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Samuel Peralta Sosa, better known as Sammy Sosa (born November 12, 1968 in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic), is a professional Major League baseball player for the Chicago Cubs. Sosa ended the 2004 season with 574 career home runs, placing him seventh on the major leagues' all-time home run list.
Sammy Sosa's family was very poor and he grew up in an abandoned hospital. He started playing baseball at a young age, and at times used a folded milk carton for a glove as he could not afford a real one. His talent was apparent at a young age, so much so that the Philadelphia Phillies attempted to sign him at age 15, but this deal was not allowed by Major League Baseball because of a rule making the minimum age for contracts between major league teams and players 16. After turning 16, he signed with the Texas Rangers in 1985.
He made his major league debut on June 16, 1989 with the Rangers, who traded him to the Chicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are in the Central Division of the American League. Founded 1893, as the Sioux City, Iowa franchise in the minor Western League. Moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, then aga along with Wilson AlvarezWilson Eduardo Alvarez (born March 24, 1970 in Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who has played in 13 seasons for the Texas Rangers (1989), Chicago White Sox (1991-97), San Francisco Giants (1997), Tampa Bay in exchange for Harold BainesHarold Douglass Baines (born March 15, 1959 in Easton, Maryland) is an American former Major League Baseball hitter and slugger who played in the American League in the 1980s and 1990s. He began his career with the Chicago White Sox as the number-one pick and Fred ManriqueFred Eloy Manrique Reyes (b. November 5, 1961), best know as Fred Manrique (man-RE-kay), is a former Major League Baseball second baseman/ shortstop and right-handed batter who played for the Toronto Blue Jays (1981, 1984), Montreal Expos (1986-87) , St. later that same season (a move that U.S. President George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. His first four-year term as President began on January 20, 2001 following the controversial U. presidential election, 2000, where for the first time in American, then the Rangers' owner, later joked was the biggest mistake he ever made). After a promising 1990See also 1989 in sports, other events of 1990, 1991 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'. Auto Racing Stock car racing: Derrike Cope won the Daytona 500 NASCAR Championship Dale Earnhardt CART Racing Al Unser, Jr. won the season championship Indian season in which he hit 15 home runs and collected 70 RBI as a full-time player, in 1991See also 1990 in sports, other events of 1991, 1992 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'. Auto Racing Stock car racing: Ernie Irvan won the Daytona 500 NASCAR Championship Dale Earnhardt CART Racing Michael Andretti won the season championship Indi his production fell and Sosa was relegated to the minor leagues for a time.
Prior to the start of the 1992 season, Sosa was again traded. This time he was sent packing across town to the Cubs along with reliever Ken Patterson in exchange for slugger George Bell. Many at the time thought the Cubs had been swindled by the White Sox in the trade, including a vocal George Bell, who said he was insulted at being traded for a player as unproven as Sosa. Larry Himes , who had been the general manager of the White Sox when they acquired Sosa, was now the general manager of the Cubs, and having traded for him a second time, defended his view that Sosa would turn out to be an outstanding player.
Sosa spent the 1992 season in centerfield for the Cubs, but spent more than half the season on the disabled list with a broken wrist and a sore shoulder. In 1993 Sosa finally started to show the talent that scouts and fans alike had seen glimpses of for years. Sosa finished with 33 home runs and 36 stolen bases, the first Cub to join the exclusive 30-30 club. Sosa followed with another solid campaign in the strike-shortened season of 1994.
During the strike, Sosa supposedly agreed to a free agent contract with the Boston Red Sox, but Major League Baseball decided not to allow any contract negotiations between players and teams during the strike. By the time the strike had been settled, Sosa had a change of heart and decided to stay with the Cubs.
Sosa once again reached the 30-30 plateau in 1995, and made his first All-Star team. In 1996, Sosa was leading the National League in home runs with 40 when he was hit by a pitch, breaking his wrist and effectively ending his season. Sosa had trouble rebounding from his broken wrist during the 1997 season. A late season surge rose his batting average to a mildly disappointing .251, but the Cubs were well on their way to a last place finish by then.
During his subpar 1997 season, Sosa agreed to a contract extension with the Cubs that made him one of baseball's highest-paid players. Many experts felt that this was a mistake, since Sosa in their views did not possess the talent to merit such a contract. He didn't waste any time proving them wrong.
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