Sammy Sosa Returns to Chicago Cubs Dugout for Spring Training

A sight for sore eyes in the Chicago Cubs fanbase -- Sammy Sosa is back wandering the team's dugout 21 years after he was exiled from the organization.

The 56-year-old was in attendance for the Cubs' Spring Training tilt against the Arizona Diamondbacks ... where he was spotted chatting with current members of the squad.

"I'm happy to see everyone," he told the broadcast. "Happy to be here. I also want to say thank you to the Rickett family for bringing me here. Jed Hoyer, the [General Manager] and Craig Counsell, which has been great to me."

Sosa said he's enjoyed watching the players taking some at-bats and offering up advice on how to improve ... saying that he's "an expert in that."

Sosa's cameo comes after the two sides ended a two-decade-long standoff ... which was due to the former slugger's ties to performance-enhancing drugs, which he tested positive for in 2003.

That all changed in January ... when he released a statement owning up to past mistakes -- saying "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."

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

It was all the Cubs were looking for -- the team extended an invitation to their fan convention shortly after he shared his post, which he ultimately attended.