Chicago Cubs: Cooperstown will eventually welcome Sammy Sosa

Despite the controversy that surrounded him late in his career, former Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa will have a place in the Hall of Fame – someday.

When one reflects on the lengthy history of the Chicago Cubs, there is scarcely as big a controversy as Sammy Sosa. Once the beloved face of the franchise as he pounded balls onto Sheffield and Waveland all summer, he fell out of favor with the organization – a conflict that continues to this day.

He remains the only Major League player to hit 60 or more home runs in three seasons, setting the franchise all-time mark with 66 long-balls in 1998. Of course, that summer marked the Great Home Run Chase between Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mark McGwire, who became the first-ever to hit 70 that year.

Sosa spent more than a decade on the North Side as the team’s star outfielder. And after his career ended under the shadow of PED accusations, many wonder if he will ever see Cooperstown. But I, for one, have little doubt. Once the seal is broken, the floodgates will open and Sosa will be among those enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

It’s been 11 years since he last played in the bigs, so let’s look back at his outstanding credentials for entry into baseball immortality.