McGwire finally comes clean about steroid use

[Marcus]

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."

About time. He must've been getting desperate because he keeps getting eliminated in the Hall of Fame voting.


EDIT: Here's the rest of the article.

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."

 

[DougHeil]

About time. He must've been getting desperate because he keeps getting eliminated in the Hall of Fame voting.

That's it. He wasn't even close last week so he now thinks it's high time he tells the truth. :chuckles:

 

[Otsego Mar]

The guy's a freakin' prick and that's all there is to it. No sympathy needs to be given to that douchebag.

 

[Lee]

The guy's a freakin' prick and that's all there is to it. No sympathy needs to be given to that douchebag.

Eh, i have no problem with him. He never lied, and he atleast seems ashamed of what he did years later.

The fact still remains 70% of baseball used steroids and the commisioner is by far the most to blame. The owners second. When you dont test for the substance what do you think is going to happen? Multi million dollar contracts are handed out over your performance. Players do everything than can to enhance their performance, its up to the various leagues to police themselves.

I hate to say it, but if you dont let in McGiure, no one that played in the 90's shouls be allowed in. There is a clous of dount over 100% of the players from that era. But, baseball has always been the epitomy of hypocracy when it comes to these type of situations. The league officials never taking the blame for their actions or motivations, but are quick to point a finger when something goes wrong.

There was a time in baseball where they had to have a seperate league for blacks. Since they werent playing fair back then...ie Babe Ruth never had to face any of the great "negro league" pitchers...so lets kick out babe ruth and everyone from his era too.

 

[GilbertForPres]

Bye Bye Hall of Fame.

 

[Gunther]

Eh, i have no problem with him. He never lied, and he atleast seems ashamed of what he did years later.

The fact still remains 70% of baseball used steroids and the commisioner is by far the most to blame. The owners second. When you dont test for the substance what do you think is going to happen? Multi million dollar contracts are handed out over your performance. Players do everything than can to enhance their performance, its up to the various leagues to police themselves.

I hate to say it, but if you dont let in McGiure, no one that played in the 90's shouls be allowed in. There is a clous of dount over 100% of the players from that era. But, baseball has always been the epitomy of hypocracy when it comes to these type of situations. The league officials never taking the blame for their actions or motivations, but are quick to point a finger when something goes wrong.

There was a time in baseball where they had to have a seperate league for blacks. Since they werent playing fair back then...ie Babe Ruth never had to face any of the great "negro league" pitchers...so lets kick out babe ruth and everyone from his era too.

My take is that they should not allow anyone in the hall who admitted use or was proven to use without admitting it. That won't catch everyone who used, but it will be redemption for the public, which would help to repair the broken relationship between baseball and the general public from a trust standpoint.

It's too late to take records out of the books and it's too much of a quagmire to start adding astericks to the record books. Let the Hall be the measuring stick.

When McGwire is up again next year, the BBWAA should just collectively say, "I'm not here to talk about the past" and keep his ass out again.

In the future that would go for ARoid, Bonds, Clemmons, anyone who was caught or admitted it.

 

[macbdog]

About time. He must've been getting desperate because he keeps getting eliminated in the Hall of Fame voting.

I don't really think that was a factor. Coming clean doesn't mean he will get more votes- especially since the original reasoning for not voting for him was hearsay and a tell-all by Jose Canseco- and McGwire has not done any lobbying for himself otherwise. If this was someone else I could maybe see this angle, but in McGwire's case I think it wasn't really a prime motivator- or even in the top 3 at this moment.

If McGwire wanted to work again in baseball, which he clearly does by taking the Cards' hitting coach position, he needed to come clean. Otherwise, this cloud would have hung over the team into spring training and he would have been a distraction. I think his new position and his own mental state have made it the right time to come clean.

Frankly, I applaud him. He admitted he juiced. He didn't dance around it, blaming a cousin, his conniving deceptive trainer, his infertile female reproductive parts or blaming that darned media and their constant pressure to produce. He never lied- he just wouldn't talk about it. He didn't issue a blatant denial, like so many others. I think that does hold weight, especially when we once again remember that MLB was not testing during this period- but still handing out millions and adulation to the top producers.

He also is coming out with this info at a time that doesn't suggest he wants to be sheltered- on a Monday, after the big free agents have all signed, before spring training. The time when baseball writers will have absolutely nothing else to talk about othe than his confession. Basically, the worst possible time to make an announcement like this if his sole purpose was to deflect the issue. Even if he did it in a press release, he still did it.

