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Sammy Sosa

Makes Professional Debut In Florida



Just shy of his 18th birthday, Sosa in 1986 left the Dominican Republic and came to Sarasota, Florida, to make his professional debut with a minor league team in the Gulf Coast League. He spoke little or no English, but he had no trouble being understood on the diamond. In his first year, he led the league with 19 doubles and a total of 96 bases. In 1987 he moved to a Class A team in nearby Port Charlotte, where he led the Florida State League with 12 triples and 42 stolen bases. The following year, Sosa played for the Texas Rangers' Class AA club in Tulsa. At the age of 20, he made his major league debut with the Texas Rangers on June 16, 1989. Barely six weeks later, Sosa was traded by the Rangers to the Chicago White Sox. In 1990, his first year as a regular with the White Sox, he hit 15 home runs and stole 32 bases, posting a batting average of .233. He also became the only player in the American League to reach double digits in doubles, triples, home runs, and stolen bases.



Chronology

1968 Born in San Pedro de Marcoris, Dominican Republic, on November 12
1984 Signs contract with Philadelphia Phillies at the age of 15; contract later voided because of his age
1985 Signs contract with Texas Rangers at the age of 16
1986 Leaves Dominican Republic to play for Gulf Coast League's Sarasota (FL) team
1987 Plays Class A ball for Port Charlotte (FL) team
1988 Plays for Rangers' AA Tulsa club
1989 Makes major league debut for Rangers on June 16
1989 Traded by Rangers to Chicago White Sox on July 29
1992 Traded by White Sox to Chicago Cubs
1997 Signed by Cubs to four-year, $42.5 million contract

Sosa's second season with the White Sox proved a bit of a comedown from 1990. His batting average slipped to .203, and his home run total slipped by a third to 10 in 1991. Sosa's RBI total also slipped significantly, down to 33 from 70 in 1990. He was traded by the White Sox to the Chicago Cubs on March 30, 1992, but his first season with the Cubs was marred by a hand injury that kept him sidelined for nearly half of the season. In the 67 games he did take the field, however, he managed to compile a batting average of .260. He bounced back dramatically in 1993, hitting 33 home runs and stealing 36 bases, becoming the first player in Cubs history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a single season.

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Famous Sports StarsBaseballSammy Sosa Biography - Born In Dominican Republic, Makes Professional Debut In Florida, Chronology, Criticism Of Sosa's Style Mounts - SELECTED WRITINGS BY SOSA: