Tag Archives: Mark McGwire

Steroids Era sluggers don’t fare too well this time

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Sports Illustrated writer – and former “Sports Talk” guest – Joe Posnanski raised an interesting point in his blog post last night reacting to the Baseball Hall of Fame voting.

Mark McGwire

Will Mark McGwire ever make the Baseball Hall of Fame? I have my doubts. Associated Press

The bulk of the post is in regards to the election of Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar. But in the middle of the post, Posnanski wrote this:

The biggest story on Wednesday, I think, is that the opinion about steroid use seems to be hardening. Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,000 hits and 500 homers, got only 11% of the vote. Mark McGwire’s numbers went down. Kevin Brown actually fell off the ballot. Juan Gonzalez, despite a campaign that featured a full-color brochure, barely stayed on the ballot. All of them have been connected with steroids.

And I think they are the canaries in the coal mine, the ones that are telling us what is coming in two and three and four years. I guess I have believed that, in time, the steroid fury would settle down and that while it might hurt borderline cases, all-time greats like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens would still get in. I’m not sure I think that anymore. I think there was a powerful statement made on Wednesday. I’m not sure a strongly-suspected steroid user can get to 75%, no matter how good he was.

I’ve said plenty on the subject, and I’ll undoubtedly babble about it more over time so I don’t have anything else from a personal perspective to add here. But from a news perspective, well, before the announcement, I talked a bit with Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson. I was curious how the Hall of Fame views the voting and how they view the future. And I have to say the answers surprised me. Jeff said a few things that reiterated that surprising thought in my mind: Right now, from the way everything is pointing, I don’t think Barry Bonds is going to the Hall of Fame. I don’t think Roger Clemens is going to the Hall of Fame. I don’t think Sammy Sosa is going to the Hall of Fame. Not for a long time.

The Hall of Fame election in 2013 will be an interesting one. With Bonds, Clemens and Mike Piazza hitting the ballot, you got some pretty big-time suspected juicers there.

Let’s take a look at McGwire’s five years on the Hall ballot:

  • 2007: 23.5 percent
  • 2008: 23.6 percent
  • 2009: 21.9 percent
  • 2010: 23.7 percent
  • 2011: 19.8 percent

At best, McGwire has been treading water, at least up until this year. But despite there being more voters in 2011 than 2010, his vote total actually dropped from a year ago. That means some voters – for one reason or another – have turned on him. The obvious reason for that is McGwire’s admission that he used performance-enhancing drugs, which happened prior to him taking over as St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach this past year.

And it’s not just McGwire. Rafael Palmeiro is one of only four players in big league history with 3,000 hits and 500 homers, yet the former first baseman – who once failed a drug test – garnered just 11 percent of the vote. Juan Gonzalez received only 5.2 percent of the vote.

I’ve long wondered whether or not these guys will ever get in on the writers’ ballot. I mean, 75 percent of the vote … it can be hard to convince 75 percent of writers that using steroids to reach certain athletic achievements is OK. Look how long it took Blyleven, and as far as we can all tell, he never took performance-enhancing drugs.

Next year’s ballot – headlined by Bernie Williams – should be a bit of a dud. But the 2013 one will be one to watch.

Even in retirement, Bonds is chasing McGwire

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If you’ve read any literature at all about Barry Bonds – the book I prefer is “Love Me, Hate Me …” by Jeff Pearlman – then you have read that one of the reasons Bonds started taking steroids was because he was jealous of the attention Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa got for their home run chase in 1998.

“If they want home runs, I’ll give them home runs.”

And home runs he gave. Or home runs he sent, I suppose. Bonds hit more homers in a single season than any other player when he hit 73 in 2001, breaking McGwire’s mark of 70 set just three years before that. Bonds hit more homers in a career – 762 – than any other player.

And this week, Bonds saw the opportunity to deflect some of the attention for the Giants’ run to a World Series berth onto himself when he said he would like to one day be the hitting coach for the Giants.

First thing that bothers me is the fact that the Giants already have a hitting coach in Hensley Meulens. Most people – in good taste – wouldn’t say publicly they want a job that is already occupied. Considering the ways that the Giants organization bent over backwards for Bonds in the past, you wonder how Meulens is feeling right now.

