McGwire Admits Using Steriods!

Seriously. Does anyone believe his tearful confession and admission of steriod use?

As you know from reading the blog I am a big baseball fan. I love the game. I am a big fan of the Detroit Tigers. I think it is a truly wonderful sport, filled with history, statistics and wonderful memories.

This is not to say the sport is perfect, certainly if one goes through the history, it is a collection of the best and worst. From cheaters to heroes to colourful figures. There is the moment of the young boy going to "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and asking 'say it ain't so Joe', in light of the Black Sox Scandel.

But Baseball has always been able to spring back.

Now Baseball has finally concluded the era that has become known as the 'Steroid Era', a time when records fell as players decided to juice up with all sorts of interesting substances. All of this was done because practically everyone, including us fans, decided to look the other way.

Of course the big news is the admission of Mark McGwire that he took steriods during the period when he was the king of the long ball, breaking the coveted most home runs in one season record that was held, and let's be blunt, still held by Roger Maris. Mr. Maris did it honestly, by hitting the ball out of the park 61 times over the course of 162 games, which earned an asterik because Babe Ruth did 60 in 154 games. Now we fast forward to the 1990's when McGwire and Sammy Sosa put on an offensive display with the purpose of breaking one of baseball's hallowed and important records. As I recall, there was a lot of joy that night when McGwire put it over the left field fence. He embraced and was embraced by team mates and opponents alike. After he touched home plate, he went over to the Maris family and showed them his support.

Now we know the reality, that night was based upon a lie. He did it because he was maxed out on steroids. His chase for the record was based upon not natural ability but because he injected himself with performing enhancement drugs.

His name started to appear on lists and in a book written by his teammate Jose Canseco. A lot of people tended, at first not to believe, after all, Jose was a cheat. He injected, he was not loved, plus by the end of his career he was a bit of a buffoon. However, we understand this, Jose Canseco was absolutely right. Every word of it.

What is disturbing, is not the fact Mark McGwire took so long to confess, but the fact that so much of it was still based upon bafflegaff. I think the big lie that he's still trying to get us to believe is he really didn't need to take steroids. He did only to speed up the healing process. This is what he says:

During the mid-'90s, I went on the DL seven times and missed 228 games over five years. I experienced a lot of injuries, including a ribcage strain, a torn left heel muscle, a stress fracture of the left heel, and a torn right heel muscle. It was definitely a miserable bunch of years and I told myself that steroids could help me recover faster. I thought they would help me heal and prevent injuries, too."

The Sporting News, has this article about his tearful confession.

Should we believe him now? Should we believe that he could have done all those wonderful things and not needed the 'roids or the growth hormone. You know what, we don't and right now it doesn't matter. He did take it, he did hit all those home runs and because he denied it for so longs makes one to think that he knows he wouldn't have been able to hit as long, both distance and duration if it wasn't for what he used. The fact he took it and could make say such nice things to the memory of Roger Maris makes him even more dispicable. He chased the record with junk in his veins. The magic season is nothing more then smoke and mirrors, and now Mark McGwire has the nerve to think he can say a few nice words, cry a few tears and think all is good. It isn't.

The question is why now? Perhaps his new job as hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals has something to do with it. Does the fact he spoke now means there can be no more discussion or questions on the subject. Are we all now to simply think, well he admitted it, all is right in the universe, we can now love him and forgive him.

No we can't. I would suggest that each and every batter of the Cardinals be tested often and regularly for steriod use, after all, I'm sure McGwire will teach those young batters all he knows, including what is the best stuff to take.

Of course, not a lot of sports fans are buying this. We can see through an orchestrated confession done to say as little as possible and make the confessor a figure we should forgive and feel sorry for, well we don't. It was contrived, we know a script when we see one. As well, we should never forget the steroid era, we should remember what a joke it made of the game. Sadly this lesson is not being learned by the Commissioner. Bud Selig said, in a statement that was probably equally prepared beforehand stated:

The use of steroids and amphetamines amongst today’s players has greatly subsided and is virtually nonexistent, as our testing results have shown. The so-called steroid era — a reference that is resented by the many players who played in that era and never touched the substances — is clearly a thing of the past, and Mark’s admission today is another step in the right direction.

That's it, no more questions, keep moving, nothing more to see.

Forget it. We must never allow it to happen. We must never allow ourselves to be blinded and wink at the obvious. We must make sure those who cheated are chasticed and those who played clean be honoured.

I noticed Mark McGwire said this has nothing to do with the Hall of Fame, which means it has everything to do with the Hall of Fame. He should be allowed in, only when a special wing is established as the 'Roidheads Hall of Fame'. There are too many players who did it right, they don't need their legacy tainted, like it has already become.

Mark McGwire, a cheat.

The true home run king, Roger Maris.