In December, hope sprang eternal when Sammy Sosa sought to repair his relationship with the Cubs.

On Friday, hope was kept alive by news that Sosa will make his first appearance at Wrigley Field in 21 years, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The Cubs are scheduled to play the Seattle Mariners at 1:20 pm CST.

The last time Sosa set foot in the friendly confines was in October 2004. That year, Sosa's tenure with the Cubs ended on a sour note when he infamously left a game early without permission.

Before that, Sosa was one of the most beloved players in franchise history from 1992 to 2004. His breakout season was 1998, in which he and Mark McGwire engaged in the historic home run race.

McGwire surpassed Roger Maris to become the single-season home run leader at the time with 70. Sosa finished the year with 66.

Their respective feats helped revive baseball four years after the 1994 strike, which saw the cancellation of the World Series.

In the process, Sosa's good-guy demeanor endeared him to fans far beyond Chicago.

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The circumstances leading to the breakup between Sammy Sosa and the Cubs

In the years since, Sosa was marred by allegations of using performance-enhancing drugs, which he's always denied. In 2005, he testified before a congressional hearing on steroid use in MLB alongside McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro.

The allegations, combined with a deterioration in performance, put a strain on his relationship with the Cubs. At one point, Cubs owner Tom Ricketts said that Sosa would not be welcomed back until he apologized for using steroids.

In 2007, Sosa ended his career with 609 HR, 2,408 hits, and a lifetime batting average of .273.

His eligibility for the Hall of Fame has always been compromised due to the allegations of steroid use. Even though, Sosa himself holds out hope that he will enshrined into Cooperstown.

Nevertheless, Sosa was inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame in January. He was inducted along with former teammate Derrick Lee.