Sammy Sosa | BaseballLibrary.com

What's New?
Current Totals
Free Newsletter

Report An Error
Fixed Bugs

Browser Button
Jump from anywhere!
Link Your Site

Get Published!
Reader Submissions

Team Pages
All Teams
Greatest Teams

The Ballplayers
Historical Matchups
Negro Leaguers
Hall of Famers
MVPs

Bookshelf
New Excerpts
Photo Collections

The Chronology
Flashbacks
Baseball Eras
Today in BB History
Anyday in BB History
Rules: 1845-1899
Rules: 1900-present

FAQ
Authors

BaseballLibrary.com
Copyright Š 2002
by The Idea Logical
Company, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Sammy Sosa
Born: 1968

OF 1989- Rangers, White Sox, Cubs

All-Star in 1995, 1998-99, 2000
NL MVP in 1998

	Games	Average	HR	RBI
Career	`1565`	`.273`	`389`	`1079`
League DS	`3`	`.182`	`0`	`0`

Stats through the 2000 season

Books and articles about Sammy Sosa

When the Chicago White Sox traded Sammy Sosa to their crosstown rival Cubs for George Bell in March of 1992, their young prospect had never hit more than fifteen home runs in a season at any level. But six years later, the young Dominican from the baseball goldmine of San Pedro de Macoris hit 66 home runs -- the second-highest total in baseball history -- as his pursuit of Mark McGwire in the race to break Roger Maris' record of 61 homers captivated the baseball world. Even though McGwire outpaced Sosa with 70 round-trippers, Sosa's leadership, effervescent personality and humility gave him an overwhelming victory in balloting for the NL MVP award in one of baseball's most memorable seasons.

SHOPPING

ť Look for Sammy Sosa books at BN.com
ť Look for Sammy Sosa books at Amazon.com

Your purchases keep BaseballLibrary.com online. Thank you!

RELATED LINKS

Book Excerpts
ť En Espańol: Sosa: Una Autobiografia
ť Read Sosa: An Autobiography

Submissions
ť A New 3,000 Strikeout Club?: Could Sosa, Thome, or Glaus break Reggie Jackson's career strikeout record? by Tommy Szarka
ť One Man Can't Do It Alone: Sosa Proves That One-Man Shows Don't Bring Pennants by Tommy Szarka
ť Setting Up Sosa: Rick Reilly's Rules by Harold Friend
ť Scammin' Sammy?: Sosa, You Got Some Splainin' To Do by Jeff Kallman
ť Cheating: Baseball's Oldest Profession by Jeff Kallman

Ask The Experts
ť Who is the only man to K McGwire, Sosa, and Maris?
ť Who was the last Cub to hit 40 homers in a season before Sosa?

Around the Web
ť Cubs manager to testify in Mitchell investigation from dfw.com
ť Sammy Sosa from baseball-reference.com
ť Sammy Sosa from thebaseballpage.com

Jump directly to Library content from any website!

Sosa's early years were spent in poverty. As a youngster in the Dominican Republic, he and his friends used tree branches as bats and milk cartons to field ground balls. To earn money, the young Sosa sold orange juice and shined shoes. An early Rangers scouting report described him as "malnourished," but there was no doubting his bat speed. Texas scout Omar Minaya signed him to a contract after agreeing to give Sosa a $3,500 signing bonus, most of which remained in the Dominican Republic with Sosa's family. But by the time he won the 1998 NL MVP Award, Sosa owned at least eight cars, including a Rolls-Royce, and a luxurious Chicago apartment two floors above Oprah Winfrey's.

Sosa's minor-league and early career performance never hinted at the potential power held in his slender 6'0" frame. In his first season in rookie ball, Sosa was a teammate of 1998 AL MVP Juan Gonzalez and future stars Dean Palmer and Wilson Alvarez, but displayed a disturbing tendency to chase bad pitches.

He played just 25 games for Texas in 1989 (hitting the first home run of his career off Roger Clemens on June 21st) before the Rangers traded him to the White Sox, along with pitcher Wilson Alvarez and infielder Scott Fletcher, for Harold Baines and Fred Manrique on July 29th. Years later, former Rangers owner George W. Bush would draw a big laugh at a South Carolina debate during his 2000 presidential campaign when he called the Baines/Sosa swap his biggest mistake as an adult.

In little more than two seasons with Chicago, Sosa never developed into a great hitter, but played a key role on the worst-to-almost-first White Sox of 1990. That season he was the only American League player to reach double-digits in doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases, but he batted just .233, struck out 150 times in 532 at-bats, and made 13 errors in the outfield. Problems dogged Sosa off the field as well. That winter, he was accused of viciously beating his wife after she refused to grant him a divorce.

