Over the weekend, the Chicago Cubs hosted the 38th annual Cubs Convention in downtown Chicago, bringing fans, players, and franchise legends together to celebrate their beloved sports team. A highlight of the event was the return of Sammy Sosa, who played for the Cubs from 1992 to 2004 before his trade prior to the 2005 season, leading to a long estrangement between him and the Cubs.
During the convention, Sosa received a hero’s welcome, and Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts made a significant announcement: Sosa and former Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee would be enshrined in the Cubs Hall of Fame later this season. Just Baseball’s Ryan Herrera shared the announcement along with fans’ reactions on his X account.
Here’s the reaction in the room as Tom Ricketts announced Sammy Sosa and Derrek Lee as the new Cubs Hall of Famers pic.twitter.com/y3AvUkVtZV
— Ryan Herrera (@ryan_a_herrera) January 18, 2025
Sosa’s impact on the Cubs is undeniable; during his 13 seasons with the team, he hit 545 of his 609 career home runs, making him the franchise’s all-time home run leader and earning him a place among the nine Cubs who have won the National League MVP. Despite the Cubs’ frequent struggles in the playoff race, Sosa was a constant source of excitement for fans, hitting at least 35 home runs in each season from 1995 to 2004. He is often remembered for his unforgettable 1998 season, where he competed with St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire to break the single-season home run record, ultimately hitting 66 home runs and winning the MVP award.
When Lee was traded to the Cubs from the Florida Marlins before the 2004 season, initial reactions from fans were mixed, especially given that he had just helped knock the Cubs out of the 2003 NLCS. However, once he donned the Cubs uniform, those concerns faded. Over the next six-and-a-half seasons, Lee became a cornerstone of the team, highlighted by a stellar 2005 season in which he came close to achieving the National League’s triple crown, finishing first in batting average (.335), second in home runs (46), and seventh in runs batted in (107). He ended his Cubs career with 179 home runs and a .298 batting average in nearly 1,000 games.
Sosa and Lee will be honored at Wrigley Field later this season, although the specific date has yet to be determined. Their induction news sent social media into a frenzy.
Sammy is essentially the reason I became a hard-core Cubs fan. The homerun race in 1998 grabbed ahold of me and I never let go.
Derrek Lee holds a special place in my heart because ARam and Dlee became my obsession. https://t.co/pnwFKvgI2H— Optimistic Cubs Fan (@HotStoveCubbies) January 18, 2025
Sammy was obvious after the reconnection but I am PUMPED for Derrek Lee.
Absolute legend of my childhood fandom and certainly one of the reasons I am as big of a Cubs fan as I am today. https://t.co/cBaqZRHnjm— Corey Freedman (@corey_cubs) January 18, 2025
Sammy Sosa and D Lee
My childhood. Phew.— Alex Patt (@chifanpatt2) January 18, 2025
It’s a big Cubs Hall of Fame weekend for the kid version of me that imitated Derrek Lee’s leg kick and Sammy Sosa’s home run hop
— Greg Huss (@OutOfTheVines) January 18, 2025
