Sammy Sosa headed up the steps and onto the stage, clutching a small American flag in his right hand. The former Cubs icon beamed as he jogged across the platform, reaching down to high-five some fans as he soaked in the cheers and familiar chants of his name.

At his Hall of Fame -induction ceremony in Cooperstown in 2003, Bob Uecker delivered a memorable acceptance speech that in essence was a stand-up comedy act. Forty-four Hall of Fame players on the stage behind him were reduced to tears over Uecker’s self-deprecating humor, and the audience of some 18,000 roared with laughter.