Other Sports McGwire admits steroid use - Page 7

Shag · 01-11-2010, 02:21 PM

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."

KC_Connection · 01-11-2010, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by penchief

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.

Better take out everybody currently in the HOF who took amphetamines and steroids, then. Gotta be fair.

KC_Connection · 01-11-2010, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pr_capone

**** Mark McGwire
**** Sammy Sosa
**** Barry Bonds
**** David Ortiz
**** Alex Rodriguez
**** any and all players who used PEDs and tarnished the game.

**** them all.

You wouldn't have much of a sport if you kicked out all the "cheaters." That goes for any sport.

**Easy 6** · 01-11-2010, 09:10 PM

Meanwhile, back in whenever...

LaGenious (CP) says its even possible Mark Magoo could be activated... Steve Deberg @ 77 years of age or BANE w/out the Boss Sauce pinch hitting!1

KC_Connection · 01-11-2010, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pr_capone

Agreed.

If these guys had not cheated then the comparative numbers to get in the hall would not be so great.

Guys with shorter yet brilliant careers like Mattingly would actually have a chance to get in and deservedly so.

Mattingly had 222 HR in 14 seasons with a .830 OPS.
McGwire had 583 HR in 16 seasons with a .982 OPS.

Carry on, then.

el borracho · 01-11-2010, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearcat

Remember kids, there's always a right time to tell the truth.... maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but when it happens, you'll know.

I'm pretty sure the best time is after you've made several million dollars by cheating. Yeah, I'm sure all those millionaires are really sorry for cheating.

**pr_capone** · 01-11-2010, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

Mattingly had 222 HR in 14 seasons with a .830 OPS.
McGwire had 583 HR in 16 seasons with a .982 OPS.

Carry on, then.

And that is why I hate modern baseball. All people look at anymore are offensive statistics.

Don Mattingly's Resume (13 year career)

* 6× All-Star selection (1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989)
* 9× Gold Glove Award winner (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994)
* 3× Silver Slugger Award winner (1985, 1986, 1987)
* 1985 AL MVP
* 1993 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
* New York Yankees team captain (1991–1995)
* New York Yankees #23 retired

McGwire's Resume (18 not 16 year career and a CHEATER)

* 12× All-Star selection (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
* World Series champion (1989)
* Gold Glove Award winner (1990)
* 3× Silver Slugger Award winner (1992, 1996, 1998)
* 1987 AL Rookie of the Year
* 1999 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
* 1992 Home Run Derby winner
* Major League Baseball All-Century Team

McGwire has double the All-Star numbers but how many of those were influenced by the steroids?

Mattingly has 8 more Gold Gloves

Both 3 time silver slugger winners

Mattingly hold a MLB record with 6 GS in a single season

Learn about Mattingly before you talk like you know something.

Frazod · 01-11-2010, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pr_capone

And that is why I hate modern baseball. All people look at anymore are offensive statistics.

Don Mattingly's Resume (13 year career)

* 6× All-Star selection (1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989)
* 9× Gold Glove Award winner (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994)
* 3× Silver Slugger Award winner (1985, 1986, 1987)
* 1985 AL MVP
* 1993 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
* New York Yankees team captain (1991–1995)
* New York Yankees #23 retired

McGwire's Resume (18 not 16 year career and a CHEATER)

* 12× All-Star selection (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
* World Series champion (1989)
* Gold Glove Award winner (1990)
* 3× Silver Slugger Award winner (1992, 1996, 1998)
* 1987 AL Rookie of the Year
* 1999 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
* 1992 Home Run Derby winner
* Major League Baseball All-Century Team

McGwire has double the All-Star numbers but how many of those were influenced by the steroids?

Mattingly has 8 more Gold Gloves

Both 3 time silver slugger winners

Mattingly hold a MLB record with 6 GS in a single season

Learn about Mattingly before you talk like you know something.

How do you know Mattingly didn't pop pills or do anything else illegal? Were you in the locker room with him?

penchief · 01-11-2010, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

How do you know Mattingly didn't pop pills or do anything else illegal? Were you in the locker room with him?

