Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
So let's get this straight: Mark McGwire admitted to taking steroids and human growth hormone, but swore to reporters that it was only to get healthy and not to increase his performance. McGwire was steadfast in his belief that his own God-given ability is what made those balls fly over so many fences. All the power numbers had nothing to do with steroids, per Big Mac's confession.
Well, his own brother disagreed with that. And Jose Canseco, the former teammate who previously stated he injected McGwire, disagreed with that as well. Now, his former (alleged) drug pusher, Curtis Wenzlaff, told ESPN's T.J. Quinn that he disagrees too.
T.J. Quinn: “Would it help you hit a baseball?”To be fair, Butkus is 68 years old, so Paris Hilton might be able to knock him down with a strong sneeze at this point. Back to the issue of McGwire and the half-truths he's been spewing, it seems that he actually believes that he took the drugs to stay (and get) healthy and not for any reason that would enhance his performance. Of course, he's eluding the fact that staying on the field is part and parcel to performance, so taking a drug to keep you on the field is, by that description, performance-enhancing. What doesn't jibe is that all these people around him – granted a convicted drug dealer and both a brother and a former teammate trying to sell books – say McGwire knowingly took drugs to help his performance. So why not come out and admit that? You've already admitted to taking the drugs, so why not just come out and tell the whole truth?
Curt Wenzlaff: “Will it help you hit a baseball? Let me put it to you this way. If Paris Hilton was to take that array, she could run over Dick Butkus.”
TJ: “Mark McGwire, last week when he finally admitted that he did use steroids, said he used a little bit for health reasons, to keep himself healthy. What did you think when he said that?”
CW: “I chuckled. Let me put it this way. If excelling and kicking ass on the field is the end result I guess that’s a healthy, good feeling. But for health, there are other things you can take for health that are anabolic, but it wouldn’t be that type of combination.”
TJ: “What was his goal to take an array like this?”
CW: “As anybody -- bigger, faster, stronger.”
There's no other explanation than he thinks he is telling the truth. Nobody is inside his head, but to come as clean as he has and not go the step further, when all this circumstantial evidence is piling up around him, makes him a better liar than we know, or in complete denial with his past.
But half-truths are all around us. Just ask A-Rod, who told half-truths during both his confessionals. Or ask John Edwards, who is stuck in a mess a lot stickier than McGwire right now. The whole truth and nothing but the truth, Mac – so help you, it's the only way to not have to talk about he past anymore.
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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As a Cubs fan, I never had a whole lot of use for the Cardinals. Still, I always respected their fans as some of the best and most intelligent in the game (the guy I saw wearing a "BARTMAN 03" Cubs jersey in Wrigley Field was a borderline abseball comic genius). Is there not one Cardinals fan that sees through this cheater’s lies? Yes, we had Sammy here in Chicago. But trust me, Sammy is far from a local here to Cubs fans. A real Cardinal great – Jack Clark – calls out this cheat (much like St. Louis fans have surely called out Bonds or Clemens or Rodriguez or Ramiriez or anyone else at some point in time) and Clark gets booed back to the Stone Age while the cheater gets a group lap dance? Come on. Are there any Cardinals fans that want to know why a guy that averaged 100 hits a year is a hitting coach? Didn’t the delorable antics at the Cardinals Fan convention disgust anyone rocking the cardinals on a bat?
by ChiAdam on Jan 22, 2010 8:38 PM EST reply actions
becuase being a hitting coach means more than just helping guys around the cage, it’s also about studying and reviewing tape and you know don baylor, who was of the better hitters in mlb, has been manager and hitting coach and so has carew, and both of them have had mixed results
by bball301 on Jan 22, 2010 10:49 PM EST reply actions
As a regular sports fan,I read about BB all the time. From Ty Cobb to Mark McGwire and the one thing that gets my goat is all these records that are taken away from the Hall of Fame. I understand why they did what they did, it was for the Money and the Crowds to cheer them on it’s the thrill of their whole lifetime. When I read about a guy who almost batted .400 for a season and was killed by a fastball the first it brings sadness to my heart. Tony Conigliaro short career fastest to 100 hrs at the time so much baseball left why? We may never know why with that said people who love this sport should ask (Mr.Landis) oh i’m sorry Bud Selig.
Baseball was almost dead over the 1919 scandel, the owners stayed didn’t sell off because of the War or anything else . What they did was enter Mr Landis new Commishner of Baseball. The problems were solved in less than 6 months. We all know this.
Bud Selig needs to make a serious decision on the war of steriods. Tell the Baseball Union these players signed a contract to play BB. By taking steriods or drugs they Violated those contracts. By coming forward now and telling of when these started and tell your story in truth. By my order as Com. of BB you will not be held in contempt. If you decide to with-hold your statement and found guilty later by Court or our Office you will be serverly dealt with no exceptions. Fines , expulsion, jail and whatever the Law decides will be taken.
This is your chance to let the Baseball World know you took steriods and why.
As for the list which includes Arod to Ortiz and another 112 players or so they also need to meet a special Council with Union President 5 Owners and Mr. Selig to determine what action needs to be taken. This panel will also include an Arbitraitor to help keep the peace in all corners.
Punishment will be as follows.
Upon confession of the truth of steriod use these will follow.
1-Period to Period your records will be dismissed from baseball.
2-During that period of using steriods you will have to repay your salery
and forfeit all your records during that time period.
