Sammy Sosa: 1968—: Professional Baseball Player

Sosa began his long romance with fans of the Chicago Cubs after a trade in 1992. A broken right hand and ankle reduced his participation to 67 games. By 1993, his health restored, he managed 93 runs, 36 stolen bases, and 33 home runs and reached stardom as the first player in team history to chalk up 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season. To commemorate a personal victory and team milestone, he donated his bat to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. He also ordered a diamond-and-gold pendent spelling out 30-30 over crossed bats and displayed a license tag marked "SS 30-30." In his homeland, he bought a shopping mall and name it "30-30."

The next year Sosa continued his winning streak by topping the Cubs' batting average and leading in RBIs and home runs. By age 27 he earned a place on the National League All-Star team and won the Silver Slugger Award as one of the three best-hitting outfielders in the league. From the Sporting News, he received a commendation for power hitting.

Sosa ended the 1996 season on the bench after a pitch fractured his right hand. Despite unforeseen down time, he managed .273 batting average, 40 home runs, and a phenomenal 100 RBIs. In July, selection as the National League Player of the Month boosted his spirits. In the following season, he challenged the National League record with an amazing series of stats—642 at-bats, 303 total bases, 119 RBIs, 71 extra-base hits, 36 home runs, and 31 doubles. The stellar come-back primed him for international scrutiny as he achieved a 200th major league home run and his 1,000th major league hit. It was the beginning of a numbers game that threatened to swamp him.