Sosa, Sammy

(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.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica