The McGwire Mess

Mark McGwire is off the suspect list. We can now refer to him as an admitted steroid user; a guy who tarnished baseball by using performance enhancing drugs; a guy who finally fessed-up during an emotional, nationally televised interview on the MLB Network. 

Yes, McGwire could hit home runs without the juice. He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1987-- after he hit 49.

McGwire says he used performance enhancing drugs, not to better his numbers, but to help him recover from injuries in 1993 and 1994. That may have been his intention. But the side-effects were startling. Steroids turned McGwire into guy who could hit home runs at absurd distances and rates.

Even without steroids, McGwire believes he could have hit 70 home runs in 1998. He was "given a gift by the man upstairs to hit home runs."  If that's the case, and he really believes that-- then why use them?

I don't think McGwire is a bad person. But his actions were deceitful.

Now that he's been presented with an opportunity to help coach the St. Louis Cardinals, McGwire knew he'd have to come clean.

It's too bad he didn't stay clean when it really mattered.