Mark McGwire,Steroids, And Why I'm Pissed!
It was just a matter of time... There had been talk for that last few seasons of Mark McGwire coming back to St.Louis in some capacity. Helping out in spring training etc. etc. St.Louis waited and wondered when McGwire would talk about the steroid issue. He is not known as a media friendly individual, yet he had to speak on it and get things out in the open one way the other didn't he? More time dragged on and finally when Mark realized that he wanted to get back into baseball and increase his chances for the Hall Of Fame? He released a letter to the media. Read McGwire's Words Here
Myself, living in the St.Louis area and working in the city that I love and enjoying Cardinals baseball as much as I do, I am still pissed! Can't help it. Not that I am not a forgiving person, I hope that McGwire can help our team, and find comfort in his return. Yet I am suspicious...a bit cynical about all of this apology stuff. The timing most of all. Convenient timing? I'm just sayin' and I HATE sayin', I'm just sayin'!
I want McGwire to know something coming from a traditional baseball fan. Coming from someone that loves the sport's history as much as the game itself. I want him to know that there is an almost incurable problem in regards to the steroid era and the coveted records that were certainly tarnished. Tarnished by...YES...Cheaters!
I come from a family of baseball enthusiasts going back to the 30s and 40s. I've listened to my uncles tell me stories of Stan "The Man" Musial, and Jimmie Foxx, and how they would save their money to see these legends who made almost nothing. Stories of players who had to have second jobs in the off season. Players like Ted Williams who would come to town now and then. A player who went off to war as a fighter pilot in WWII. A player like Mickey Mantle who could barely walk because of his crippled knees, and yet you couldn't keep him off of the diamond. Stories about my uncle as a kid who would roll up balls of bread on Saturday mornings and stick them in his pocket so he could play ball all day and not have to go home for lunch. Whether they rooted for the St.Louis Browns or the Cardinals?...St.louis was and IS baseball through and through. A strong and deep baseball tradition, the most loyal and baseball smart fans in America. Right here in St.Louis.
The 1998 season was a season that I (like many who read here)... will never forget. I found a hero in Mark McGwire. A newfound childlike fun in our nation's past time. It was the most fun I've had in sports in a long long time.
I and my wife and the in-laws attended a couple batting practices before games to watch Big Mac. I was like a kid because at one time I was standing ten feet away from a baseball hero, I was giddy.
I bought McGwire memorabilia> I spent $300 bucks on his 50-50-50 bat beautifully set in glass. It was once on my wall. Now? Well.. it's in my basement in storage. I wonder how many of those hits were "cheats"....all of them maybe? I get pissed just thinking about the let down.
I have a nine year old boy that I've talked with a little in regards to McGwire. He has a poster in his room with Stan Musial, McGwire, and Albert Pujols, I cringe because McGwire does not deserve to be pictured with those two ball players.
The one sport that for the most part isn't damaged with domestic violence, shootings, and general thuggery, like we read about nearly daily in the NFL and NBA? The one sport that has been known as the national past time was "slutted" up and "dirtied" by steroids! Records that stood for decades are smashed with cheating! Cheating is okay now? People like Babe Ruth and Roger Maris's records are falsely broken by selfishness!
I wish no ill will toward Mark, I hope that he can make a difference and come to grips with what he did. Yet, the records are still unjustly broken and no one knows what the hell to do about it! THAT is why I am pissed! I am not concerned about McGwire or Bonds' and so on's plight to get to the Hall Of Fame, I am concerned about legendary records that were broken by cheats! Pretty simple.
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