Should Mark McGwire’s Acknowledgment Be Condemned or Praised?
Saturday, February 27th, 2010Many fans of baseball were surprised by Mark McGwire’s recent confession. The slugger had used steroids for the greater part of his baseball career, as this gave him an unfair edge and contributed to the mammoth seasons that we as fans witnessed.
What may have been more interesting is the fact that McGwire claims to have used these drugs not simply as a means of getting ahead. McGwire says he took steroids because he believed that they would help him heal from injuries more quickly.
You may remember that the beginning of McGwire’s career was marked by many injuries that saw him missing the majority of some seasons as a result. His potential was never realized because of this, despite the fact that he averaged more home runs per at bat than any other player of his time.
It looked as if McGwire’s plans worked to perfection. The first baseman enjoyed a fruitful era of power hitting that saw a much lower incidence of injury issues.
No year was more indicative of his steroid use than 1998 was. This is a year that you very likely remember, as he belted 70 home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals, breaking the single season home record previously held by Roger Maris.
It was a matter of a few seasons before people realized that there had to be some means of artificial help creating seasons once thought to be impossible for older players like McGwire, Barry Bonds, and many others. There had to be steroids involved.
In retrospect, it should have been obvious that McGwire and others were using illegal substances. There was no other way to explain the unprecedented jumps in production, and the baseball world should have been keen to this.
Despite this all, one has to wonder if McGwire should be chided or praised for his recent admissions. While his numbers will certainly hold very little credence, he was a brave man to do what far too players have been willing to do up until now.
Enjoy more of this author’s articles on the wooden bar stool and wood step stools.