Frustrated by another subpar performance in 1991, the White Sox had no hesitation in sending Sosa to the crosstown Cubs before the 1992 season. While Sosa had yet to prove he was little more than a mediocre outfielder with good speed but no pop in his bat, the friendly confines of Wrigley Field would dramatically alter the course of Sosa's career. Limited to 67 games with the Cubs his first year (he fractured both his right hand and left ankle during the course of the season) Sosa began paying big dividends for Chicago in 1993. Suddenly emerging as a power threat, he more than doubled his career high for home runs, slamming 33. Adding 36 stolen bases, he became the first Cub to reach the 30/30 club -- a feat he would duplicate in 1995.

The next four seasons would look much the same for Sosa. He would hit as many as 40 home runs (in 1996), drive in as many as 119 runs (1995 and 1997), bat as high as .300 (1994), and strike out as many as 174 times (1997). Still, his team consistently finished out of contention, and after the 1997 season Cubs manager Jim Riggleman publicly criticized his star right fielder for being more concerned with his stats than with helping the team win.

Success in 1998 quickly brought an end to any acrimony that remained between the two. A flurry of offseason moves bolstered the Cubs' roster and raised hopes for the coming season. Rookie pitcher Kerry Wood was called up early in the season, and promptly tied Roger Clemens' major league record by striking out 20 Houston Astros on May 6th at Wrigley Field. With the Cubs near the top of the wild-card standings, Sosa had just nine home runs through May 24th -- fifteen behind McGwire.

But beginning with two homers against Atlanta the following day, Sosa embarked upon the greatest home run splurge baseball had ever seen. He set records with 21 circuit blasts over a 30-day period from May 25th through June 23rd, and another by hitting 20 home runs in June, the most ever hit in a single month. This spectacular run (which included one stretch of 21 round-trippers in 24 games) propelled him into a neck-and-neck race with McGwire for Roger Maris' record. On August 19th, McGwire watched from first base At Wrigley Field when Sosa slammed number 48 off Kent Bottenfeld of St. Louis, pulling ahead of the Cardinals' slugger for the first time all season. But two consecutive homers by McGwire later that game reclaimed a lead he would relinquish just once more.

Despite their contrasting personae, the pursuit of history forged a compelling and touching friendship between the towering, redheaded McGwire and the stylish, laid-back Sosa amidst the media maelstrom that surrounded the chase. The circus reached a crescendo during a Labor Day weekend series between the Cubs and Cardinals, but the two sluggers charmed the nation in joint press conferences, disregarding the pressure of the chase and by all appearances thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Sosa, who had insisted all along that McGwire would be the one to set the record, drew the biggest laughs by joking, "everyday a holiday for Sammy Sosa" and "baseball been 'bery, 'bery good to me." Earlier in the year, when McGwire had been criticized for using a controversial testosterone booster, Sosa revealed the secret of his success -- Flintstones vitamins.

It was only fitting that Sosa stood in right field on September 8th when McGwire hit the record-setting 62nd off Steve Trachsel at Busch Stadium. As McGwire celebrated outside his dugout, Sosa ran in from the outfield to deliver a heartfelt hug to the new home king. McGwire promptly lifted his friendly nemesis off his feet.

Although McGwire's Cardinals had long since exited post-season contention, Sosa's Cubs were in the thick of a thrilling three-way battle with the Mets and the Giants for the NL wild-card spot. The pressure of the pennant race heightened the drama of Sosa's home run barrage. On September 13th, Sosa tied McGwire by launching two mammoth shots out of Wrigley Field for numbers 61 and 62, while the Cubs pulled off a dramatic 11-10 sudden-death win to remain a game ahead of the Mets in the wild-card standings.

As the season drew to a close, fans of all teams greeted Sosa like a conquering hero. In San Diego on September 16th, a packed crowd at Qualcomm Stadium stood on its feet, cheering wildly, as Sosa batted with the bases full in the eighth inning of a tie game. When the slugger obliged the crowd by sending his third grand slam of the year into the second deck in left field, the fans called him back onto the field for a standing ovation. The next day several Padres complained that the contest had felt like a road game.

A week later in Milwaukee, Sosa hit number 64 and 65 to tie Hank Greenberg's 1938 record of 11 multi-homer games in one season. Two days later Sosa cranked number 66 in Houston, and for the second and last time that season, crept ahead of McGwire. For 47 minutes, before his friend and rival tied him with a home run in a game in St. Louis, Sammy Sosa had hit more home runs in a single season than any player in baseball history.

Even though McGwire ended the season with four home runs in his final two games to establish a new single-season record of 70, Sosa got the upper hand in two vital respects. First, the Cubs completed their dreamlike regular season by winning a one-game playoff at Wrigley Field over San Francisco to earn the wild-card spot. (In the NLDS, the overmatched Cubs were swept by the powerful Atlanta Braves in three games.) Second, Sosa, who batted .308 for the season and led the major leagues with 158 RBIs, 134 runs scored and 414 total bases, was named the NL MVP in a landslide vote over McGwire.

Sosa's offseason was a busy one. In Japan for a post-season goodwill tournament, Sosa managed to negotiate the delivery of much-needed supplies to his hurricane-devastated homeland. Strangely, a post-season parade in Sosa's honor was held in New York, but not in Chicago. During his stay, Sosa gave New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani a bat, which Giuliani mistakenly believed was the one Sosa had used to hit his 66th home run. Sosa later apologized for the misunderstanding.

Following the celebratory hoopla of the 1998 season, the follow-up felt like a letdown. While McGwire (65) and Sosa (63) racked up the third and fourth highest single-season home run figures in baseball history, the drama that had fueled the chase in 1998 seemed absent in 1999.

The following year began with a wrinkle, as new Cubs manager Don Baylor made it known early in 2000 that he wanted the slugger to steal more and play better defense. But the bulked-up Sosa wasn't as dangerous on the basepaths as he had been in the early '90s, and swiping bags was no longer a part of his game.

More glaring was Sosa's contract dispute with management. With the Cubs floundering in last place for much of the season, the front office was tempted to trade the star -- who was in the penultimate year of his contract -- to a contender for a horde of quality players. But despite shopping him around, the Cubs realized that public support to keep the slugger was tremendous, and they eventually took him off the market. Sosa ended up with another stellar year, even though the Cubs sported the worst record in the majors. He batted .320, tallied 138 RBIs, and slammed fifty homers, joining McGwire as the only other player to have three consecutive years of 50 home runs.

He was rewarded in March 2001 with a four-year, $72 million deal in March 2001, becoming the fourth-highest paid player in baseball at the time. (AGL/JGR/HC/AG)

Contribute your recollections of Sammy Sosa by clicking here.

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY

ť September 6, 1986: After hitting a record 210 homers without a grand slam, Atlanta's Bob Horner finally connects with the sacks full to give the Braves a 42 win over Pittsburgh. It will be his only career grand slam. Horner's record will be broken by Sammy Sosa.

ť July 29, 1989: The White Sox trade their all-time home run leader, Harold Baines, and IF Fred Manrique to the Rangers for IF Scott Fletcher, OF Sammy Sosa, and P Wilson Alvarez.

ť March 30, 1992: The Cubs trade OF George Bell to the White Sox in exchange for OF Sammy Sosa and P Ken Patterson.

ť July 27, 1992: Sammy Sosa, disabled since June 13 after being hit on the right hand by Dennis Martinez and breaking a bone, bats leadoff and has three hits. He homers on the first pitch from Doug Drabek. In his first start at Wrigley since his announcement that he's leaving, Greg Maddux beats the Pirates, 32. In the 8th inning the Wrigley faithful give the ace pitcher a standing ovation.

ť July 2, 1993: Chicago OF Sammy Sosa gets six hits, one short of the National League record, in the Cubs' 11-8 win over the Rockies.

ť May 4, 1994: The Cubs end their record home-losing streak of 12 games by beating the Reds, 52. Steve Trachsel is the winner, with help from home runs by Sammy Sosa and Eddie Zambrano and a "good luck" goat in attendance.

ť August 18, 1995: In a slugfest at new Coors Field, the Cubs defeat the Rockies by a score of 26-7. A two 1/2 hour rain delay interrupted the contest which takes more than six hours to play. OF Luis Gonzalez drives home six runs for Chicago while Sammy Sosa goes 4-for-4, with four RBIs and four runs scored. Several ML records are tied by the Cubs: nine teammates each score two or more runs (Scott Servais and Sosa score 4, while Mark Grace plates 3); 14 Cubs hit safely, and 26 RBIs (ties the National League mark) are collected. The Cubs now have scored 20 or more runs 39 times, extending their ML record. Kevin Foster pitches the first three innings for Chicago, allowing only a Andres Galarraga homer before departing to rest with the Cubs up 91. Anthony Young picks up an easy win with one 1/3 innings of relief.

ť September 16, 1995: San Diego beats the Cubs, 124, as Sammy Sosa and Ken Caminiti each pound a pair of homers. Caminiti collects one from each side of the plate. Tony Gwynn (.367) has three ribbies going 3-for-5.

