Sammy Sosa to appear on Hall of Fame ballot

Sammy Sosa's impact on both the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball in general during his playing days is undeniable. But suspicions of PED use could possibly keep Sosa, who is on the ballot for the first time this year, out of the Hall of Fame.

Although Sosa's numbers — 545 home runs in his 13 years as a Cub — make him one of the greatest power hitters of all time, Tony Andracki of Comcast Sports Net Chicago writes that his Chicago career had its share of controversies beyond just the PED suspicions that complicate his Hall of Fame case.

"Baseball fans remember the steroid suspicions and the corked bat," Andracki writes. "Cubs fans remember the injuries (like that time he hurt his back sneezing) and the attitude. Everybody remembers his most famous quote -- "Baseball has been very, very good to me." And, anybody who has ever seen a recent photo of Sosa will never forget his Michael Jackson-esque makeover."