Chicago Cubs legend Sammy Sosa belongs in the Hall of Fame

We’re down to the wire when it comes to Sammy Sosa‘s Cooperstown candidacy – and things don’t look good.

The longtime Chicago Cubs outfielder is in his 10th and final year on the ballot and after accruing a minuscule 18 percent of the vote in 2021, it’s safe to assume this won’t be a comeback story for the ages. Sosa – essentially blacklisted by the Ricketts family – isn’t connected to the game in any way, nor has he been since he retired.

Chicago’s all-time home run leader continues to refuse to apologize for his role in the Steroid Era – or, really, for any actions he took during his playing career. In return, the Cubs organization (for the most part) is content pretending Sosa doesn’t exist. And, by and large, that’s pretty much how Hall of Fame voters from the BBWAA have acted to this point, as well.

In 2021, Sosa garnered just 17 percent of the vote – which marked his personal best. Obviously that falls well shy of the 75 percent needed to gain entry into the Hall. But it’s really difficult to comprehend just what it is that’s preventing more folks from voting for the former National League MVP.

To this day, Sosa remains the only player in MLB history to hit 60 or more home runs in three seasons. Not even baseball’s all-time home run leader Barry Bonds, who is also in his final year of eligibility, managed that feat during his illustrious 22-year career.

The seven-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger recipient pulled baseball back from the brink during his historic 1998 season, when he and Mark McGwire traded blows all summer long, taking down Babe Ruth and Roger Maris in the process by hitting 66 and 70 home runs, respectively.

From 1995 to 2003 – a nine-season run – Sosa put up some gaudy numbers, all while averaging 150 games a year. During that span, the Dominican-born outfielder averaged 49 home runs and 127 RBI annually, good for a 147 OPS+. He was one of the best offensive performers of his era – yet continues to go completely overlooked  when it comes to HOF voting.

Chicago Cubs: A moral reckoning will likely keep Sammy Sosa from Cooperstown

Baseball writers are, perhaps more than ever before, grappling with one key aspect of the voting criteria upon which they make their selections:

"Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."

Look. If it came down to solely playing ability, personal record and contributions on the field, then Sosa would have been in year’s ago. But writers are really honing in on the integrity and character aspects of voting – and that doesn’t bode well for Sosa (and, to this point, the same can be said of Bonds and another player in his final year of eligibility, Roger Clemens).

But in that very same breath, it seems like there’s widespread support for Boston Red Sox legend and arguably the best designated hitter ever, David Ortiz – despite a confirmed positive PED test from 2003. Why? Because, unlike Sosa or Bonds, ‘Big Papi’ is lovable and has been beloved by fans nationally for years.

There are plenty of guys who’ve already gained baseball immortality who were less than ideal human beings. Yes, Sosa was one of the faces of the Steroid Era – but he was also one of the best power hitters in the history of the game – and belongs in Cooperstown.