Mark McGwire and PED's are synonymous with one another. There is nothing he or baseball can do now to reverse that fact. As the former St. Louis Cardinal returned to the city that saw him break Roger Maris' 61 single-season home run record, rather than focusing on his homecoming, McGwire fielded questions regarding PED's.
McGwire, who is now the Los Angeles Dodgers' hitting coach, was asked to comment on the suspensions that were handed out on Monday by MLB. After months of investigations, that eventually led to the suspensions of stars like Ryan Braun, Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta and the soon to be Alex Rodriguez, McGwire simply said he should not be asked how he felt. "It really doesn't matter what I think... What matters is what the players think and from what I hear every day in the clubhouse, they're just happy it's coming to an end,'' said McGwire.
McGwire made a living in baseball hitting home runs. One of the prolific home run hitters of his generation, the first baseman went on to hit a total of 583 home runs. For the most part, 500 home runs automatically gets players into the Hall of Fame, but upon his retirement and following MLB's intense investigations, McGwire's 70-home-run season will always be accompanied by an asterisk. Same goes for his 583 career home runs as the 16-year veteran admitted to consuming steroids.
Now considered a venomous part of the game, in McGwire's time players claim it was a part of the sport. Guys like David Wells have stated that PED's were regularly seen in the locker room. Guys who wouldn't feel comfortable taking the drugs would just look the other way. Though it is cheating, McGwire should be remembered for bringing baseball back.
Along with McGwire, Sammy Sosa was putting on a home run show back in 1998. McGwire broke the record, finishing with 70, while Sosa racked up 66 in the same season. It was a home run race to remember and the two ball players helped make baseball popular at a time where football was considered America's sport.
McGwire is currently enjoying his time with the Dodgers as the team has placed itself in the front of the N.L. West. Though he will forever be linked to steroids, McGwire has told his players to stay away from the drugs. He will be in St. Louis for the next two days as the Dodgers and Cardinals complete their three-game series.
