I love the Cubs. My all-time favorite player is Sammy Sosa. My fondest memory of him is when I was at Wrigley Field and he threw a ball into the stands and I caught it. I was so happy, and most importantly, the Cubs won that day. I didn’t realize that the road he had to take to get to where he is now was so difficult, but now that I do, I admire him for overcoming all those obstacles.

The main reason I admire him is because he came from nowhere. He was born into a very poor family and now he makes millions of dollars a year. His father died when he was seven, so his only father figure was his brother Luis, who was eight years older and tried to keep Sammy out of trouble.

After his father died, Sosa’s family had a difficult time earning money, so he got a full-time job when he was 12. There was no time for school; he dropped out in the eighth grade. He only started playing baseball when he was 14, but he had talent and a great work ethic, which helped him become one of the greatest players ever.

That’s another reason why I admire Sosa so much. He never gave up when people told him he couldn’t do it, and he did anything and everything to become a pro ball player. Sosa came to America not knowing a word of English, and now he is a Hall of Fame candidate.

I think character is the most important piece of the human puzzle, and Sosa’s character is the greatest. Even though he was the National League MVP in 1998, he never bragged about his ability. When he was the first person to have three 60-homerun seasons, he just smiled and kept working to improve.

Sosa has always been active in the community and has never showed an attitude toward the press, even when they bugged him. He donates money to charities, and when Hurricane Georges ripped through the Dominican Republic, he was there to help rebuild. Sosa has always had all of the tools to be a great baseball player, as well as a great person. Almost everyone who loves baseball loves him. He is one of the greatest players ever, and I think he is going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer when his time comes.