ť April 27, 1996: Dodger Tom Candiotti starts against the Cubs, but departs after one inning with a muscle pull. His start breaks a 90-year-old ML record, and is the 454th consecutive one by a righthander for LA. The Dodgers, from October 2, 1902 until April 14, 1906, a string of 453 games, started nothing but righties. After Candiotti's exit, the Cubs win 43 in 10 innings when Sammy Sosa singles home the winner. The win snaps the Cubs' 7-game loss streak.

ť May 13, 1996: Cubs' P Steve Trachsel allows a lead off double to Brian Hunter, but shuts down the Astros without a hit after that to win, 60. Sammy Sosa homers for his 3rd consecutive game.

ť May 16, 1996: Sammy Sosa became the first Cub ever to hit two homers in one inning, hitting them in the 8-run 7th inning at Wrigley. The Cubs roll over the Astros, 131, as rookie Amaury Telemaco, recalled two days ago from Iowa (AAA), allows just one hit in seven shutout innings.

ť June 5, 1996: At Wrigley Field, the Cubs spot the Phillies a 40 lead, then Sammy Sosa drives home five runs on three homers to give Chicago a 96 win. Cubs' SS Rey Sanchez will be out 6-8 weeks following an operation today to repair a fractured bone in his left hand. Sanchez injured the wrist in 1995 and has been bothered by it ever since.

ť July 26, 1996: The Cubs defeat the Rockies, 174, as C Tyler Houston leads the way with a single, double, homer, and six RBIs. Sammy Sosa has his National League-leading 34th homer.

ť August 20, 1996: In the Cubs 81 win over Florida, Sammy Sosa picks up his 100th RBI the hard way when he is hit by a Mark Hutton pitch with the bases loaded in the first inning. The pitch breaks Sosa's wrist and the slugger will miss 4-6 weeks, stopping his consecutive games played of 304.

ť November 1, 1996: The major league All-Star team opens their 8-game series in Japan with a 65 loss to the Japan All-Stars. Players include Cal Ripken, Sammy Sosa, Steve Finley, Brady Anderson, Barry Bonds, Mike Piazza, Hideo Nomo, Gary Sheffield, Alex Rodriguez, and Shane Reynolds.

ť May 15, 1997: The Chicago Cubs hit four triplesthree in the same inningto beat the visiting Padres, 8-2. The Cubs score four runs in the 7th off Tim Scott as Brian McRae, Doug Glanville and Sammy Sosa all triple.

ť May 16, 1997: In Chicago, the Cubs erupt for 21 hits in clubbing the Padres 167. Sammy Sosa goes 4-for-4 with a career-high six RBIs. Brian McRae also has four hits for the Cubs.

ť May 26, 1997: In the Cubs' 21 win in Pittsburgh, Chicago's Sammy Sosa and Pittsburgh's Tony Womack both hit inside-the-park homers in the sixth inning. It is the first time two inside-the-park homers are hit in the same National League game since Lou Brock and Hector Cruz of St. Louis did it against San Diego on June 18, 1976. Greg Gagne of the Twins had two for Minnesota on October 4, 1986.

ť July 16, 1997: At Shea, RF Sammy Sosa's running catch with the bases loaded in the seventh, and catcher Scott Servais's pickoff in the eighth, key Chicago to a 65 win over the Mets. Before the game, New York reassigns general manager Joe McIlvaine and replaces him with his assistant, Steve Phillips.

ť September 16, 1997: At Wrigley Field, Kevin Tapani pitches a 1-hitter for his first NL shutout and Sammy Sosa breaks a scoreless tie with a two-run, 6th-inning homer as Chicago beats Cincinnati, 50. Bret Boone's leadoff single in the sixth is the only Reds hit.

ť April 15, 1998: Sammy Sosa of the Cubs hits his 210th career home run in the Cubs 21 loss to the Mets. He breaks Bob Horner's major league record for most home runs without a grand slam from the start of a career.

ť June 15, 1998: Cubs' OF Sammy Sosa hits three home runs in Chicago's 65 victory over the Brewers. The three roundtrippers give him 15 in his last 16 games.

ť June 20, 1998: The Cubs Sammy Sosa cranks out his 21st homer in the last 30 days, something no other slugger has ever done. The previous high was 20, set by Ralph Kiner in 1947 and tied by Roger Maris in 1961. Sosa's 30 days go from May 22 through June 22, as noted by the Elias Sports Bureau.

