History
Samuel Kelvin "Sammy" Peralta Sosa was born on November 12, 1968, in
San Pedro de Marcoris, Dominican
Republic.
Sosa is known to family and friends as "Mikey“, or “Slamming Sammy”
His father, Juan, a farmer, died when
Sosa was only 7 years old, leaving his mother, Lucrecia, to raise him, his four brothers, and two sisters.
He was married to Sonia Rodriguez, whom he has dated since 1993 and with whom he has four children:
Keysha, Kenya, Sammy Jr., and
Michael. The couple married on
December 18, 2005, at Altos de
Chavon, La Romana
History(cont.)
As a child, Sosa worked at a number of jobs, including shining shoes, to help support his family following his father’s death. At age
14, using a mitt made from a milk carton, he began playing organized baseball, and in
1985 he signed with the Texas Rangers
He played with 3 different types of teams
From Journeyman to Superstar
Sosa was signed as a free agent for the Texas Rangers by scouts Omar Minaya and Amado Dinzey on July 30, 1985.
He broke into major league baseball at a very young age, getting 183 at-bats in 1989 at the age of 20. That first year, he was traded from the Texas Rangers to the Chicago White
Sox in mid-season.
At the age of 21, he hit 15 home runs with the White Sox, but also stole 32 bases and had 10 triples.
He is best known for the four seasons from 1998 to 2001 when he hit over 60 home runs three times. Although he hit
"only" 50 in 2000
Notable Achievements
Fifth
7-time NL All-Star (1995, 1998-2002 & 2004)
NL MVP (1998)
Person To Hit
6-time NL Silver Slugger Award Winner (1995 & 1999-2002)
