Sosa steps out.
Former MLB superstar Sammy Sosa made a rare public appearance on Thursday, Aug. 19 giving fans a chance to see what he looks like these days. Sosa, 57, attended The Pump Group VIP Summer Soiree at Gravitas in Beverly Hills, California, and was all smiles in the photos from the event.
Sosa, who became one of baseball’s biggest names during his legendary career, has largely kept a lower profile in recent years. Of course, longtime baseball fans haven’t forgotten the slugger’s larger-than-life presence on the field. Sosa spent 18 seasons in Major League Baseball, most famously with the Chicago Cubs, and became one of the sport’s most recognizable stars during his historic home-run race with Mark McGwire in the late 1990s.
Arnold Turner/Getty Images for The Pump Group
Since his retirement in June 2009, Sosa has lived much of his life out of the public eye. In fact, his appearance at Thursday night’s event was the first time he’s been seen in public in more than a year. In June 2025, he made an emotional return to Wrigley Field for the first time in 21 years.
He is active on social media, though he only posts to Instagram occasionally.
“I was born in the Dominican Republic… where many kids grow up with only two choices: sugar cane or baseball,” he captioned a post on May 22. “I chose baseball… and with humility, discipline, and big dreams, my journey began. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this story,” he added.
More than 15 years after his retirement, Sosa’s words make it clear that he hasn’t forgotten where it all began—or the game that changed his life.
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