To me, this is the best fans can hope for. I see no reason to completely write off the stats of the 90s, since so many players were using- both pitchers and hitters. What matters most is if the users are honest. Clemens? He can rot. Bonds? Same there. But if a player admits to it and tries to move on from there, I think that should mean something.

 

[Gunther]

And let's not forget that the only reason this is big news in 2010 is because he was LYING about it since the '90's!

 

[Lee]

My take is that they should not allow anyone in the hall who admitted use or was proven to use without admitting it. That won't catch everyone who used, but it will be redemption for the public, which would help to repair the broken relationship between baseball and the general public from a trust standpoint.

It's too late to take records out of the books and it's too much of a quagmire to start adding astericks to the record books. Let the Hall be the measuring stick.

When McGwire is up again next year, the BBWAA should just collectively say, "I'm not here to talk about the past" and keep his ass out again.

In the future that would go for ARoid, Bonds, Clemmons, anyone who was caught or admitted it.

100% of the ahtletes in the 90's are suspects because so many used. Not saying they all used, but people like cal ripken get a flier on things because he is well liked. But hey, how does a man play 162 games a year for like 15 years in the steroid age and no one questions if he took any recovery drugs? I bet cal ripken used, griffey used, etc. It stretches far beyond those that you hear a buzz about.

I am a huge indians fan, but i bet the indians of the 90's all used. I wouldnt be shocked to hear loften used, or omar vizquel, etc. People like scape goats. Clemmons, Bonds, Mcquire, Sosa, Arod, etc...are becomeing scape goats when 100's of baseball players used ped's over the 90's.

Its just plain hypocracy, and its been going on for years. I was the first to say when Conceco's book came out that he wasnt exagerating and he will be proven to be correct. No one was ready to hear the truth then, and still today no one is ready. You want to place the steroid tag on a few evil villians.....well fact is, your favorite baseball player of the 90's most likely was a user.

 

[Gunther]

100% of the ahtletes in the 90's are suspects because so many used. Not saying they all used, but people like cal ripken get a flier on things because he is well liked. But hey, how does a man play 162 games a year for like 15 years in the steroid age and no one questions if he took any recovery drugs? I bet cal ripken used, griffey used, etc. It stretches far beyond those that you hear a buzz about.

I am a huge indians fan, but i bet the indians of the 90's all used. I wouldnt be shocked to hear loften used, or omar vizquel, etc. People like scape goats. Clemmons, Bonds, Mcquire, Sosa, Arod, etc...are becomeing scape goats when 100's of baseball players used ped's over the 90's.

Its just plain hypocracy, and its been going on for years. I was the first to say when Conceco's book came out that he wasnt exagerating and he will be proven to be correct. No one was ready to hear the truth then, and still today no one is ready. You want to place the steroid tag on a few evil villians.....well fact is, your favorite baseball player of the 90's most likely was a user.

Lee, usually I enjoy your posts, but, wow, I couldn't possibly disagree with you more on this topic. Ripken, Griffey, Vizquel, Loften? That's the comparison you want to make? Poor choice. Did any of those players ever gain 20-30 lbs in an offseason and start seeing their warning-track power become hitting-the-Budweiser-sign-at-the-Jake-power? Not even close.

Also, there is a big, big difference between using drugs in recovery under a doctor's orders and using them through illegal purchase to alter the playing field.

Hypocracy, IMO, is giving everyone a pass because only a few have been caught or have come clean. There are such things in this world known as accountabiity and retribution, even though they seem to be less popular in this day and age.

Every player in the majors in the last 20-25 years or so has had to make a personal decision about PED use, as they continue to do today. I don't care if it wasn't illegal by baseball's admittedly loose rules of the day, that doesn't make it right. This is an individual choice. The highest individual accolade in MLB is induction into the Hall, and I feel that there should be some accountability when the decision is made regarding the Hall. Is it unfortunate that only those who were successful are being targeted? Frankly, yes, it is. But that's the way it is. Life isn't always fair.

