CHICAGO, Ill. -- Chicago Cubs great Sammy Sosa released a statement on Thursday apologizing to the organization and the fans for mistakes he made in relation to performance enhancing drugs. 

Since the historic homerun race of 1998, the legacy of both Sammy Sosa and the St. Louis Cardinals' Mark McGuire have been forever linked with the steroid era of Major League Baseball. 

In the past, the Cubs have wanted to invite Sosa back to the ballpark to be an ambassador for the organization but were waiting for an apology or at least an acknowledgement of his past transgressions against the game. 

Full statement from Sammy Sosa:

I left it all on the field for the Cubs and Cubs fans because I wanted to win and make the fans happy. I loved to see the fans at Wrigley in the right field bleachers every home game.

I understand why some players in my era don't always get the recognition that our stats deserve.

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.

We accomplished great things as a team, and I worked extremely hard in the batting cage to become a great hitter.

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.
Sammy Sosa

Full Statement from Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts:

We appreciate Sammy releasing his statement and for reaching out. No one played harder or wanted to win more.

Nobody's perfect but we never doubted his passion for the game and the Cubs. It is an understatement to say that Sammy is a fan favorite. We plan on inviting him to the 2025 Cubs Convention and, while it is short notice, we hope that he can attend. We are all ready to move forward together.

Tom Ricketts
Executive Chairman