ť June 25, 1998: Chicago's Sammy Sosa hits a home run in the Cubs' 64 loss to the Tigers, breaking Rudy York's major league record for home runs in a month with 19. He will end the month with 20 roundtrippers.

ť June 28, 1998: Sammy Sosa has two singles and an RBIbut no homersas the Cubs snap a seven game losing streak with a 63 win over the Royals.

ť June 30, 1998: Sammy Sosa clouts his major-league record 20th homer of the month, and his 34th of the year, but the Cubs lose to the Diamondbacks, 54.

ť July 27, 1998: Sammy Sosa hits his 248th career homerand his first grand slamas the Cubs beat the Diamondbacks, 62. Sosa went to bat 4,428 before drilling the sacksfull homer. His 247 homers without a slam is a ML record: the previous mark was 210 homers by Bob Horner. Sosa also tops the 100 RBI mark with his four ribbies, to back Steve Trachsel's (105) pitching.

ť July 28, 1998: I like, it so much, I'll do it again. Sammy Sosa hits his 2nd grand slam in four at bats in the Cubs 75 loss to the Diamondbacks. Sosa is the first Cub to hit grand slams in consecutive games, and just the 18th in history.

ť August 23, 1998: Leadoff man Craig Biggio's double, two home runs, and six RBIs pace the Astros to a 133 victory over the Cubs. C Brad Ausmus also contributes to the cause with four hits and five ribbies for Houston. OF Sammy Sosa hits a pair of homers for Chicago, giving him 51 on the year.

ť August 26, 1998: The Cubs defeat the Reds, 92, with the aid of Sammy Sosa's 52nd home run in the 3rd inning.

ť August 28, 1998: The Cubs defeat the Rockies, 105, as Sammy Sosa hits homer #53 for Chicago.

ť August 30, 1998: Sammy Sosa's 54th homer leads the Cubs to a 43 win over Colorado.

ť August 31, 1998: Cubs' OF Sammy Sosa ties Mark McGwire by hitting his 55th home run in Chicago's 54 win over Cincinnati. Sosa has hit 30 of his homers at Wrigley, three short of Hack Wilson's Cub record and tying him with Ernie Banks.

ť September 2, 1998: Sammy Sosa hits home run #56 as the Cubs defeat the Reds, 42.

ť September 4, 1998: Sammy Sosa's 57th home run leads the Cubs to a 52 win over Pittsburgh. Sosa surpasses Hack Wilson's club record set 68 years ago.

ť September 5, 1998: Sammy Sosa hits home run #58 tin Chicago's 84 win over the Pirates, as the Cubs maintain their lead in the race for the wild card spot.

ť September 11, 1998: The Cubs lose to Milwaukee, 1311, with Sammy Sosa hitting home run #59 in the losing effort.

ť September 12, 1998: Cubs' OF Sammy Sosa becomes the 4th player in history to reach the 60HR mark for a season when he slugs number 60 off Valerio De Los Santos of the Brewers in the 7th inning of the 1512 Chicago win.

ť September 13, 1998: Sammy Sosa hits his 61st and 62nd home runs of the season against the Milwaukee Brewers to tie the National League record of 10 multiHR games in a single season set by Ralph Kiner in 1947. The two home runs pace the Cubs to an 1110 win, and tie Sosa with Mark McGwire for the home run lead.

ť September 16, 1998: Sammy Sosa's grand slam in the 8th inning, his 63rd home run of the year, leads the Cubs to a 63 win over San Diego. He now has 154 RBIs for the season.

ť September 25, 1998: The home run race continues unabated as Sammy Sosa blasts his 66th homer in the 4th inning at Houston, and Mark McGwire responds in the 5th inning with his 66th in the 5th inning at Busch Stadium. Sosa's solo shot ties the game at 22, but the Astros score in each in the next four innings to win, 62. Kevin Tapani fails in his bid to win his 20th. The Cards top the Expos, 65, as McGwire adds another single and J.D. Drew a pair of homers.

ť September 26, 1998: Sammy Sosa has no homers but a pair of hits and scores the gamewinning run as the Cubs edge Houston, 32. Gary Gaetti has two RBIs while Jeff Bagwell hits his 34th for the Astros.

ť November 8, 1998: Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa is named the National League MVP. Sosa hits 66 homers and led the National League in RBIs while carrying the Cubs to the playoff.

ť April 24, 1999: In New York's 20 loss to the Cubs, Mets' leadoff man Rickey Henderson bats five times, going 2-for-4, and on each occasion he leads off the inning. The Mets strand 12 as Chicago reliever Terry Mulholland throws six 2/3 scoreless innings. Sammy Sosa homers for Chicago.

