With the open apology from Sammy Sosa to the Chicago Cubs, it’s been a moment of reflection for Cubs fans and media members alike, including the radio voice of the Cubs in Pat Hughes.

“Sammy and I got along great, and the great home run chase between Sammy and Mark McGwire in 1998 was an absolute thrill to be a part of,” Hughes said on Cubs 360. “They were setting records hitting home runs. They put on these batting practice displays that were worth the price of admission. Unbelievable. Just one after another, a rocket hit by either man in batting practice.”

[WATCH: Sammy Sosa issues apology to Cubs]

Hughes went down memory lane, sharing the level of competitiveness that occurred during those friendly batting practice rivalries between Sosa and McGwire. However, Sosa did more than just send the ball onto Waveland Ave in Chicago; he delivered across the stat sheet for the Cubs.

“He was a showman. He was a tremendous athlete,” Hughes said. “Not just a home run hitter, he could run, steal bases, hit for average. He was a great RBI man.

“The ball just jumped off his bat. He hit tape measure home runs, and he would hit them in bunches. Sometimes, he’d hit 5 home runs in a series. He had a couple of 3-homer games. I remember a game in Colorado where he had home runs in the 4th, 5th and 6th innings. Three consecutive innings he hit a home run in a single game. He hit long ones. He hit dramatic, late-game home runs, game-winners. It’s fun to cover a guy like that when you’re the play-by-play man.”

Not only did Sosa have an impact on Cubs fans and the Chicagoland area, but Hughes credits the 1998 home run chase between Sosa and McGwire as a huge catalyst in bringing back baseball fans who stopped watching the sport after the 1994 strike.

“He was two things that you cannot deny and not take away from him: he was a gamer and he was a worker. He spent a lot of time in the batting cage every single day, and he played every single day. [The 1998 home run chase] was an experience. It seemed like that was real at the time. I think baseball lost a lot of fans, if you recall back in 1994 when the strike ended the season; that home run chase did a lot to bring a lot of the fans back.”

[WATCH: How Sosa will be received at Cubs Convention]

While Sosa’s talent brought fans back to baseball, Hughes is ready to see fans bring Sosa the love from the city of Chicago after the Ricketts family extended an invitation to Sosa to join them at the 2025 Cubs Convention that slated to be from January 17-19 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel.

“It’s going to be great to see him at the Cubs Convention,” Hughes said. “Sammy was always good with the fans, and I think that he will receive a thunderous ovation from the people at the Opening Ceremonies at the Cubs Convention if in fact he’s there for that. Sammy always waved to the fans in the right field bleachers. He was good with them, and he was always smiling.”

To hear more from Pat Hughes, watch the exclusive interview above.