Sammy Sosa and Luis Castillo to Receive Mentions in the Juan Marichal Award
Santo Domingo – Two Dominican baseball legends, Sammy Sosa and Luis Castillo, will be honored with special mentions at the fifth edition of the Juan Marichal Award, which will be held on December 14th. This recognition highlights their recent inductions into the Halls of Fame of the teams where they left an indelible mark in the Major Leagues.
The award’s advisory committee has activated a special condition to recognize outstanding achievements by Dominican players in MLB, in addition to the main award that will be given this year to Juan Soto.Sammy Sosa: A Cubs Icon
Sosa, at 57 years old, was inducted into the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame on September 7th in a ceremony at Wrigley Field. He is remembered as the most emblematic offensive figure of the franchise for more than a decade.
In his 13 seasons with the Cubs, Sosa batted .284, hitting 545 of his 609 home runs, driving in 1,414 runs, and participating in seven All-Star Games. He earned six Silver Bats and led multiple offensive statistics. He is the only player in history with three seasons of 60 or more home runs, including the 66 home runs of 1998, a record still held by the organization.Luis Castillo: Immortalized by the Marlins
Luis Castillo received his recognition on August 24, upon being inducted into the first class of the Miami Marlins Hall of Fame, along with Jim Leyland, Jack McKeon, and Jeff Conine.
In his 10 seasons with the Marlins, Castillo had a .293 average, with 1,273 hits, 675 runs scored, and 281 stolen bases in 1,128 games. He was fundamental in the 2003 World Series victory, participated in three All-Star Games, and won three Gold Gloves, establishing himself as one of the most outstanding second basemen of his generation.A Prize that Honors Dominican History in MLB
Since its inception, the Juan Marichal Award has included honorary mentions to highlight exceptional achievements by Dominican players.
Among those honored in previous editions are Albert Pujols, Jeremy Peña, Julio Rodríguez, Domingo Germán, Ricardo “Rico” Carty, Manny Ramírez, Ketel Marte and Nelson Cruz.
