Chicago Cubs History: Sammy Sosa Hits 60th Home Run of 1998
By David Hill
Heading into the 1998 season, only two players in MLB history had ever hit 60 home runs in a season. On this day that year, Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa became the second player in 1998 to reach that mark.
The home run chase between St. Louis Cardinals first baseman and Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa captivated the nation in 1998. With the sport still looking to regain its popularity following the 1994 strike, watching both sluggers attempt to catch Roger Maris for the single season home run title helped bring the sport back from the disastrous work stoppage.
Four days earlier, McGwire had made history, breaking Maris’ record with his 62nd home run of the year. However, Sosa was still hot on his heels, as the home run title remained hotly contested. He kept the pressure on when, on this day, he became the fourth player in MLB history, and the second player of the year, to hit his 60th home run.
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In the end, Sosa would come up short in his quest to be the single season home run leader. He would finish the year with 66 homers, four behind McGwire’s 70 bombs. Interestingly, this would not be the only time that Sosa would finish second in the single season home run race after hitting 60 or more homers; in all three seasons he did so, he finished second in his league.
Sosa, however, did end up with a consolation prize for the year. With the Cubs returning to the postseason, and having led the National League in runs, RBI and total bases, Sosa was named the MVP. He is also the only player in MLB history to hit 60 homers in three different seasons, so he had that going for him.
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On this day in 1998, Sammy Sosa became the fourth player in MLB history to hit 60 homers in a season. He also began an incredible power run, where he would hit 60 or more three times from 1998 through 2001.