Ex-baseball player Sammy Sosa is worth $70 million, making him the wealthiest Dominican-American player in history. In his career as a Major League Baseball player, which spanned from 1989 to 2007, Sammy Sosa earned over $120 million in compensation. From endorsements, he made tens of millions.

When he signed with the Chicago Cubs in 1992, he had already made a name for himself as one of the game’s top hitters while playing for the White Sox and Rangers of Texas. With his 600th career home run, he became the seventh player in MLB history to reach the milestone of 700 career home runs.

Childhood of Sammy Sosa

He was born in Consuelo, the Dominican Republic, although he was listed as being born in San Pedro de Macors, the capital of the Dominican Republic. His family refers to him as “Mikey” since he is of Haitian heritage.

The Beginning of a Career in the Majors of Sammy Sosa

Texas Rangers left fielder Juan Sosa made his big league debut in June of 1989. Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox hit him for his first career home run. Sammy Sosa was dealt by the Rangers to the White Sox in July. He hit.233 with 15 home runs, 70 RBIs, 10 triples, and 32 stolen bases in his debut season with the club. In addition, he was hit by a pitch 150 times. Although he had two home runs in the first two weeks of the new season, he ended up having a terrible year.

Cubs From the 1990s

Sosa was dealt to the Cubs in exchange for outfielder George Bell before to the 1992 season. Sammy Sosa hit.260 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs in his debut season with the Cubs. The next year, he hit.261 with 33 home runs and 93 RBIs. In 1994, Sosa’s batting average rose to.300, and he hit 25 home runs. His first All-Star team selection came in 1995. In 1996, he batted.273, had 40 home runs, and drove in 100 runs. Because of his rivalry with Cardinals outfielder Mark McGwire in 1998, Sosa’s career peaked in that year. When the two players raced to break Roger Maris’ single-season home run record of 61 home runs, it drew widespread national attention. Sosa and McGwire were deadlocked at 66 home runs apiece until McGwire shattered the record in September. Sosa finished the season with 66 RBIs, while McGwire had 70.

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In 1998, Sosa topped the league in both batting average and runs batted in. Since 1948, no player has amassed more than 416 total base hits in a season. One of the greatest offensive outbursts in MLB history occurred in June when he hit 20 home runs and had a slugging percentage of.842. Bill Clinton asked him to join him at his State of the Union address in 1999 as a guest, and he received the National League Most Valuable Player Award in recognition of his accomplishments. In 1999, Sammy Sosa hit 63 home runs, continuing his success.

The Cubs’ Final Two Seasons

During his last two seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Sammy Sosa set still more records. This season he became the first player to hit 60 or more home runs in three consecutive seasons, with 64 total home runs in the 2001 season. His personal bests for runs, RBIs and walks were also obtained in that year. He had a.328 batting average at the end of the season, which was the high of his career. Sosa also exceeded his total-bases record from 1998, with 425 hits. 2002 was another banner year for him in terms of home runs.

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Sosa and the Cubs won the NL Central Division Championship in 2003. When umpires discovered that he had been using a corked bat against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in June, he was disqualified. Sosa said he accidentally used the bat, but an inquiry discovered no cork in any of his other 76 bats. Sammy Sosa hit 40 home runs in the last month of the season while serving a seven-game suspension. Sneezing in the dressing room caused him to injure his lower back the next year. After he was put on the injured list, he concluded the season with 35 homers. He was let go by Cubs in 2004 after only one season.

Texas Rangers vs. Baltimore Orioles

During a deal in January 2005, the Cubs gave up Sammy Sosa to the Orioles. His season-ending batting average of.221 was his lowest in almost a decade, with 14 home runs. In December, he became a free agent when his contract with the Orioles expired.

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With the Texas Rangers, Sosa had a minor league contract of $500,000. He was the team’s designated hitter and occasional right fielder at the start of the season. He became just the seventh player in baseball history to blast his 600th career home run against the Cubs in an interleague game in June. In 2009, Sosa declared that he was retiring from professional baseball.

Controversy Surrounding Drug Use and Personal Life

Sosa’s first marriage lasted until his divorce from Karen Lee Bright in 1991. He began dating Sonia Rodrguez, a former Dominican television dancer, the following year. Six children: Keysha, Kenia, Sammy Sr., Michael, Rolando, and Kalexy were born in the 2000s.

A Congressional hearing on the major league baseball doping controversy was attended by Sammy Sosa, McGwire, Jose Canseco, and Rafael Palmeiro in 2005. According to Sosa’s lawyer, he had never taken any performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career. Sosa was later listed on a list of players who tested positive for drugs in 2003, according to an article published in the New York Times in 2009.