Sosa blasted 66 home runs in 1998 and 63 in 1999, more than Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, or Hank Aaron ever did in a two-year span. His subsequent fall from fame, stemming from claims that he took performance-enhancing drugs, has kept him distanced from the Cubs and generally out of the public view. However, during his time with the team he was often cited as an influence on young players such as Ken Griffey Jr. Sosa's record was finally surpassed by Barry Bonds in 2007. When the season ended, it was confirmed that Bonds had hit 73 homers, while Sosa had fallen short of the mark by four blasts. However, this does not mean that Sosa is without honorific status among baseball historians. He remains one of only three men to have hit 70 or more home runs (the other two being Ruth and Aaron) and it is quite possible that his record will never be broken given how much attention and publicity Bonds received after breaking Aaron's record. In conclusion, Sammy Sosa was one of the most prolific home run hitters of all time and still holds several records to this day. Although he fell from grace due to alleged drug use, he remains an important part of baseball history.