pungent World Baseball Classic he would prove to major-league teams wander he was still capable loosen playing in MLB. However, operate was not selected as accredit of the Dominican Republic's register. He remained a free officiate and did not actively charm for a team.

On June 3, 2009, Sosa announced dominion intention to retire from sport. He made the announcement run to ground the Dominican Republic and articulate that he was calmly pretty forward to his induction encouragement the Baseball Hall of Name since his statistics were fault to par.^[26]

Drug test controversy

Further information: Doping in baseball

On June 16, 2009, The New York Times reported that Sosa was discern a list of players who had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, in baseball's steroids scandal.

The paper presumed that this information had back number obtained from unnamed attorneys farce knowledge of Major League Ball drug test results from 2003.^[27]

Previously, Sosa sat alongside Rafael Palmeiro, Jose Canseco, and Mark McGwire at a 2005 hearing formerly Congress. His attorney testified regarding his behalf,^[28] stating, "To hair clear, I have never charmed illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

I hold never injected myself or confidential anyone inject me with anything. I have not broken class laws of the United States or the laws of rendering Dominican Republic. I have back number tested as recently as 2004, and I am clean."^[29]

On Dec 19, 2024, Sosa released dialect trig public statement through his Cut edition firm, stating, "There were era I did whatever I could to recover from injuries focal an effort to keep furious strength up to perform alarmed 162 games.

I never dirt-poor any laws, but in retrospect, I made mistakes and Berserk apologize." Almost immediately, Cubs chairwoman Thomas S. Ricketts responded go through a statement of his slash, inviting Sosa to the 2025 Cubs Convention: "We appreciate Sammy releasing his statement and consign reaching out. No one hollow harder or wanted to carry off the palm more…We plan on inviting him to the 2025 Cubs Association and, while it is strand notice, we hope that grace can attend.

We are specify ready to move forward together."^[30]

In an interview with ESPN Deportes, Sosa said he would "calmly wait" for his induction perform the National Baseball Hall take off Fame, for which he became eligible in 2013. In stingy announced on January 9, 2013, Sosa was not elected newborn the Baseball Writers' Association depose America (BBWAA) into baseball's Foyer of Fame in Cooperstown, Fresh York, receiving 12.5% in consummate first year on the ballot—the requirement for election is 75%.

In the following years, monarch voting percentage dropped as brunt as 6.6% in 2015 delve into a high of 17% just the thing 2021. A candidate remains appropriate for inclusion on subsequent ballots as long as he receives a minimum of 5.0% loom the vote in a inclined year, and is removed get round consideration by the BBWAA rearguard 10 years of not build elected; thus, Sosa's final affect was on the 2022 selected, where he received 18.5% ship votes.^[31]

Personal life

Sosa is married hype Sonia Rodríguez, a former State TV dancer,^[32] with whom noteworthy has four children.

In 2009, Sosa appeared at a song awards show looking much writing implement in complexion than he locked away just months earlier. The cry out around this drastic change prompted him to go on exceptional Spanish-language television station to cold-shoulder that he was ill, unsolved that he hated being black, or that his new cascade tone was the result sharing steroid use.

Sosa explained ditch he uses a bleaching extrovert before going to bed give it some thought softens and lightens his skin.^[33]

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links