Secondly, I still don’t like the idea of Bonds or any other known – and let’s face it, it’s pretty much known by now – steroid user being allowed back into the game like this. If you think they should be in the Hall of Fame, then fine. I could stomach that, although I would disagree with their inclusion. But I don’t think they should be allowed back on the field.

McGwire became hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals prior to this season. Do you think Bonds saw some of the attention McGwire got for receiving that job and wanted it for himself? That would be strange, since I’m guessing McGwire would have preferred to not be in the spotlight if given the option.

Shortly after the Black Sox Scandal in the 1919 World Series, it became obvious that gambling and the throwing of games was widespread throughout baseball. A man by the name of Kennesaw Mountain Landis was tabbed as commissioner and given the responsibility of cleaning up the game.

He sent a message to those cheaters by banning eight Chicago White Sox players from baseball for life. And I don’t know for certain since I wasn’t born for about another 60 years after that, but to my knowledge gambling wasn’t a big problem again, at least until Pete Rose came along.

About a decade ago, steroid use in baseball was pretty widespread. After years of ignoring the problem, MLB commissioner Bud Selig stepped up his testing program, but nobody has ever been banned for it. And the players’ union accepts a lot of the blame, too, for getting in the way of harsher penalties.

What’s done is done, though. I don’t want to get into the steroid use in baseball other than to say I don’t think these guys should be wearing big league uniforms again. They cheated the game in order to profit from it, just like the players in the 1919 scandal did.

It would serve Selig well to send a message, just as his predecessor did.

McGwire’s presence makes me queasy

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Forgive and forget, as they say. Hey, I’m all for that.

But I’ll admit, watching Thursday afternoon’s New York Mets’ spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals on TV left me a little uneasy. And it had nothing to do with the realization that my life must be pretty empty if I’m watching meaningless baseball in March.

It had to do with seeing former Cardinals great Mark McGwire back in uniform as the hitting coach for his former team.

I guess it’s time for me to let bygones be bygones. That was an era in baseball that, while I don’t have to be proud of it, I need to accept it for what it was and move on.

But, to me, McGwire is a cheater. He cheated the game just like Pete Rose cheated the game a decade or so before him. The only difference between the two is how Major League Baseball reacted to them.

Forget about ever seeing Rose on the playing field again. He can’t even get into the Baseball Hall of Fame, despite being the all-time hit king. And despite the fact that his transgressions occurred after his playing days. As a player, he was picture perfect, but that doesn’t matter. Baseball ruled that he committed a cardinal sin as far as the sport goes, and I have no problem with the decision to keep him out of all things baseball.

But the fact that McGwire, an admitted steroid user, is allowed to tutor and mentor young Cardinals hitters – including the game’s best in Albert Pujols – gives me the heebie-jeebies. It makes my skin crawl. Whatever you want to call it. I don’t like it.

McGwire hit 238 homers in his first nine seasons and 345 in his final seven seasons, when he should have been on the backslide of his career. So I won’t be convinced that steroids didn’t play a significant role in the fact that it’s debated whether or not he’s a Hall of Famer. Face it: Those steroids boosted his credibility when it came to pursuing a hitting coach position in a game that’s now supposed to be cleaned up.

I’m ready to turn the page on the "Steroid Era." It’s just not easy to do that when one of the era’s biggest stars is still occupying a dugout.

St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach Mark McGwire hits grounders to infielders during spring training baseball Friday, Feb. 26, 2010, in Jupiter, Fla. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Gumbel implicates Bagwell, Nomar

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I used to subscribe to the HBO family of networks when Curb Your Enthusiasm was on, but I dropped the package shortly after the show’s season wrapped up a couple months ago.

Another show I watched frequently on HBO was "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel." I’m not a huge fan of Gumbel, but Frank DeFord and Co. often would report on very interesting stories. I specifically remember DeFord’s piece on former Detroit Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell, who is dying from cancer.

Well, I found this morning through a series of linksthis post by David Barron of the Houston Chronicle. He saw the newest episode of the series, and in it Gumbel uses his "final word" to call out those who used steroids or who have been believed to have used.

The typical cast of characters is called out by Gumbel, including Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa.

Gumbel hopes the players learn what went wrong with Mark McGwire‘s admission of steroid use, should any of them opt to come clean.

But toward the end, he says:

"In closing, guys, please feel free to share this letter with Bagwell, Nomar, Pudge and all those others who went from hitting homers to power outages overnight. Tell ‘em fans are ready to accept what happened. Tell ‘em we’re ready to move on. Tell ‘em that most of us get it…even if they, like you, still don’t."

