Sammy Sosa Net Worth, Drug Controversy, Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers
Sammy Sosa is a retired professional baseball right fielder from the Dominican Republic, boasting a net worth of $70 million. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1989 to 2007, during which he earned approximately $120 million in salary and additional tens of millions from endorsements. After stints with the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers, Sosa joined the Chicago Cubs in 1992, quickly establishing himself as one of the game’s premier hitters. He is a seven-time All-Star and became the fifth player in MLB history to hit 600 home runs.
Early Life
Sammy Sosa was born in 1968 in Consuelo, Dominican Republic, with his officially registered birthplace being San Pedro de Macorís. He has partial Haitian ancestry and is affectionately known as Mikey by his family.
Start of Major League Career
Sammy Sosa made his major league debut on June 16, 1989, with the Texas Rangers, where he started as the left fielder. He hit his first career home run off Roger Clemens. In July of that year, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox. During his initial season, he batted .233 with 15 home runs, 70 RBIs, 10 triples, and 32 stolen bases, albeit with a high strikeout count of 150. The following season began with promise but ended in a slump.
Chicago Cubs in the 90s
Before the 1992 season, Sosa was traded to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder George Bell. In his debut season with the Cubs, he posted a batting average of .260 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs. His performance improved significantly over subsequent years:
- 1993: Batted .261, hit 33 home runs, and achieved 93 RBIs.
- 1994: Finished at .300 with 25 home runs.
- 1995: Made his first All-Star team.
- 1996: Batted .273 with 40 home runs and 100 RBIs.
The highlight of Sammy Sosa’s career came in 1998, when he engaged in a celebrated home run race with Mark McGwire, aiming to surpass Roger Maris’ single-season record of 61 home runs. While McGwire ultimately broke the record first, Sosa finished with 66 home runs, marking one of the most thrilling seasons in baseball history.
In June of that year, Sammy Sosa hit an astonishing 20 home runs, leading to a slugging percentage of .842 for that month alone. His outstanding performance earned him the National League Most Valuable Player Award, along with significant public recognition, including a ticker-tape parade in New York City.
Final Years with the Cubs
Sosa continued to break records during his final years with the Cubs:
- In 2001, he hit 64 home runs, becoming the first player to achieve 60 or more homers in three different seasons.
- He set personal bests that year for runs scored, RBIs, walks, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and batting average at .328.
- He surpassed his own total bases record from 1998 by recording 425 total bases.
In 2003, Sosa faced controversy when he was ejected for using a corked bat during a game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. After claiming it was an accident and undergoing an investigation that found no cork in his other bats, he received a seven-game suspension but finished the season with 40 home runs. His career took a downturn due to injuries and performance issues, leading to his release from the Cubs at the end of the 2004 season.
Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers
In January of 2005, Sosa was traded to the Baltimore Orioles but struggled significantly, batting just .221 with 14 home runs—his worst performance in over ten years. By December of that year, he became a free agent. In 2007, Sosa returned to his original team, the Texas Rangers, on a minor league deal worth $500,000. He served as designated hitter and right fielder before achieving a milestone by hitting his 600th career home run during an inter-league game against the Cubs. He announced his retirement from baseball later that year.
Personal Life
Sammy Sosa’s first marriage was to Karen Lee Bright until their divorce in 1991. He later began a relationship with Sonia Rodríguez, a former television dancer from the Dominican Republic; they married in the 2000s and have six children: Keysha, Kenia, Sammy Jr., Michael, Rolando, and Kalexy.
Drug Controversy
In 2005, Sosa appeared alongside other players at a Congressional hearing regarding doping scandals in Major League Baseball. His attorney asserted that Sosa had never used performance-enhancing drugs; however, a report by The New York Times in 2009 included him on a list of players who tested positive for steroids in 2003. Sammy Sosa’s legacy remains complex yet significant within baseball history as one of its most prolific sluggers.