ť June 7, 1999: The hot Cubs pound the White Sox, 137, as Sammy Sosa and Jose Hernandez each hit 3-run homers and collect five RBIs. The Cubs sweep their South Side rivals completing their 3rd consecutive 3-game sweep, something the Cubs have not done since 1918.

ť June 30, 1999: President Bill Clinton shows up in time to see Sammy Sosa blast his National League-leading 30th homer as the Cubs edge the Brewers, 54. Sosa has nine homers in his last 13 hits.

ť July 1, 1999: The Brewers defeat the Cubs, 19-12, as SS Jose Valentin hits 2-run home runs from each side of the plate. 2B Ron Belliard and C Dave Nilsson each get four hits for Milwaukee, while Belliard drives home five runs. The Brewer light up Steve Trachsel for 10 runs in 3.2 innings pitched, hanging his National League high 11th loss on him. The Brew Crew collects 21 hits for the 2nd times in three nights. There are eight homers in the game, including a pair by Cubs Mickey Morandini. Not homering after four straight games in which he went deep is Sammy Sosa, who singles twice.

ť August 26, 1999: The Cubs put Kevin Tapani on the DL for the rest of the season. In the first year of a 2-year contract, Tapani is 09 in his last 10 starts. They don't need him today as they edge the Giants, 1110 behind Sammy Sosa's 53rd home run.

ť September 1, 1999: Sammy Sosa hits his 56th homer, off Sterling Hitchcock, to give the Cubs a 10 win over San Diego. Steve Trachsel is the winner with seven shutout innings. Glenallen Hill's single is the only other Cub hit.

ť September 6, 1999: Sammy Sosa hits his 58th homer but his Cubs lose to the Reds, 63.

ť September 9, 1999: In the Cubs 53 loss to the Reds, Sammy Sosa hits his 59th homer. Sosa has more homers than the Cubs have wins: 56. They've lost 31 of their last 39 games.

ť September 18, 1999: The Brewers beat the Cubs, 7-4, as Sammy Sosa hits his 60th home run of the year. He becomes the 1st major leaguer to hit 60 homers in two seasons.

ť September 26, 1999: The Cardinals lose to the Reds, 7-5, despite Mark McGwire's 60th home run of the season. McGwire joins Sammy Sosa as the only players in history to reach the 60 homer mark twice. Big Mac will end the season with 147 RBIs on 145 hits, the only player in ML history (with 100 hits in a season) to have more ribbies than hits. Jay Buhner, in 1995, came closest with 121 RBIs and 123 hits (.984)

ť October 3, 1999: It lasts just five innings, but the Cardinals (74-88)defeat the Cubs (67-95), 9-5, as both Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa homer in their last game of the season. McGwire takes Steve Trachsel deep in the 1st and finishes with 65 home runs, with Sosa next in line with 63, homering in the 3rd. McGwire's home run is his 522nd moving him past Ted Williams and Willie McCovey for 10th place on the All-time list finishes with 147 RBIs on 145 hits, the first player ever to have more ribbies than hits; Jay Buhner, in 1995, came closest with 121 RBI on 123 hits. Last year McGwire drove in 147 runs on 152 hits. Starter Larry Luebbers earns the win for the Cards with just four innings of work, a rarity. Rick Ankiel saves it after Luebbers pitches to three batters in the 5th. More than 145,000 fans watched the 3-game set with the cubs, giving the Cards a franchise-record 3,230,356 for 79 dates.

ť May 14, 2000: The Expos defeat the Cubs, 16-15, despite two home runs and seven RBIs by Chicago OF Henry Rodriguez. OF Sammy Sosa has five hits, including a double, and five RBIs for the Cubbies, while Eric Young steals five bases.

ť July 10, 2000: Sammy Sosa wins the All-Star Game Home Run Derby by defeating defending champ, Ken Griffey Jr., in the finals.

ť September 16, 2000: The Cardinals defeat the Cubs, 7-6, despite Sammy Sosa's 50th home run of the season. Sosa becomes the 2nd player to hit 50 or more in three consecutive years, joining Mark McGwire.

ť April 7, 2001: Sammy Sosa hits his first homer, a solo shot to right center, as the Cubs defeat the Phillies, 8-4.

ť April 21, 2001: Jon Lieber gets his first win and Sammy Sosa hits the first grand-slam at the new PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

ť May 5, 2001: Leading the Dodgers, 4-1, the Cubs score eight runs in the 7th and eight more in the 8th to defeat LA, 20-1. Sammy Sosa, Todd Hundley, and Julio Zuleta homer for Chicago, with Zuleta's 3-run pinch capping the scoring in the 7th. Chicago scores eight in the 8th on five hits before LA third baseman Chris Donnels takes the mound and gets the final out. It was the 15th time since 1900 that the Cubbies have scored 20 runs in a game and the 11th time they've done it at "The Friendly Confines." The Cubs last scored 20 runs at Wrigley on June 3, 1987.