Pudge would be Ivan Rodriguez, and that’s no big surprise. But Jeff Bagwell and Nomar Garciaparra? What does Gumbel know about them?

Would I be surprised if either used? No, of course not. I doubt many players who used steroids would surprise me anymore.

But I’m reluctant to throw out accusations like that. To my knowledge, there’s never been any evidence of either Jeff Bagwell or Nomar Garciaparra having used steroids. I can’t recall any accusations or any mentions in the Mitchell Report.

It seems Bagwell’s power numbers were pretty consistent before his final season, when he was plagued by injuries at the age of 37 and never played again. But is that enough to suggest he used?

And isn’t Garciaparra just an example of another player who can’t stay on the field? Should every player who is banged up year-in and year-out be accused of juicing?

The short answer is "no."

Does Maris belong in the Hall of Fame?

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One thing is for sure: The Mark McGwire steroid admission has ignited a decades-old debate in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Does Roger Maris – of Fargo – belong in Baseball’s Hall of Fame?

Many arguments can be made for it. For starters, Maris is the single-season home run king in Major League Baseball among players whose careers weren’t swallowed up by the "Steroid Era." Secondly, he won back-to-back MVP awards. And finally, he helped three teams (1961 and ’62 Yankees and the 1967 Cardinals) to World Series titles.

The hardware is there for Maris. No doubt about that.

One columnist in St. Louis says more noise should be made for Maris rather than people uniting against McGwire. That’s also a worthwhile argument.

Personally, I don’t think Maris belongs, at least not moreso than some other players who have been left out. Like Dale Murphy, he’s got back-to-back MVPs, but I’m not sure if his best lasted long enough to fit the typical profile of a Hall of Famer.

We could all argue until we’re blue in the face about whether or not Maris belongs. The numbers can basically be twisted to make the argument either way. Same for Murphy. Same for Tim Raines, Bert Blyleven and Jack Morris.

What’s important is that Maris is remembered. So what if he doesn’t get in the Hall of Fame?

McGwire’s admission has unquestionably led to more people admiring what Maris did during his career. McGwire talked about how tough it was to stay on the field. You think? Why are Lou Gehrig‘s and Cal Ripken‘s consecutive games streaks such a big deal? It’s tough to play 162 games, let alone be successful.

Yet in one magical year in 1961, Maris hit more homers than any player that came before him. And that number "61" is probably more than any player that came after him who didn’t have a little bit of help. We may never know for sure on that last part.

But the fact that people are talking about him again and recognizing his accomplishment, that should be the most important thing.

Jack Clark speaks out against steroid users

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Found an interesting post today from Yahoo’s Big League Stew blog.

Former St. Louis Cardinals player Jack Clark spoke pretty candidly regarding steroid users, calling all users "creeps."

Clark and fellow ex-Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire, who admitted earlier this week to having used steroids, will be together at the Cardinals’ Winter Warmup this weekend.

"I’m not even going to say hello to him," Clark told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I’m not going to shake his hand."

But this set of quotes was my favorite:

"A-Rod: Fake, phony," Clark said. "Rafael Palmeiro: Fake, a phony.

"[Roger] Clemens, [Barry] Bonds: Fakes. Phonies. They don’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. They should all be in the Hall of Shame. They can afford to build it. They’ve all got so much money."

Is the Steroid Era over?

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Are we still in the Steroid Era?

It’s a popular question these days, brought to light once again by Monday’s announcement from Mark McGwire confirming what baseball fans already believed. For most baseball fans, it wasn’t if McGwire used steroids, but only whether or not he’d "come clean."

Steroids in baseball is a polarizing topic. That’s not because some think it’s OK, but rather many fans are just tired of hearing about it or being reminded of it.

But there’s plenty of interest. My last two appearances on the "Sports Talk" radio show – weekdays from 1-2 p.m. on 970-AM WDAY – are proof of that. We’ve never gotten as many calls on our relatively new show as we did Tuesday, at least not while I’ve been on the air.

I don’t think baseball has completely emerged from the Steroid Era, but I think, at the very least, steroid use isn’t as rampant as it was. Funny how drug testing has a tendency to do that. Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig only has himself to blame for some of the problems of the past couple decade. Why else is he so adamant in saying the Steroid Era is over?

