Former Chicago Cub and seven-time All-Star Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Field for the first time in over 20 years on Friday, and it was clear he had been missed.

As the camera found the baseball legend during the team's game vs. the Seattle Mariners, fans in the stands went wild with cheers and shouts, some even rising to their feet to greet their former franchise star. Meanwhile, Sosa looked equally touched, as he waved toward the rapturous crowd and mimed his old home run celebration.

Watch that moment below:

Sosa's homecoming arrives as he prepares to be inducted into the team Hall of Fame later this year, and after he attended Cubs' spring training in February as a guest instructor. But more importantly, it follows the release of an open letter in which Sosa apologized for some of the "mistakes" he made in the past. Though the slugger did not specify those errors, the comments are thought to refer to his reported link to performance-enhancing drugs.

"There were times I did whatever I could to recover from injuries in an effort to keep my strength up to perform over 162 games," Sosa said in the letter released at the end of last year. "I never broke any laws. But in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize."

The now-56-year-old Sosa played a total of 1,811 games with the Cubs before he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in February 2005. He also spent time with the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox during his long career, which he finished with a total of 609 home runs and 1,667 RBIs.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sammy Sosa Met With Rousing Ovation in First Wrigley Field Appearance in Over 20 Years.

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