McGwire admits steroid use

[Shag]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4816607

NEW YORK -- Mark McGwire finally came clean Monday, admitting he used steroids when he broke baseball's home run record in 1998.

McGwire said in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Monday that he used steroids on and off for nearly a decade.

"I wish I had never touched steroids," McGwire said in a statement. "It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era."

McGwire also used human growth hormone, a person close to McGwire said, speaking on condition of anonymity because McGwire didn't include that detail in his statement.

McGwire's decision to admit using steroids was prompted by his decision to become hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, his final big league team. Tony La Russa, McGwire's manager in Oakland and St. Louis, has been among McGwire's biggest supporters and thinks returning to the field can restore the former slugger's reputation.

"I never knew when, but I always knew this day would come," McGwire said. "It's time for me to talk about the past and to confirm what people have suspected."

He became the second major baseball star in less than a year to admit using illegal steroids, following the New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez last February.

Others have been tainted but have denied knowingly using illegal drugs, including Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and David Ortiz.

Bonds has been indicted on charges he made false statements to a federal grand jury and obstructed justice. Clemens is under investigation by a federal grand jury trying to determine whether he lied to a congressional committee.

"I'm sure people will wonder if I could have hit all those home runs had I never taken steroids," McGwire said. "I had good years when I didn't take any, and I had bad years when I didn't take any. I had good years when I took steroids, and I had bad years when I took steroids. But no matter what, I shouldn't have done it and for that I'm truly sorry."

Big Mac's reputation has been in tatters since March 17, 2005, when he refused to answer questions at a Congressional hearing. Instead, he repeatedly said "I'm not here to talk about the past" when asked whether he took illegal steroids when he hit a then-record 70 home runs in 1998 or at any other time.

"After all this time, I want to come clean," he said. "I was not in a position to do that five years ago in my congressional testimony, but now I feel an obligation to discuss this and to answer questions about it. I'll do that, and then I just want to help my team."

The person close to McGwire said McGwire made the decision not to answer questions at that hearing on the advice of his lawyers.

McGwire disappeared from the public eye following his retirement as a player following the 2001 season. When the Cardinals hired the 47-year-old as coach on Oct. 26, they said he would address questions before spring training, and Monday's statement broke his silence.

"I remember trying steroids very briefly in the 1989/1990 offseason and then after I was injured in 1993, I used steroids again," McGwire said in his statement. "I used them on occasion throughout the '90s, including during the 1998 season."

McGwire said he took steroids to get back on the field, sounding much like the Yankees' Andy Pettitte two years ago when he admitted using HGH.

"During the mid-'90s, I went on the DL seven times and missed 228 games over five years," McGwire said in the statement. "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."

Since the congressional hearing, baseball owners and players toughened their drug program twice, increasing the penalty for a first steroids offense from 10 days to 50 games in November 2005 and strengthening the power of the independent administrator in April 2008, following the publication of the Mitchell Report.

"Baseball is really different now -- it's been cleaned up," McGwire said. "The commissioner and the players' association implemented testing and they cracked down, and I'm glad they did."

[teedubya]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

McGwire will NEVER admit to taken steroids.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Cannibal

Maybe they should get some roid freaks?

We have a 2 year window starting next year when we have a realistic chance at a World Championship. What year will your team have their chance?

[gblowfish]

I think a lot of players in the 1990s were guilty of this. It will be a stain on the MLB record book, because these performances were all chemically enhanced.

I hate to say this, but it makes me suspicious of Cal Ripkin Jr's streak. One of the things steroids does is help you heal quickly. Not saying he did, it just seems funny that the ironman record was broken during the steroid era.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Its possible...more likely he waits a few more years. But he will definately get in now.

it's more than possible, it's a guaranteed freakin lock

Deberg told me so!!

[penchief]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

I hate that McGwire felt he had to give an insincere apology full of BS in order to get into the HOF (he should have been in there, anyway). But this is the world we live in.

Would his numbers have been HOF worthy had he not juiced? Maybe, but I'm not so sure. If the feeling is that he would not have been a HOFamer without performance enhancing drugs I don't think you can put him in. JMO.

[penchief]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

I think a lot of players in the 1990s were guilty of this. It will be a stain on the MLB record book, because these performances were all chemically enhanced.

I hate to say this, but it makes me suspicious of Cal Ripkin Jr's streak. One of the things steroids does is help you heal quickly. Not saying he did, it just seems funny that the ironman record was broken during the steroid era.

It's also not fair to those great players who didn't last as long because of injury, ala Don Mattingly. Had he had a longer healthier career he would have easily made the HOF, IMO. As it was, his last few years were hampered by a bad back and an early retirement. He'll never get consideration even though he was one of the best pure hitters of his time and may have been the best defensive first baseman of his generation (9 gold gloves in 13 years).

Mattingly was a much better player than Mark McGwire.

[Rain Man]

Mark McGwire, the big fat liar.


It's a disappointing age that we live in.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

Baseball knew. MeGwire and Sosa were busy saving baseball and everyone just turned a blind eye to what was occuring.

If you cheated thats a deal breaker with me. You don't deserve a place in the HOF.

You do realize the HOF is chock full of cheaters right? Players who admittedly broke the rules of the game to win. You are aware of this correct?

Pitchers that used substances to Dr the ball. Tons of players on speed taking greenies which were against the rules.

You may want to reevaluate what you consider cheating.

I am just saying.....

[wild1]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

I hate to say this, but it makes me suspicious of Cal Ripkin Jr's streak. One of the things steroids does is help you heal quickly.

Huh? Steroids help you have a long career and never get injured?

[Brock]

Originally Posted by wild1

Huh? Steroids help you have a long career and never get injured?

Certainly could, yeah.

[L.A. Chieffan]

Originally Posted by frazod

Matrix laughs at teams that haven't won a World Series since 1980-something.

Of course if it comes out that Pujols was on something more than protein shakes then the title the Cards won in '06 would have a big asterisk next to it.

But what am I saying? Obviously LaRussa would never let one of his star players get away with juicing.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

You do realize the HOF is chock full of cheaters right? Players who admittedly broke the rules of the game to win. You are aware of this correct?

Pitchers that used substances to Dr the ball. Tons of players on speed taking greenies which were against the rules.

You may want to reevaluate what you consider cheating.

I am just saying.....

No reevlauation needed. I think Mantle, Yogi Berra and all the rest of those players of that era that admit that they took the "greenies"(speed) in the 50's and 60's should be banned. Talk about an on the field advantage? Thats how they stayed out all night drinking and then played baseball the next day.

[Cannibal]

If the Roids add 15-20 feet onto each of the homers, then you end up with A LOT home runs that would have normally been long fly outs without the Roids.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by wild1

Huh? Steroids help you have a long career and never get injured?

lots of pitchers took them to help in recovery between outings, get over a strained muscle etc. Theywere just not used for building muscle and hitting home runs.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by L.A.Chieffan

Of course if it comes out that Pujols was on something more than protein shakes then the title the Cards won in '06 would have a big asterisk next to it.

But what am I saying? Obviously LaRussa would never let one of his star players get away with juicing.

Too bad Albert got suspended for 50 games last year for violating the league's-oh wait, never mind. That was Manny Ramirez.

Who does he play for again?