What is Sammy Sosa’s net worth?
Sammy Sosa, a retired professional baseball right fielder from the Dominican Republic, has a net worth of $70 million. During his career from 1989 to 2007, he earned roughly $120 million in salary and tens of millions from endorsements.
After playing for the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers, Sosa joined the Chicago Cubs in 1992 and quickly established himself as one of the game’s top hitters. He was a seven-time All-Star and became the fifth player in MLB history to hit 600 home runs.
Early Life and Ethnic Background
Sammy Sosa, born in 1968 in Consuelo, Dominican Republic, officially registered his birthplace as San Pedro de Macorís. He comes from a mixed ethnic background, with partial Haitian heritage. Sosa is affectionately referred to as Mikey by his family.
Sammy Sosa’s Early Career
Sammy Sosa made his major league debut with the Texas Rangers in June 1989 as the team’s starting left fielder. He hit his first career home run off Red Sox player, Roger Clemens. In July, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox. During his first season with the team, he hit 15 home runs, 70 RBIs, 10 triples, and 32 stolen bases but also struck out 150 times. Sosa started his next season with two home runs but ultimately struggled for the rest of the year.
Sosa’s Baseball Career Highlights
After being traded to the Chicago Cubs in 1992, Sammy Sosa’s batting average and home run totals steadily increased. He was named to his first All-Star team in 1995 and had his most famous season in 1998 when he competed with Mark McGwire to break the single-season home run record. Although Sosa tied with McGwire at 66 home runs, McGwire ultimately broke the record with 70. Sosa led the league in RBIs and runs scored in 1998 and was honored with the National League Most Valuable Player Award. He continued his success in 1999, hitting 63 home runs.
Record-Breaking Years with the Chicago Cubs
During Sosa’s final years with the Chicago Cubs, he broke numerous records. In 2001, he became the first player ever to hit 60 or more home runs in three different seasons after hitting 64 home runs. He also achieved personal bests in runs scored, RBIs, walks, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and batting average, with a .328. Additionally, he surpassed his own 1998 high for total bases, recording 425. Sosa led the league in home runs once again in 2002.
In 2003, Sosa and the Cubs won the National League Central Division title, but trouble arose when he was ejected from a game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in June for using a corked bat. He claimed that he used the bat by accident, but an investigation of 76 of his other bats found no cork. After being suspended for seven games, Sosa finished the season with 40 home runs. The following year, he suffered a back injury after violently sneezing in the locker room, was placed on the disabled list, and finished with 35 home runs. At the end of the 2004 season, Sosa was released from the Cubs.
Sammy Sosa’s Career Highlights and Retirement
In 2005, the Cubs traded Sammy Sosa to the Baltimore Orioles, where he had his worst performance in over a decade, batting .221 with 14 home runs. He became a free agent in December of that year.
Two years later, Sosa signed a minor league deal with his original team, the Texas Rangers, for $500,000. He played as the team’s designated hitter and right fielder. In June of 2007, Sosa hit his 600th career home run, making him the fifth player in history to achieve this milestone.
After playing for the Rangers for two seasons, Sosa announced his retirement from baseball in 2009.
Marriages and Children
Sammy Sosa was previously married to Karen Lee Bright until their divorce in 1991. He then began a relationship with former television dancer Sonia Rodríguez, whom he later married in the 2000s. The couple has six children together: Keysha, Kenia, Sammy Jr., Michael, Rolando, and Kalexy.
Sosa’s Denial of Doping Disputed
In 2005, Sammy Sosa, along with other baseball players, attended a Congressional hearing on the doping scandal in Major League Baseball. Sosa’s attorney testified that Sosa had never used performance-enhancing drugs. However, a 2009 New York Times report contradicted this claim when it included Sosa on a list of players who had tested positive for steroids in 2003.
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