Wrigley Field hasn’t seen that kind of raw emotion in a while. But as Sammy Sosa stepped into the spotlight for the first time in over 20 years, the emotions of the people were visible and loud. The crowd roared, and not just for the MLB player Sosa once was, but for the history he carried.
The cheers from the crowd were not simply loud; they were almost healing on some levels. Sosa, now 56 years old, returned to the place where he transitioned from player to icon. With all the home run hops and all! With 609 career homers and a legacy woven deep into the Cubs’ history, it was a long overdue reunion. But behind the cheers and the thrill, something deeper has been bubbling.
Now, it is no secret that the MLB world has seen a major decision being made this season. Rob Manfred officially announced that Pete Rose was removed from the league’s permanently ineligible list after his death. Now that decision has cracked open the Hall of Fame conversation for plenty of players. One of them being Sosa himself! And for him, this is a ‘great opportunity’ for him and several players to get into Cooperstown.
a sweet homecoming. pic.twitter.com/CCyZGIZWJ0
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 20, 2025
At the Inside the Clubhouse podcast, Sammy Sosa mentioned, “I believe it is a great opportunity for baseball…the door in the future is still early, but I believe if he gets into the Hall of Fame… The rest of us, including myself, Barry Bonds, Robert Clemens, and others, are there… There is still hope.” And so his return is more than a nostalgia trip. It comes on the heels of a major decision that has taken place and feels like a plea.
Now, Sosa has never flat-out confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs. But he is no longer silent about his past. In an open letter last year, he had mentioned, “There were times I did whatever I could to recover from injuries… I never broke any laws. But in hindsight, I made mistakes, and I apologize.” And now the emotion in his voice, to get that opportunity to get unlocked out of Cooperstown, is telling. It is not always about the plaques or the votes; sometimes it is more about the redemption, legacy, and the chance to finally be seen.
As he prepares to be inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame later this year, Sammy Sosa’s hope now stretches far beyond Chicago. Pete Rose may now be gone, but his reinstatement might have given life to the dreams of many of those who are still waiting for their second chance. But the elephant in the room is—how did this major shift happen? And how is this one of the most controversial decisions that Rob Manfred has ever taken?
MLB’s Commissioner’s decision on Pete Rose was made on a bed of controversies
For a game that is built on tradition, MLB sure knows how to rattle its foundation. When Rob Manfred announced Pete Rose being removed from the ineligible list—just months after his death—the reaction was mixed. For some, it felt like justice had been long overdue. And for others, it felt like baseball was rewriting its rulebook. Plus, the timing and pressures from outside just seemed to be the real decision maker, not Manfred!
Firstly, the fact that Rose’s reinstatement came after his death, when he could not even witness it, has left fans wondering what MLB is trying to do here. It even gets murkier when you add in the political angle. At the start of the year, President Donald Trump took to social media, demanding that MLB induct Rose into the Hall of Fame. And two months later, Manfred met with Trump, and then a few weeks after, Rose was reinstated. Sure thing, there was a formal petition involved, but the timing is just too loud to ignore.
Now, reinstatement doesn’t guarantee a Hall of Fame place for Rose. Because that is up to the Classic Baseball Era committee, which does not even meet until 2027. It’s also the principle that has left the fans divided. Because Manfred didn’t just lift Rose’s ban, he reinstated 17 others. And most are tied to gambling, including members of the infamous 1919 Black Sox. For a sport that once held Rule 21—don’t bet on baseball—as a sacred motto, it feels like the line is getting blurrier by the day.
Manfred has had many controversial calls. Be it the light punishments for the Astros fiasco or the recent ESPN broadcasting breakup. But this feels different for sure. Don’t you think?
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