3- The Comm.+Union will have to compleatly agree on the punishment handed out. At no time upon confession will they keep their records during that period.
4-The Owners will decide what Fininacial payback each team owner will receive.
5-Each player who admits to the use of steriods must do community service in there area. This will start at LL to High School players.
6- You cannot work in Prfessional BB ever again upon admission no exceptions.
Now back to reality for a second we will never see this because the Spinelees Commishner made a deal with the Union.
The players can break the rules and get away with why.
My opinion is just that an opinion.
If I were in charge of BB this BS wouldn’t fly and all the guilty would pay for two reasons. The respect of Baseball Players who decitated their lives to reaching their goals in Baseball. The records they worked so hard to meet or exceed. The second is the respect for the game end of an ERA.
MCGWIRE CHEATED AND NEEDS TO TAKE HIS RECORD 70 HOMERS OFF THE BOARD HIMSELF. THEN HE WILL BE RESPECTED FOR HIS HONESTY AND NOT THOSE FOOLISH LIES.
CANSENCO WILL ALSO HAVE TO ANSWER THE BELL EVEN THOUGH HE WROTE A BOOK . EVERYONE GETS THEIR DAY IN COURT.
AS FOR CLEMENS AND BONDS THE GOVERMENT WILL DETERMINE THEIR OUTCOME IF FOUND GUILTY THEN AND ONLY THEN WILL THEY HAVE TO APPEAR IN FRONT OF THIS BOARD. IF THEY RECEIVE JAIL TIME THEY WILL NO LONGER BE IN ANY ASPECT OF BASEBALL ALL RECORDS DISMISSED FROM THE RECORD BOOKS.
AS A FAN I HOPE THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN SOMEDAY.
THANK YOU JOE-D.
by MOPAR7272 on Jan 22, 2010 10:53 PM EST reply actions
As a regular sports fan,I read about BB all the time. From Ty Cobb to Mark McGwire and the one thing that gets my goat is all these records that are taken away from the Hall of Fame. I understand why they did what they did, it was for the Money and the Crowds to cheer them on it’s the thrill of their whole lifetime. When I read about a guy who almost batted .400 for a season and was killed by a fastball this brings sadness to my heart. Tony Conigliaro short career fastest to 100 hrs at the time so much baseball left why? We may never know why with that said people who love this sport should ask (Mr.Landis) oh i’m sorry Bud Selig.
Baseball was almost dead over the 1919 scandel, the owners stayed didn’t sell off because of the War or anything else . What they did was enter Mr Landis new Commishner of Baseball. The problems were solved in less than 6 months. We all know this.
Bud Selig needs to make a serious decision on the war of steriods. Tell the Baseball Union these players signed a contract to play BB. By taking steriods or drugs they Violated those contracts. By coming forward now and telling of when these started and tell your story in truth. By my order as Com. of BB you will not be held in contempt. If you decide to with-hold your statement and found guilty later by Court or our Office you will be serverly dealt with no exceptions. Fines , expulsion, jail and whatever the Law decides will be taken.
This is your chance to let the Baseball World know you took steriods and why.
As for the list which includes Arod to Ortiz and another 112 players or so they also need to meet a special Council with Union President 5 Owners and Mr. Selig to determine what action needs to be taken. This panel will also include an Arbitraitor to help keep the peace in all corners.
Punishment will be as follows.
Upon confession of the truth of steriod use these will follow.
1-Period to Period your records will be dismissed from baseball.
2-During that period of using steriods you will have to repay your salery
and forfeit all your records during that time period.
3- The Comm.+Union will have to compleatly agree on the punishment handed out. At no time upon confession will they keep their records during that period.
4-The Owners will decide what Fininacial payback each team owner will receive.
5-Each player who admits to the use of steriods must do community service in there area. This will start at LL to High School players.
6- You cannot work in Prfessional BB ever again upon admission no exceptions.
Now back to reality for a second we will never see this because the Spinelees Commishner made a deal with the Union.
The players can break the rules and get away with why.
My opinion is just that an opinion.
If I were in charge of BB this BS wouldn’t fly and all the guilty would pay for two reasons. The respect of Baseball Players who decitated their lives to reaching their goals in Baseball. The records they worked so hard to meet or exceed. The second is the respect for the game end of an ERA.
MCGWIRE CHEATED AND NEEDS TO TAKE HIS RECORD 70 HOMERS OFF THE BOARD HIMSELF. THEN HE WILL BE RESPECTED FOR HIS HONESTY AND NOT THOSE FOOLISH LIES.
CANSENCO WILL ALSO HAVE TO ANSWER THE BELL EVEN THOUGH HE WROTE A BOOK . EVERYONE GETS THEIR DAY IN COURT.
AS FOR CLEMENS AND BONDS THE GOVERMENT WILL DETERMINE THEIR OUTCOME IF FOUND GUILTY THEN AND ONLY THEN WILL THEY HAVE TO APPEAR IN FRONT OF THIS BOARD. IF THEY RECEIVE JAIL TIME THEY WILL NO LONGER BE IN ANY ASPECT OF BASEBALL ALL RECORDS DISMISSED FROM THE RECORD BOOKS.
AS A FAN I HOPE THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN SOMEDAY.
THANK YOU JOE-D.
by MOPAR7272 on Jan 22, 2010 11:00 PM EST reply actions
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