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Who is Sammy Sosa?
Sammy Sosa is a professional baseball player. Sammy Sosa was in Major League Baseball in the 1970s and 1980s. He spent 19 seasons in Major League Baseball and was recognized as one of the top hitters while with the Chicago Cubs.
In 1998, he was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. From 1998 to 2002, the Dominican American was named to the All-Star team seven times in a row.
Early Life, Family, And Education
Sammy Sosa was born on November 12, 1968, in San Pedro de Macors, Dominican Republic, to Juan Bautista Montero and Lucrecia Sosa.
His father worked as a farmer and died when he was only eight years old.
The athlete’s mother was a single parent who raised him, his four brothers, and two sisters.
In addition, he used to polish shoes, sell oranges, and work as a janitor in a shoe factory to help his mother support the family financially.
The right fielder was a dedicated child whose talent and willpower were quickly noticed.
Sosa was invited to a tryout by a Texas Rangers scout when he was 16 years old, five hours away from his home.
Omar Minaya, impressed by the tiny little boy’s persistence, offered him a $3,500 signing bonus.
He bought a bike with some of the money and donated the rest to his mother.
Height and Weight
The athlete stands 6 feet tall and weighs approximately 225 pounds (102 kg).
Facts of Sammy Sosa
| Full Name | Samuel Peralta Sosa |
| Birth Date | November 12, 1968 |
| Birth Place | San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic |
| Nick Name | Mikey or Slammin’ Sammy |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Dominican American |
| Education | Not Available |
| Horoscope | Scorpio |
| Father’s Name | Juan Bautista Montero |
| Mother’s Name | Lucrecia Sosa |
| Siblings | Six |
| Age | 53 years old |
| Height | 6 feet; 1.83 m |
| Weight | 225lbs |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Profession | MLB player |
| Current Team | Retired |
| Position | Right Fielder |
| Active Years | 1989-2009 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Sonia Rodríguez |
| Kids | Six |
| Net Worth | $70 million |
| Social Media | |
| Merch | Jersey, Rookie Cards, Signed baseball, Posters |
| Last Update | April 2022 |
Net Worth And Salary
Sammy Sosa is worth $70 million. In his career in the MLB, he earned around $120 million solely in salary.
Moreover, he made over $10 million from his endorsements alone.
He had dozens of endorsement deals, of which some were million-dollar deals like PepsiCo, Montgomery Ward, Latin American telco TriCom, etc. As of 2022, he is a businessman and entrepreneur.
Baseball Career
Samuel spent over 18 years in Major League Baseball. He began and concluded his professional career with the Texas Rangers.
On June 16, 1989, the sportsman made his MLB debut with the Rangers. He wore the number 17 jersey and had a promising career with the Texas Longhorns.
The Rangers then dealt him to the Chicago White Sox, where he spent a few seasons until being dealt to the Chicago Cubs.
The businessman started out strong with the Red Sox, but he faded later on.
Career with the Chicago Cubs
The 51-year-old dealt with the Cubs in 1992, where he enjoyed his most memorable moments.
When he was with the Cubs, he progressed as a baseball player in general. During the 1995 season, he was also named to his first All-Star team.
It was with the Cubs and opposing teammate Mark McGwire that he broke Roger Maris’s long-standing record of 61 home runs with 66.
With 70 home runs, McGwire set a new record. They drew a lot of media and public attention for their attempt to break the home run record.
The now-millionaire hit 20 home runs and drove in 47 runs in the 1998 season, which was the most significant offense in MLB history.
In addition, after leading the Cubs to the playoffs, he was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player.
In addition, he and McGwire shared the Sportsman of the Year title from Sports Illustrated.
He was also honored in the Ticker-Tape Parade, and President Bill Clinton invited him to attend the State of the Union Address. In addition, he received the Babe Ruth Home Run Award.
He became the first baseballer to hit over 60 home runs three seasons after hitting 64 in 2001.
Following that, he was nominated for the Silver Slugger Award for his offensive performance, which he won.
Sosa was ejected from the game and then penalized for seven games after using a corked bat during the 2003 season.
Following the event, 76 of his other bats, including 5 Hall of Fame bats, were inspected and found to be clean and cork-free.
The baseball player apologized and stated that it was an honest blunder and that he had only used the bat for practice.
Career with the Baltimore Orioles
After suffering back spasms as a result of excessive sneezing during the 2004 season and being placed on the injured list, the Cubs traded him to the Baltimore Orioles the following season.
With the Orioles, the former player did not have a particularly successful career.
Furthermore, he did not perform well in the 2005 season, which resulted in the Baltimore team not granting him a contract.
As a result, he became a free agent, and the Texas Rangers signed him, albeit only for a minor league contract.
Sammy spent the last part of his career in the minor leagues, where he competed against newcomers for a slot.
The footballer initially turned down the contract but eventually accepted it. Despite this, he participated in the 2007 season before taking a year off in 2008 amid reports of his retirement.
He, on the other hand, did not want to retire and wanted to see what it was like to be a free agent. The Dominican player expressed interest in participating in the World Baseball Classic, but he was not selected for the squad.
Finally, he announced his retirement from baseball on June 3, 2009.
Why did Sammy Sosa call it quits?
Sosa received few opportunities to play for a major league team and did not participate in the World Baseball Classic. Furthermore, the steroid controversy contributed to the problem.
Sammy has made it clear that he does not want his legacy to be associated with drug use or scandal because it was neither.
The father of six stated that it was his love and respect for the game, not the drugs, that kept him going. He also gave his best effort because he worked hard and didn’t dwell on the bad days.
Marriage And Kids
Sammy Sosa was previously married to Karen Lee Bright. However, they separated two years into the marriage.
There were rumors that the union might’ve ended due to Sammy’s domestic violence inflicted on Karen.
In 1992, Samuel dated and later married a famous dancer and child artist in the Dominican Republic, Sonia Rodriguez.
They have six kids, namely Keysha, Kenia, Sammy Jr., Michael, Kalexy, and Rolando.
Furthermore, their eldest daughter is majoring in the arts.
The former athlete is very involved in his children’s lives and is a loving and caring father to all six children.
Growing up poor and in the absence of a fatherly figure, he puts a lot of effort into giving his kids the best life they deserve and being exemplary father.
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Social Media Presence
The father of six is not so well acquainted with social media like Instagram and Twitter.
However, he is on Facebook but is not much active on it either.
Nevertheless, he shares a lot of adorable pictures of his children and wife.
Recently, Sosa’s old video of him sprinting to his position while holding an American Flag was trending on Twitter, the Cubs’ first home game following the 9/11 attack.