ť May 10, 2001: The Brewers defeat the Cubs, 11-1, as OF Jeromy Burnitz hits three home runs and drives in six runs. Devon White adds a grand slam, while Sammy Sosa does the only Cubs damage with his 398th career home run. The Brewers, 80 in their new ball park, are just three games in back of Chicago in the NL Central.

ť May 16, 2001: The Astros defeat the Cubs, 6-2, despite Sammy Sosa's 400th career home run, off Shane Reynolds, at Chicago.

ť June 7, 2001: The Cubs complete sweep of Cardinals, winning 43, and posting their 15th win in 16 games. Cub fans haven't seen that since 1945. Matt Morris takes a no hitter into the 7th before Matt Stairs 2-out double opens the door. Rondell White's single in the 10th inning drives home Sammy Sosa for the winner. Chicago takes a five game lead over St. Louis in the Central Division with the win.

ť June 18, 2001: Well, it's not Wrigley. The Cubs lose their 12th straight in St. Louis as the Cards beat them 62. Mark McGwire and Jim Edmonds match homers with Sammy Sosa and Eric Young. Back home, the Cubs announce plans to renovate Wrigley Field, adding more than 2,200 seats.

ť June 20, 2001: Using the long ball, the Cubs record first win at Busch Stadium in 13 tries over last two seasons. beating the Cards, 94. Sammy Sosa belts a 2-run homer and a grand slam, and makes a diving catch to save a run. Gary Matthews, Jr. adds a 3-run homer.

ť July 9, 2001: Arizona OF Luis Gonzalez beats Chicago OF Sammy Sosa in the Home Run Derby during the AllStar festivities.

ť August 9, 2001: The Rockies defeated the Cubs, 145, despite three successive home runs by Sammy Sosa. Winning pitcher Mike Hampton ties the NL record for home runs in a season by a pitcher by hitting his 7th. The major-league record is 9.

ť August 22, 2001: Cubs OF Sammy Sosa hits three home runs in a game for the second time in two weeks as he leads Chicago to a 163 win over the Brewers. Sosa is removed from the game following his home run in the 6th inning, missing a chance to tie the ML singlegame mark of 4.

ť August 26, 2001: The Cubs defeat the Cardinals, 61, as Sammy Sosa hits two more home runs, his 50th and 51st of the season. In doing so, he joins Mark McGwire and Babe Ruth as the only players with four 50homer seasons.

ť August 28, 2001: The Marlins defeat the Cubs, 43, despite Sammy Sosa's 52nd home run. The blast gives Sosa a share of the NL record for home runs in August, tying the mark set by Willie Mays in 1965. He also ties Babe Ruth for the most homers in seven consecutive seasons: the Babe hit 343 between 1926-32. Mark McGwire has hit 338 homers from 1995 through this year.

ť September 23, 2001: Sammy Sosa becomes the first player in history to hit three home runs in a game three times in a season. Despite his trio of blasts, the Cubs still lose to the Astros, 76.

ť October 2, 2001: The Cubs are eliminated from the Wild Card race and Sammy Sosa hits home run No. 60 in Chicago's 5-4 loss. He's the first player in history with three 60+ home runs in a season.

ť October 3, 2001: Cubs ace Jon Lieber picks up his 20th win of the season, beating the Reds, 137. He's the first Cubs 20-game winner since Greg Maddux in 1992. Sammy Sosa hits a 3-run home run for roundtripper No. 61, as the Cubs score five in the 7th. Sosa pushes his RBI total to 154 to lead the majors. Corey Patterson has four hits for Chicago while Corky Miller homers twice for the Reds. Cubs pitching coach Oscar Acosta resigns from the organization, effective immediately following the game, and will take a job with Texas.

ť October 6, 2001: At Wrigley, Julian Tavarez takes a no-hitter into the eighth inning against Pittsburgh before giving up a bases loaded singlethe only hit he allowsto Mendy Lopez. Roosevelt Brown drives in seven runs on a pair of 3-run home runs and a sac fly. Sammy Sosa has three hits, three runs and three RBIs, including an inside-the-park homer for No. 63.

