Sosa, Sammy (Samuel Kevin Sosa Peralta) (sämwĕl` sō`sä pĕräl`tä), 1968–, Dominican baseball player. He broke into the major leagues with the Texas Rangers and then the Chicago White Sox (both American League; AL) in 1989, moving to the Chicago Cubs (National League; NL) in 1992 and the Baltimore Orioles (AL), for one season, in 2005. In 2007 he returned to the majors with the Texas Rangers. Long regarded as a powerful hitter and prolific base stealer, but prone to striking out, Sosa engaged in 1998 in a highly publicized race with Mark McGwire McGwire, Mark David (məgwīr`), 1963–, American baseball player, b. Pomona, Calif.
..... Click the link for more information. to break the single-season home-run record (61) held by Roger Maris Maris, Roger Eugene (măr`ĭs), 1934–85, American baseball player, b. Hibbing, Minn.
..... Click the link for more information. . McGwire finished with 70 home runs, Sosa with 66, and their good-natured competition was widely hailed; Sosa won the NL's Most Valuable Player award. In 1999, Sosa became the first player ever to reach the 60-homer plateau in two seasons but was overtaken by McGwire, finishing with 63 home runs to the Cardinal slugger's 65. Sosa led the NL in homers in 2000, with 50, and hit 64 in 2001, finishing second to Barry Bonds record-breaking performance (73) and becoming the first player to hit 60 home runs in three seasons. Sosa's image was hurt in 2003 when he was caught using an illegal, corked bat; suspicions that he has used anabolic steroids anabolic steroid (ăn'əbŏl`ĭk stĕr`oid, stĭr`–) or androgenic steroid
..... Click the link for more information. have also tarnished his reputation. He has more than 580 career home runs.

Sosa, Sammy

orig. Samuel Sosa Peralta

(born Nov. 12, 1968, San Pedro de Macoris, Dom.Rep.) Dominican-born U.S. baseball player. Sosa came to the U.S. as a child and began playing organized baseball at age 14. In 1985 he signed with the Texas Rangers, with whom he made his professional debut in 1989; he was soon traded to the Chicago White Sox and then in 1992 to the Chicago Cubs. In 1993 the right fielder became the Cubs' first player to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in one season, a feat he repeated in 1994. In 1998 he dramatically battled Mark McGwire for the season home-run record (later broken by Barry Bonds); Sosa finished the year with 66 home runs, earning him the National League's Most Valuable Player award. In 1999 he became the first player to hit more than 60 home runs in each of two seasons. Before the start of the 2005 season, he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. After a lacklustre year with the Orioles, Sosa sat out the 2006 season, but he returned to professional play in 2007 as a member of the Texas Rangers. Later that year he hit the 600th home run of his career.