CHICAGO — Sammy Sosa didn’t get into the Hall of Fame, but the former Cubs slugger has enshrined himself on the Internet, doing what he does best — promoting Sammy Sosa.
“I am the real Sammy Sosa. I love baseball, but now I am a businessman, entrepreneur and family man. I’ll share my life with you,” Sosa posted on Facebook.
On Thursday, Sosa fired up his Twitter handle, @TheRealMr609, to thank fans for their kind words after the Hall of Fame snub.
Sosa hinted in posts that he’s moved on in life after his legacy was tainted by allegations of steroid use during his 18-season career, in which he hit 609 home runs.
“God has blessed me with a beautiful family, great career, and I know He will determine my future in the years to come,” Sosa tweeted.
For now, it looks like Sosa’s new life includes work as CEO for Injex 21, a company that specializes in needle-free drug injection. The company logo includes the number 21, Sosa’s number during his playing days, on a blue-and-white pinstripe background that looks like the Cubs home uniform.
Sosa became involved with the company last year and saw the "potential to help millions of people ... afraid to subject themselves to daily self-injections," according to the Injex website. "Mr. Sosa decided to take Injex to the next level."
It's unclear whether Sosa, who has denied injecting steroids during his career, will promote Injex products. But Sosa is a member of Pinterest.com, an online virtual pinboard where people promote products they like. Currently, Sosa's Pinterest page includes photos of him in a power suit and a mustard-colored sweater tight enough to show off his muscles. His Flickr page has similar images.
Sosa, who lives in Miami, hasn't made any social media posts about Injex, but you can find pictures of him out on the town with his wife, Sonia, skiing with friends and traveling with the family to the Dominican Repubic, his native home.
On Thursday, Sosa spent a few hours tweeting to fans in English and Spanish.
He even promised one fan that he’d come back to Chicago one day:
“@kennyhall13 Thank you. Someday I will visit. My children are looking forward to retuning Tim [sic] Chicago for a visit.”
