Sammy Sosa Spent Nearly 20 Years Estranged From the Cubs as His Appearance Changed Dramatically – Now at 57, His Life Looks Very Different

He went from one of baseball's biggest stars to a longtime absence from the Cubs family. As that divide persisted, another change kept him in the public conversation. Now, at 57, his story looks different. See the before and after photos at the end of this article.

Sammy Sosa became one of Major League Baseball's most recognizable players during a career defined by towering home runs and his years with the Chicago Cubs.

The Dominican-born slugger emerged as a household name during the extraordinary 1998 season, when he and St. Louis Cardinals star Mark McGwire captivated baseball fans with their pursuit of Roger Maris' single-season home run record of 61, which stood for decades.

McGwire ultimately hit 70 home runs that season, while Sosa finished with 66 and eventually played his final game in 2007, remaining ninth on MLB's all-time home run list. However, the achievements that made him a baseball star later became entangled with questions about performance-enhancing drugs.

Seven years after the 1998 home run race, Sosa and McGwire were among the MLB figures called before Congress during a 2005 hearing examining steroid use in professional baseball. McGwire would eventually acknowledge using performance-enhancing drugs.

The former right fielder also looked back on what he and his teammates had achieved, while making clear that he wanted to repair his relationship with the organization and its supporters.

However, Sosa continued to maintain his innocence. The issue followed the Dominican-born slugger long after his playing days ended and contributed to a strained relationship with the Cubs.

While other former players returned for conventions, appearances, and ambassadorial roles, Sosa remained notably separated from the organization with which he was most closely associated.

That distance stretched across much of the period following his retirement. For years, his unwillingness to acknowledge alleged steroid use was widely viewed as an obstacle to a reunion with the Cubs.

Then, in December 2024, he issued a statement that appeared to move the two sides closer together. Although the Dominican-born slugger stopped short of explicitly admitting that he had used steroids, he acknowledged the broader controversy surrounding players of his generation.

"I understand why some players in my era don't always get the recognition our stats deserve," Sosa said. He also addressed his own decisions during his career, saying:

"There were times I did whatever I could to recover from injuries in an effort to keep my strength up to perform over 162 games. I never broke any laws, but in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize."

The former right fielder also looked back on what he and his teammates had achieved, while making clear that he wanted to repair his relationship with the organization and its supporters. "We accomplished great things as a team, and I worked extremely hard in the batting cage to become a great hitter," he stated.

"Cubs' fans are the best in the world, and I hope that fans, the Cubs, and I can all come together again and move forward. We can't change the past, but the future is bright. In my heart, I have always been a Cub, and I can't wait to see Cubs fans again," Sosa continued.

As for the Cubs, their response came quickly. Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts released a statement on behalf of the organization that welcomed Sosa's outreach and recognized both his popularity with fans and his history with the team.

"We appreciate Sammy releasing his statement and for reaching out," Ricketts' statement read in part. The organization also invited Sosa to the 2025 Cubs Convention and said it was "ready to move forward together."

The thaw eventually developed into further recognition from the franchise. The retired baseball star was later selected as a member of the Chicago Cubs 150th Anniversary Team, an honor he announced on Instagram.

In his post, he thanked the fans who had supported him over the years and reflected on what the organization still meant to him.

The comments surrounding his complexion continued on social media, where some people compared his newer appearance with photographs from his baseball career.

"Chicago and Cubs fans will always hold a very special place in my heart," Sosa wrote, adding that he was looking forward to returning to Wrigley Field to celebrate the milestone with the Cubs community.

While his relationship with his former club remained strained for years, a very different aspect of his life had also kept him in the public eye. Sosa's appearance changed considerably toward the end of his playing career, particularly his complexion, prompting years of questions and commentary.

The Dominican-born player, who entered MLB with the Texas Rangers in 1989 before eventually joining the Cubs, had a much darker complexion during his playing years. However, after retirement, photographs showed his skin becoming progressively lighter.

The former baseball player publicly explained the reason as far back as 2009, when he said he was applying a bleaching cream. "It's a bleaching cream that I apply before going to bed and whitens my skin tone," Sosa revealed at the time.

He explained that he used the product to soften his skin and that lightening was one of its effects, adding, "I'm not a racist; I live my life happily." Still, his explanation did little to stop discussion about his appearance.

By 2018, the change was still attracting attention, but Sosa made clear during an interview in Dubai that criticism was not dictating how he lived. He stated:

"Look at what I am today. This is my life, and I don't take garbage from nobody. I do whatever I want."

The comments surrounding his complexion continued on social media, where some people compared his newer appearance with photographs from his baseball career. One person typed, "You mean pink skin. I guess he used a skin reassignment cream."

Another commenter shared, "Looks like a glass of strawberry Nestle quick [sic]," while someone else simply wrote, "Bram Stoker's Dracula."

Vampire comparisons appeared more than once. One person commented, "He was a handsome mixed Latino man, now he looks like a vampire." Another similarly said, "He looks like a vampire."

Years after Sosa retired from baseball, his relationship with his former club entered a markedly different phase. His 2024 apology was followed by an invitation back into the Cubs fold, and his later selection to the franchise's 150th Anniversary Team provided another sign of the changed dynamic.

Now 57, Sosa remains connected to the career that made him one of the defining baseball figures of the 1990s, even as his life after the sport generated a very different kind of attention. Before and after photos documenting his appearance over the years and offering a look at him today can be found below.

Before

After