Mac admits using steroids...

[Manram]

Re: Mac admits using steroids...

That's what i found funny about the interview. He was able to say with a straight face that the believed he could have put up the same stats without steroids.

[suicide_squeeze]

Re: Mac admits using steroids...

On the interview he had with Bob Costas he said he could have put up the same numbers without steriods, just that the steroids made his body feel better.

I don't believe he could have even come close to putting up the same numbers without steroids. Maybe 55 homers in a season......once. As the old saying goes (and from his own mouth)......he was a walking MASH unit. The steroids morphesized him into something he wasn't, and would have never been.

Was Mark McGwire one of the best in his era? Absolutely. He holds THE MLB record for most frequent home runs per at bat in a career.

Does that mean he should be elected into the Hall with all of the other generations of greats? That's the debate we will all see unfold over the next decade or so. It's going to be interesting, but I think he's got a super tough row to hoe after some thought. I just don't understand how you can elect a guy who "did it wrong".

On steroids, he was a daily-fresh living breathing HOUSE on two legs. Christ 'ol mighty.....all he had to do was get the wood on the ball, and it wasn't going to come down via gravity anytime soon. Same goes for Bonds. They were both great hitters. But they chose to cheat. I see trouble for both of them in ever getting elected now.....and in the case of McGwire, I feel badly about it. I like him. I enjoyed that 1998 battle. But the aftermath is painful.

I still consider Hank Aaron the all-time home run leader.

And I still consider Roger Maris the single-season home run leader.


But that's just me. And this McGwire confession, albeit a brave and honorable thing to finally do.....just supports the argument.

[Manram]

Re: Mac admits using steroids...

On the interview he had with Bob Costas he said he could have put up the same numbers without steriods, just that the steroids made his body feel better.

[STLHAMMER32]

Re: Mac admits using steroids...

Thanks for proving my point. I'm sorry for having an opinion that differs from yours and I'm glad that you know him personally to ascertain this. His nobility for coming clean should be heralded...

I'm not saying he is a great noble person for coming clean. What I am saying is how would admitting steroid use be an act of arrogance...that makes no sense at all. You are saying it is arrogance with no facts at all to support how in the world it would be arrogant.

[Ozric]

Re: Mac admits using steroids...

To think Mark is doing this out of arrogance would be foolish.

Thanks for proving my point. I'm sorry for having an opinion that differs from yours and I'm glad that you know him personally to ascertain this. His nobility for coming clean should be heralded...

[STLHAMMER32]

Re: Mac admits using steroids...

I agree that we all need to let this go. It just becomes a bit irritating and difficult to do so when you get called foolish for having an opinion that differs from a homer that champions this guy as being on a noble pursuit for finally admitting that he cheated.

To think Mark is doing this out of arrogance would be foolish.

[Ozric]

Re: Mac admits using steroids...

I agree that we all need to let this go. It just becomes a bit irritating and difficult to do so when you get called foolish for having an opinion that differs from a homer that champions this guy as being on a noble pursuit for finally admitting that he cheated.

[NYCrulesU]

Re: Mac admits using steroids...

I find it amusing how people argue about McGwire and steroids today. If ANYONE sat and watched the 'HR race of '98' and didn't know that both McGwire and Sosa were on steroids, they were simply lying to themselves. What's done is done. People need to let it go.

[STLHAMMER32]

Re: Mac admits using steroids...

It's interesting to read this thread in its entirety and see the different personalities come through in the responses.

Before fans got mad at baseball players for using PEDs, they were mad at them for making too much money. Well, salaries are higher than ever, but with PEDs taking center stage, you don't hear a peep about the money anymore.

When the PED's issue has faded away, as it will, fans will find something else to get mad at the players about. Getting mad at ball players is a great American tradition as old as the game itself.

I'm guessing that back in the day, the fans were ready to tar and feather Hoss Radbourne for wearing his cap at too jaunty an angle.

Rick
rickjlucas@gmail.com

Its pretty sad but you can see examples in everything....people envy the guy with the big boat and talk about how cool it is and want one....find out the guy works for an oil company and they now despise the guy and say what a lousy boat it is. lol.

Mac and Sosa excite the fans and we all enjoy the long HR's and ignore the huge changes in body size...find out that they used Performance enhancers and now they are despised...

