Watch: Former NL MVP has cringeworthy moment discussing alleged steroid use

According to a CBS report, Friday was Sosa's first time back in the Windy City in "years."

Despite a desire from many fans to have Slammin' Sammy make a return to where he played from 1992-2004, a tense relationship between him and team chairman Tom Ricketts has stalled the process.

The delay in Sosa's return trip has presumably been based on how he's never acknowledged his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The seven-time All-Star came awfully close to making that admission during an interview with Lou Canellis of Fox 32 on Friday.

"Like I said, I had a lot of misunderstandings in the past, but now I'm a real man. I feel great, so I recognize my mistake, so hey, why not?" Sosa said, when Canellis asked about a possible reconciliation with Ricketts.

"Are you telling me that you recognize the fact that maybe you did do steroids?" Canellis asked.

"Um, this is um, like I said, um, this is um, not a question that I expected from you," Sosa responded.

The 55-year-old — along with fellow MLB legends Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens — were denied in their 10th and final attempt to get voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022. Longtime St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire — who went head-to-head with Sosa in the single-season home run chase in 1998 — also fell short of enshrinement in his final try in 2016.

Bonds, Clemens, McGwire and Sosa have all had their baseball legacies, at least in part, tarnished by their alleged steroid use.

Bonds is considered one of the best all-around players in MLB history and holds MLB's single-season home run record (73), while McGwire and Sosa would be locks for Cooperstown if it wasn't for the steroid allegations. Clemens is also considered to be one of the best pitchers of all time, finishing his career with 11 All-Star honors, one AL MVP and a record seven Cy Young awards.