Sammy Sosa Returns To Wrigley Field For First Time In 21 Years

There's no crying in baseball ... but there was an exception on Friday, when Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Field for the first time in 21 years -- and was met with a passionate standing ovation from Chicago Cubs fans.

The hatchet burying went down at the iconic stadium when the Cubs hosted the Seattle Mariners ... a sign the organization and its former superstar were ready to leave the past in the past for good.

The 56-year-old was essentially exiled from the franchise due to his ties to performance-enhancing drugs ... as he tested positive for a banned substance in 2003.

Sosa released a written apology for his previous decisions a few months back ... owning up to it all and finally giving the Cubbies what they were looking for.

"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 December.

"I never broke any laws, but in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize."

Sosa got a hero's welcome when announced to the crowd at Chicago's home game ... as well as a video tribute during the contest.

Slammin' Sammy waved to the crowd with a big smile on his face ... and the folks in the stands gave him love right back.

Sosa previously joined the Cubs' dugout for a spring training game ... where he chatted with several current players -- even giving out advice on how they can hit as well as him!!