It looks like Sammy Sosa’s exile by the Chicago Cubs will not be coming to an end any time soon. In an interview with former Cubs media relations employee Chuck Wasserstrom on Tuesday, Sosa spoke candidly about his time after baseball, Chicago’s historic World Series victory, and the steroid allegations that have dogged him for over a decade. While an honest and open conversation with a former great makes for fantastic reading, the Chicago Tribune is now reporting that Cubs officials are not happy with Sosa’s comments, and that the interview has formally ended any chance of him coming back into the fold with the club.
Specifically, it was Sosa’s refusal to admit any wrongdoing while claiming that he “put Chicago on the map” that irked the Cubs management, among them Chairman Tom Ricketts. In the past, Ricketts has been evasive when answering questions about Sosa’s exile, mostly saying that he would be welcome back if the former home run king would admit to his mistakes (no doubt referring to the 2009 New York Times report claiming that Sosa failed a PED test in 2003). Given that the Wasserstrom interview was another chance for Sosa to apologize, a chance he did not take, it appears that the Cubs have had enough.
The steroids topic also created one of the more bizarre moments of Sosa’s post-baseball career, when the Dominican slugger compared the drama surrounding his alleged PED usage to Jesus Christ’s persecution: “It’s like Jesus Christ when he came to Jerusalem. Everybody thought Jesus Christ was a witch — and he was our savior. So if they talk shit about Jesus Christ, what about me? Are you kidding me?”
The ex-pelotero hasn’t been officially associated with the world champions since walking out on the team on the last day of the 2004 MLB season (something he claimed was approved by then-Cubs manager Dusty Baker). Through the years, Sosa has said he is available to the team if they want to bring him back in any kind of role, but he has been adamant that he won’t “beg” for a return.