The history of the game is filled with cheaters, racists and people of very questionable character. There was cocaine, amphetamines, cork and spitballs before steroids....players were always looking for an edge....How do we determine a guy using cocaine to get an extra boost to get through a game is worse than steroid use? McGwire was never tested for steroids it was not discouraged but rather ignored...its time to consider it a troubling time in baseball that has ultimately made the sport cleaner...

[rj_lucas]

Re: Mac admits using steroids...

It's interesting to read this thread in its entirety and see the different personalities come through in the responses.

Before fans got mad at baseball players for using PEDs, they were mad at them for making too much money. Well, salaries are higher than ever, but with PEDs taking center stage, you don't hear a peep about the money anymore.

When the PED's issue has faded away, as it will, fans will find something else to get mad at the players about. Getting mad at ball players is a great American tradition as old as the game itself.

I'm guessing that back in the day, the fans were ready to tar and feather Hoss Radbourne for wearing his cap at too jaunty an angle.

Rick
rickjlucas@gmail.com

[STLHAMMER32]

Re: Mac admits using steroids...

I think he came off as pretty pathetic in the Costas interview. And I don't think this interview improved anything. He probably would have been better off leaving it at the statement from earlier today. Basically he said it was his biggest mistake, cried a lot and at the same time said all steroids did was help him get healthy but that his stats would have been the same without steroids, that he would have hit 70 in '99 without steroids, etc.

Given that, I don't find him to be forgivable. After watching that, the main question I had was if he beleived all that, what was he so sorry for? Why are you crying? Apparently you don't think the game was actually effected by your personal usage.

Also some of the things he said didn't match that line of thinking. When Costas told him that some members of the Maris family believe that Maris is the rightful single season HR king given these admissions, he reponded by saying they have every right to think that. Yet he says he would ahve hit 70 with or without steroids. I don'y get it. I think the man has been wrapped up in secrecy and deception for so long, hes not actually clear on what the truth is anymore.

As for his Hall of fame chances after this, the 3 voters on MLB network that were there all indicated that he would not get their votes. Verducci and Rosenthal hadn't voted for him before and Gammons who had voted for him previously would not vote for him anymore.

Its good for baseball that he admitted using, but his "elaboration" in this interview didn't really do anyone any good.

There is no need to really debate whether or not Mark would have been able to hit 70 without steroids because truth is we will never know. I will say that McGwire's Hr's were not cheap shots...ironically 62 was the only one that snuck over the wall....

If you think that steroids adds another 175 ft to a Hr than yes for sure he would have hit less.....

the situations were still stressful and he still had pressure surrounding him and like I said his hr's were no cheap shots..it was a rare occurance that he hit one less than 420 ft which is insane...several were over well over 500ft.

[bronx_burner]

Re: Mac admits using steroids...

'98 not '99. gotta love the edit feature...

[bronx_burner]

Re: Mac admits using steroids...

I think he came off as pretty pathetic in the Costas interview. And I don't think this interview improved anything. He probably would have been better off leaving it at the statement from earlier today. Basically he said it was his biggest mistake, cried a lot and at the same time said all steroids did was help him get healthy but that his stats would have been the same without steroids, that he would have hit 70 in '99 without steroids, etc.

Given that, I don't find him to be forgivable. After watching that, the main question I had was if he beleived all that, what was he so sorry for? Why are you crying? Apparently you don't think the game was actually effected by your personal usage.

Also some of the things he said didn't match that line of thinking. When Costas told him that some members of the Maris family believe that Maris is the rightful single season HR king given these admissions, he reponded by saying they have every right to think that. Yet he says he would ahve hit 70 with or without steroids. I don'y get it. I think the man has been wrapped up in secrecy and deception for so long, hes not actually clear on what the truth is anymore.

As for his Hall of fame chances after this, the 3 voters on MLB network that were there all indicated that he would not get their votes. Verducci and Rosenthal hadn't voted for him before and Gammons who had voted for him previously would not vote for him anymore.

Its good for baseball that he admitted using, but his "elaboration" in this interview didn't really do anyone any good.

[STLHAMMER32]

Re: Mac admits using steroids...

I think Mac should bring a ladder with the
hole he's digging

We're going to need a larger circus tent
after this.

I dont see him digging a hole but rather climbing out of one....He has been away from the media and spotlight now he is opening up and coming clean.

[allstarsplus]

Re: Mac admits using steroids...

I am watching the Bob Costas interview again. McGwire could have lied about doing steroids during the 1998 season and he admitted to that.

I found him to be honest and credible in the interview.

I don't like cheaters, but with Mark's confession, lets move forward.