ť October 7, 2001: The Giants beat the Dodgers, 2-1, as Barry Bonds extends his major-league record with his 73rd home run of the season. He will finish the year with a slugging percentage of .863 to break Babe Ruth's all-time single-season record. Bonds will have 411 total bases, 3rd in the NL behind Luis Gonzalez and Sammy Sosa. He also is the only player besides Kevin Maas to have more than 20 homers and not double his home run total in RBI. (Maas had 21 home run, 41 RBI, in 1991)

ť October 7, 2001: The Cubs lose to the Pirates in their final game of the season, 4-3. They become the first team in ML history to not allow an opposing pitcher to throw a complete game against them all season. Sammy Sosa closes out 2001 with his 64th homer in his final at-bat of the game and sets a new franchise record with 98 extra base hits, one more than Hack Wilson smacked in 1930. He also finishes with another franchise record of 425 total bases, the 7th best all-time total, two ahead of Wilson. His 160 RBIs is the highest total in the NL since Chuck Klein knocked in 170 in 1930; Sammy's RBI total for the past four years also breaks Klein's 4-year mark set in 1929-32. To finish out the record day, five Cubs pitchers combine for 12 strikeouts as the staff sets a major-league record with 1,246 strikeouts. The Yankees do the same, setting an AL mark with 1,266 strikeouts.

ť April 5, 2002: At Wrigley Field, the Pirates nip the Cubs, 21. Dave Williams pitches six innings for the Bucs, leaving after Sammy Sosa hits a homer that bounces back on the field. A new addition to Wrigley is a green tennis wind screen the Cubs erected on the fence lining the back of the bleachers in left field to block views from the rooftops on Sheffield and Waveland avenues. This is the latest skirmish in the war between the Cubs and bar owners who have put up roof top venues. FX Reprographics had 22 people at $113 apiece in the bleachers atop Michael Kaufman's skinny building on the leftfield line on Waveland. Kaufman and the other 10 rooftop owners disagree that they are stealing the Cubs' product.

ť June 8, 2002: At Seattle, Mark Prior pitches seven strong innings to give the Chicago Cubs a 20 interleague victory over the Mariners. Prior gives up just four hits and a walk while striking out 11, including the last five batters he faces. Sammy Sosa hits his major leagueleading 21st homer in the sixth inning and Fred McGriff hits his 10th in the eighth.

ť June 18, 2002: The Cubs defeat Texas, 43, as for the first time in ML history, four members of the 400HR club play in the same game. Rafael Palmeiro and Juan Gonzalez start for the Rangers and Sammy Sosa and Fred McGriff for Chicago.

ť July 8, 2002: Jason Giambi outhomers Sammy Sosa, 71, in the final round to take the 2002 AllStar Home Run Derby.

ť August 10, 2002: The Cubs wallop the Rockies, 151, as Sammy Sosa clouts three home runs and drives home nine runs.

ť August 11, 2002: The Cubs defeat Colorado, 129, as Sammy Sosa hits a grand slam and drives home five runs. The RBIs give him an National Leaguerecord 14 in two consecutive games.

ť August 12, 2002: The Astros down the Cubs, 96, despite Sammy Sosa's 5th home run in the last three games. Sosa's blast makes him only the 3rd player in National League history with five straight 40HR seasons.

ť September 2, 2002: The Cubs beat the Brewers, 174, to salvage a split in their doubleheader after Milwaukee takes the opener by a score of 42 on solo homers by Ron Belliard (2), Eric Young and Jose Hernandez. Glendon Rusch wins his 8th straight over the Cubs. Chicago P Kerry Wood ties a major-league record in the second game by fanning four Brewers in the 4th inning. Wood also homers off Andrew Lorraine, one of five gophers he serves up. Another is Sammy Sosa's 494th homer, moving him ahead of Lou Gehrig on the all-time list.

ť September 15, 2002: The Cubs shut out the Reds, 60, as OF Sammy Sosa drives in his 100th run of the season on a 3run home run in the 8th inning. In doing so, he joins Mel Ott and Willie Mays as the only National League players to post eight consecutive 100RBI seasons.

ť September 29, 2002: The Cubs fire manager Bruce Kimm, who took over from Don Baylor on July 5. Kimm requested that the announcement be made prior to the game, a 73 Cubs win. Kerry Wood (12-12) strikes out nine in six innings, and the Cub relievers add six more. The Cubs end the season leading the majors in strikeouts by batters (1,269) and pitchers (1,333), the first team to accomplish the feat since Boston (UA) in 1884. Sammy Sosa hits his 49th to lead the NL; it is 499th career homer (45 have come in starts by Wood). Pluses for the Bucs include two homers, one by Tony Alvarez, his first in the majors. Josh Fogg (12-12) sets a modern club record for starts by a rookie (33); Sam Leever had 39 in 1899.