Sammy Sosa’s Cubs Hall of Fame induction sees him waving the American flag at Cubs Con, evoking the icon's heartfelt gesture after 9/11

It has been 21 years since Sammy Sosa severed his ties with the Chicago Cubs. What was a productive career in the North Side of Chicago met an ugly end when Sosa butted heads with then-skipper Dusty Baker. Ahead of the 2005 MLB season, the 1998 National League MVP was shipped to Baltimore for a haul of players.

Fast forward to last night, and all has been forgotten about the bitter end between the two parties. Sammy Sosa was inducted into the Cubs' Hall of Fame on Friday night during the Chicago Cubs Convention that emanated from the Sheraton Grand Hotel in the Windy City.

With DJ Kool's "Let Me Clear My Throat" playing in the background, Sosa bolted the stage and ran around while holding the American flag. It was a callback to the time that the slugger bolted the Wrigley Field grass in the Cubs' first game following the events that transpired on Sept. 11, 2001.

A player of Dominican descent, Sosa proudly waved the "Old Glory" during a tough time for the American public. At the time, this made him a fan favorite not only in Chicago but in several parts of the nation as well.

Sosa was inducted into the hall together with three-time Gold Glove first baseman Derrek Lee.

Sammy Sosa's Chicago Cubs career

Sammy Sosa started his Chicago Cubs career in the 1992 season after he made the swap from the "South Siders" Chicago White Sox. Sosa was dealt to the Cubbies along with Ken Patterson in exchange for Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer George Bell.

In the North Side, Sammy Sosa became a cult hero after hitting hundreds of home runs for the club. In 13 years with the Cubs, Sosa smashed 545 home runs and drove in 1,414 RBIs.

He appeared in seven All-Star games and won the Silver Slugger Award six times, the 1998 NL MVP Award, the 1999 Hank Aaron Award and the Roberto Clemente Award.

Sosa is also one of just nine MLB players with 600 career home runs. During the 1998 MLB season, Sosa and fellow slugger Mark McGwire embarked on a home run race that glued fans to their television sets.

The race was hyped up as both sluggers were chasing Roger Maris' single-season home run record (61) set in 1961. Both players managed to eclipse the record, with McGwire tallying 70 home runs while Sosa smashed 66 homers.