Steroid use has skewed career stats so dramatically it's silly to compare the impact of steroids to those other things. No way dudes are hitting 70 and 80 homers without PEDs..

So much so that when it comes to HOF consideration it is just not fair to compare those who juiced to those who didn't.

Mattingly was a superior player to McGwire, hands down. Without steroids McGwire is likely not even a HOF candidate.
Posted via Mobile Device

Frazod · 01-11-2010, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by penchief

Steroid use has skewed career stats so dramatically it's silly to compare the impact of steroids to those other things. No way dudes are hitting 70 and 80 homers without PEDs..

So much so that when it comes to HOF consideration it is just not fair to compare those who juiced to those who didn't.

Mattingly was a superior player to McGwire, hands down. Without steroids McGwire is likely not even a HOF candidate.
Posted via Mobile Device

Hey, cheating is cheating. On a 100 degree day in July, a couple of uppers between innings might add the pep in somebody's step that makes the difference between the beginning of a highlight double play and a two base error. How many of those add up to a Gold Glove?

I mean, as long as we've all turned into a bunch of ****ing old women, why discriminate?

Mecca · 01-11-2010, 11:08 PM

So there are people that actually still care about this?

Frazod · 01-11-2010, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mecca

So there are people that actually still care about this?

It LED OFF THE NEWS on the local news radio station. Top story - Mark McGwire admits to using steroids.

Good to know that's more important than the war or the economy - a player retired since 2001 admitting to something everybody has already known for years.

Jesus.

Mecca · 01-11-2010, 11:15 PM

Tons of pro sports players are doing roids and other shit, if it really bugs someone a lot you should stop following sports.

Baseball is taking the rap but the NFL is the league that is full of obvious abusers, that shit ain't natural.

**007** · 01-11-2010, 11:18 PM

So what. Who cares anymore.

kcxiv · 01-11-2010, 11:20 PM

We al need to boycott every single sport!!!!!!!!!!!!

It happens so what. People are getting bigger as they eat better and lift weights more seriously. So oh well, baseball is still entertaining to me and i still get Extra innings. so i am good.

penchief · 01-11-2010, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

Hey, cheating is cheating. On a 100 degree day in July, a couple of uppers between innings might add the pep in somebody's step that makes the difference between the beginning of a highlight double play and a two base error. How many of those add up to a Gold Glove?

I mean, as long as we've all turned into a bunch of ****ing old women, why discriminate?

Well, we know that McGwire padded his career power numbers immensely by juicing.

Speculating that those who didn't juice also may have padded their stats with uppers is niothing more than a justification for something that skewed career stats so dramatically that baseball will be forever marred.
Posted via Mobile Device

01-11-2010, 02:21 PM
Shag MVP Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: San Diego, CA Casino cash: $-1326658	McGwire admits steroid use 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."
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01-11-2010, 09:10 PM	#93
Easy 6 pie is never free Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: the drivers seat Casino cash: $-52225	Meanwhile, back in whenever... LaGenious (CP) says its even possible Mark Magoo could be activated... Steve Deberg @ 77 years of age or BANE w/out the Boss Sauce pinch hitting!1
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01-11-2010, 11:08 PM	#100
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $-592950	So there are people that actually still care about this?
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01-11-2010, 11:15 PM	#102
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $-592950	Tons of pro sports players are doing roids and other shit, if it really bugs someone a lot you should stop following sports. Baseball is taking the rap but the NFL is the league that is full of obvious abusers, that shit ain't natural.
Posts: 115,300

01-11-2010, 11:18 PM	#103
007 Shaken. Not stirred. Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: London Casino cash: $12210126 VARSITY	So what. Who cares anymore. __________________ My dear girl, there are some things that just aren’t done. Such as, drinking Dom Perignon ’53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s just as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs.
Posts: 65,734

01-11-2010, 11:20 PM	#104
kcxiv In Search of a Life Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Central Valley, Cali Casino cash: $8697996	We al need to boycott every single sport!!!!!!!!!!!! It happens so what. People are getting bigger as they eat better and lift weights more seriously. So oh well, baseball is still entertaining to me and i still get Extra innings. so i am good.
Posts: 29,111