The Chicago Cubs rolled out the blue carpet for Sammy Sosa and Derrek Lee.
The two icons were inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame on Sunday and before the team lost 6-3 to the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field. They walked the blue carpet from the third base dugout to home plate to receive their blue jackets.
“I have to tell you I’m feeling very good,” Sosa said. “To be back here … I have my family here today. It’s a beautiful day today.
“I’ve seen my plaque and I’m very proud.”
Lee, who turned 50 on Saturday, was touched.
“It’s been an incredible weekend,” Lee said. “I’m able to experience this with my family and all the former teammates here. It’s a great thing they do. My career in Chicago has been a lot of fun. It’s my birthday weekend and I can’t think of a better way to spend it.”
They were surrounded by family members as they led the crowd in singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch.
Sosa, 56, played with the Cubs for 13 seasons starting in 1992 and hit a franchise-high 565 home runs. He had monster numbers in several other categories, including 1,414 RBIs and 3,980 total bases.
Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Derrek Lee points to the crowd after receiving his blue jacket at Wrigley Field on Sept. 7, 2025, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
His 1998 home run battle with the St. Louis Cardinals’ Mark McGwire captivated the world — and many think it helped save the sport, which was trying to recover from a 1994 strike that soured many fans.
Sosa was also celebrated for waving an American flag when he homered in the Cubs’ first home game after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
There were controversies during his tenure, to be sure. He was suspended in 2003 for using a corked bat in a game. He has been suspected of using steroids. He showed up late for his final game as a Cub and left the game early without permission in 2004.
The relationship between Sosa and the Cubs had been distant until this year. After he issued a statement in December apologizing for unspecified mistakes, Sosa was invited to the Cubs Convention in January and returned to Wrigley Field in June.
Fans have overwhelmingly seemed to forgive him for any negatives, and he has been warmly received by Cubs faithful at the events he has attended.
Sosa is not sure what the future will bring in his relationship with the team, but he hopes to be around in some capacity when the Cubs make their likely postseason run in October.
There are many memories Sosa provided, but reminded of his 20 home runs in June 1998, he perked up.
“It was like a dream and I didn’t want to wake up,” he said. “I think I hit five or six more balls foul. It could have been 25. But I’ll take 20.
“My mechanics were perfect. It saw the ball very well. Like I said, I didn’t want to wake up but when I did wake up, I would say, ‘I’m going to hit two home runs today.’”
Lee played seven seasons with the Cubs from 2004-10 and hit .298 with 179 home runs, 574 RBIs and was a three-time Gold Glove winner. He was a quiet leader in the clubhouse.
“I take a lot of pride in being called a leader and being a leader,” Lee said. “It’s not something you really think about. You are just trying to be your authentic self. You try to go about things the right way.”
He said playing at Wrigley Field was special. He came to the Cubs a year after he won a World Series with the then-Florida Marlins and helped beat the Cubs in a wild seven-game National League Championship Series.
“It’s so different, especially where I was coming from in Florida,” Lee said. “Not that I didn’t have a great time in Florida, but this is a baseball city. These fans really care.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a May game against whoever, these fans are here to support you, and they will let you know if you are not doing well. There is nothing like Wrigley Field.”
Cubs manager Craig Counsell admires the coolness Lee displays.
“He still carries it right now,” Counsell said. “D-Lee is the definition of cool to me. It was like everything felt super easy and cool. He would handle himself with that simple grace. You could see anxiety in some players. You never saw it with D-Lee. It’s a special trait, man. That’s pretty cool.”
Lee laughed when he heard that description. He recalled meeting Counsell when they played winter ball in Hawaii and took a fishing trip together.
“I wasn’t cool that day, I actually got seasick,” Lee said. “But it was a great time, you know? You got to play winter ball in Hawaii. You are out on a boat. You get to catch a little mahi-mahi. We had a good meal.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
Originally Published: September 7, 2025 at 5:22 PM CDT