Take a look at the MVP winners from 1996-2005:

AMERICAN LEAGUE
1996, 1998: Juan Gonzalez – He was mentioned in Jose Canseco’s book "Juiced." He was also named in the Mitchell Report following a 2001 incident, but denies ever using steroids.

1997: Ken Griffey Jr.

1999: Ivan Rodriguez – He was also mentioned in "Juiced." Once, when asked whether he was among those who failed the 2003 random tests that was to remain anonymous, he said, "Only God knows." Not exactly a strong denial. I recall him showing up for spring training in either 2003 or 2004 having lost like 20 or 30 pounds. Let’s be clear: Has never tested positive steroids as far as anyone knows.

2000: Jason Giambi – Admitted to using steroids. Mentioned in the Mitchell Report.

2001: Ichiro Suzuki

2002: Miguel Tejada - Named in the Mitchell Report. Pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about performance-enhancing drug use and received a one-year probation.

2003, 2005: Alex Rodriguez - Admitted to having used steroids from 2001-03.

2004: Vladimir Guerrero

NATIONAL LEAGUE

1996: Ken Caminiti - Admitted to using steroids. Died from a drug overdose in 2004 at the age of 41.

1997: Larry Walker

1998: Sammy Sosa  – The New York Times reported that he failed a drug test in 2003.

1999: Chipper Jones

2000: Jeff Kent

2001-04: Barry Bonds - Reportedly admitted to using "the cream" and "the clear" during a grand jury testimony in 2003. Reportedly failed a drug test in November of 2000 according to indictment papers.

2005: Albert Pujols

There you have it. Of the 20 MVPs won during that 10-year span, 12 of them were won by players who either admitted to using steroids, failed drug tests, or appeared in the Mitchell Report, and that’s not including Pudge Rodriguez.

So while I believe the Steroid Era is over, baseball is hardly out of "the clear" just yet.

TWINS INTERESTED IN DOUG DAVIS

There was a report Wednesday night that the Twins are among four teams interested in left-handed starting pitcher Doug Davis, who is a free agent.

The Twins reportedly offered free-agent pitcher Jarrod Washburn a contract in the past couple of weeks, so they may not be done adding to this team just yet.

Davis represents another pitcher, like Washburn, who is a veteran, yet not much better than the options the Twins already have. And Davis, unlike Washburn, has put up his largely mediocre numbers in the National League.

Davis has kept his ERA in the 4s the last few years and has been pretty durable outside of missing time when he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2008. But his WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) has been at least 1.50 the last four years, meaning he puts A LOT of baserunners on. And a trip to the American League, where he’d deal with the designated hitter rather than a pitcher batting, would not help matters.

McGwire comes clean, but also rids himself of responsibility

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Finally, Mark McGwire talked about the past.

A lot of baseball fans, especially ones my age, have been waiting for this moment since 1998. I was a teenager at the time, caught up in McGwire and Sammy Sosa‘s home run chase of Roger Maris‘ single-season record of 61.

McGwire shattered the record by hitting 70, but I was too naive at the time to realize something was amiss. To me, McGwire seemed a larger than life figure. Truth is, he was.

Once considered one of the game’s all-time great sluggers, McGwire was reduced to tears when discussing his steroid use from 1990-1998. The feelings of guilt seemed genuine. I don’t doubt that.

But what does irk me is this feeling he has that the "Steroid Era" caught him.

I have no doubt in my mind that there was a time, probably around 2000, when steroid use was prevalant. Maybe it is true that over half of all big leaguers were juicing at the time. That’s what former NL MVP Ken Caminiti said in 2002 when he admitted to using steroids during the mid-1990s.

But in 1990, I doubt it was prevalant. Maybe I continue to be naive. But the way players looked in 1990 and the way they looked in 2000 could not have been more different.

In some ways, McGwire ushered in the "Steroid Era" back then. He and teammate Jose Canseco led the Oakland Athletics to three straight American League pennants from 1988-1990, and now both are admitted users.

And to hear McGwire say he could hit 70 homers in a season had he not been on steroids, c’mon! Really! Do you really believe that?

I’ve been waiting for McGwire to talk about the past, and it was nice to hear him do so. I do think each admission helps the game move past that era. But I don’t want to hear how a player didn’t juice to improve performance, or that he could hit 70 homers without them.