I should preface this by saying I thought the article I refer to in the following was very interesting. I think I still hate Mark McGwire very much, but perhaps he might have something positive to offer for baseball. We love redemption stories, right??

Anyway, here’s my post:

I saw a very interesting article in USA Today (its sports feature article today) about Mark McGwire. Check this out: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2008-06-30-mcgwire_N.htm

How would you feel if McGwire came back in some official capacity in Major League Baseball? You would think after the whole steroid controversy, McGwire would be public enemy #1, right? I really resented during the great homerun race of 1998 that McGwire used andro, even though it was legal at the time. I was disappointed he didn’t offer anything to Congress in 2005. The Hall Of Fame balloting has been very underwhelming. And yet…....

After reading this article I find myself wondering if maybe we have done McGwire wrong. It seems very evident he has a lot to offer (he is very quietly and secretly helping out major, minor and college baseball players). He did hit 583 homeruns*. Usually this means a Hall Of Fame ticket…first ballot. Compared to a lot of wrongs in baseball history (game fixing, gambling), has McGwire been treated unfairly? And yet…

Drug use, steroids, greenies, andro, HGH, blood doping, Viagra. All of these things are wrong as well. The late 1990’s through today: what and who do you trust? Who’s next? I think aside from his own mistake, McGwire seems like a standup guy. He was never banned or suspended from baseball. People believe in him. Can You???

Here’s something to chew on. In the above article, I read that people still go up to the Roger Maris’ son and think Maris is the true single season homerun king. I find this terribly ironic. Back in 1961, who didn’t hate Roger Maris for setting the record? Sadly, the appreciation thrown at Maris now could have gone a long way in 1961….If I were alive, I’m not sure what I would have done. I’m pretty sure knowing what I know today, I would have rooted for Roger Maris. Because mostly, no one else did. Don’t ask me what that has to do with McGwire, but I’m sure people don’t go to him and say he’s the true homerun king compared to Barry Bonds….