You say I am villanizing a few players - I don't see it that way. They made their millions of dollars. If they acheived a record, it's still in the books. If they won an award, no one is taking it away from them. How does that villanize anyone? I'm just saying that they should not be allowed into the Hall. No one was born with a golden pass into the Hall. Albert Belle is probably a borderline Hall of Famer, but he'll never get in because he was a giant turd to the media. That's OK with me, too. Pete Rose gambled, Shoeless Joe was accused of game-fixing. They don't deserve to be in the Hall either. Not saying everyone in the Hall is an angel, far from it, but each generation defines it's heroes, and I am hopefully that we don't give these guys the ultimate hero status for baseball.

 

[Lee]

Lee, usually I enjoy your posts, but, wow, I couldn't possibly disagree with you more on this topic. Ripken, Griffey, Vizquel, Loften? That's the comparison you want to make? Poor choice. Did any of those players ever gain 20-30 lbs in an offseason and start seeing their warning-track power become hitting-the-Budweiser-sign-at-the-Jake-power? Not even close.

Also, there is a big, big difference between using drugs in recovery under a doctor's orders and using them through illegal purchase to alter the playing field.

Hypocracy, IMO, is giving everyone a pass because only a few have been caught or have come clean. There such things in this world known as accountabiity and retribution, even though they seem to be less popular in this day and age.

Every player in the majors in the last 20-25 years or so has had to make a personal decision about PED use, as they continue to do today. I don't care if it wasn't illegal by baseball's admittedly loose rules of the day, that doesn't make it right. This is an individual choice. The highest individual accolade in MLB is induction into the Hall, and I feel that there should be some accountability when the decision is made regarding the Hall. Is it unfortunate that only those who were successful are being targeted? Frankly, yes, it is. But that's the way it is. Life isn't always fair.

You say I am villanizing a few players - I don't see it that way. They made their millions of dollars. If they acheived a record, it's still in the books. If they won an award, no one is taking it away from them. How does that villanize anyone? I'm just saying that they should not be allowed into the Hall. No one was born with a golden pass into the Hall. Albert Belle is probably a borderline Hall of Famer, but he'll never get in because he was a giant turd to the media. That's OK with me, too. Pete Rose gambled, Shoeless Joe was accused of game-fixing. They don't deserve to be in the Hall either. Not saying everyone in the Hall is an angel, far from it, but each generation defines it's heroes, and I am hopefully that we don't give these guys the ultimate hero status for baseball.

The assumption is only people gained weight like Mgwuire, Bonds or Sosa took roids. Well this is false. First is to understand that Ped's include a ton more drugs than just anabolic steroids. Roids are a recovery drug, ie help you recover from injury or lets say pitching 100 times a 95 mph ball.

My point is that taking banned substances where so common that people are puting their heads in the sand like ostriches when it comes to the issue. You are case and point. Many insiders speaking either honestly (conceco) or in animonity (unamed sources) believe as much as 75% of the majors was using one form of a Ped or another. That means the majority of the stars used them.

Is this sad? Ofcourse, but the reality is that the 90's was a very ugly time for baseball. Football had a simular problem with steroids in the 70's. My understanding is that the steal curtain was built on them. They put their rules in place and have done everything they can to not belabor the issue. Are they still used in football today? Ofcourse, but they do there best to police it and dont keep brining up the issue and beating it like a dead horse.

The commisioner needs to address this. The commisioner needs to come out and admit that independant study showed numerous players used. When the tested for no conciqunece in 2002, over 100 were found guilty...probably only half of those that actually used.

Using Ped's in baseball was as common as chewing tabaco. Sad? yes. True? also yes.

 

[doughboy90650]

Bud Selig knew all along ....... we all knew. Once people came back to baseball, Selig swept that shit under the rug and push the dresser drawer on top of it .......

if it wasn't against baseball rules at that time, I have no problem with it.

 

[Otsego Mar]

Jose freakin' Canseco deserves to be in the HOF. Take that one to the bank!

 

[Gunther]

Jose freakin' Canseco deserves to be in the HOF. Take that one to the bank!

LOL, I disagree, but at least he was honest about it. In retrospect, he has more credibility than any of the liars.

 

[doughboy90650]

Jose freakin' Canseco deserves to be in the HOF. Take that one to the bank!

Dude comes out looking like a brand new shiny nickel. Everyone didn't believe him when he came out with his book ......

- oh, he's just bitter

- oh, he's just trying to sell books

- oh, he's mad because his career is over and he got caught

- oh, he's a hater

When Canseco is the honest one in this entire situation, you know everything about it is fucked up ..........