Sammy Sosa hit 66 home runs in 1998. Eileen Blass / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former Cubs Star Making Return to Wrigley Field for First Time in Over Two Decades

Originally posted on Chicago Cubs on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 11:16 AM ET

The Chicago Cubs are beginning a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

With the new balanced scheduling the MLB has instituted, these two teams from opposite leagues will see more of each other in the future.

But this will be the first time the Mariners have visited the Cubs since 2007. The last time they faced off at all was in 2013, when the Cubs went on a trip to Safeco Field in Seattle.

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That is a long time for a club to go without visiting a ballpark, but it isn’t the longest absence drought that will be snapped on Friday afternoon.

What is going to excite the fans in attendance the most is the return of a former fan favorite, Sammy Sosa.

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As shared by Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, the seven-time All-Star will be making his return to the friendly confines for the first time since he left Chicago 21 years ago.

Sammy Sosa, who hasn’t been to Wrigley Field since he left the Cubs 21 years ago, is expected to return today after arriving in Chicago last night
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 20, 2025

This return has been a long time coming, as Sosa provided the fan base a lot to cheer for during his 13 seasons with the club.

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A dominant power hitter, he had 545 career home runs with the Cubs and had some incredible long ball races with Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals that some credit with helping save the game in the 90s, despite some steroid allegations that were never proven true by a court of law or the MLB.

In his career with Chicago, Sosa had a .284/358/.569 slash line with 1,414 RBI and 181 stolen bases.

He should receive a warm welcome from the fans who have waited over two decades to see him back at Wrigley Field in some capacity.

For more Cubs news, head over to Cubs On SI.

This article first appeared on Chicago Cubs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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