Simple question, but the answer may not be so simple. I know
this isn’t really Yankees related at all but as I have been one of the most
outspoken people and writers I know about the steroid era, whether these
players should be in the Hall of Fame, etc. I feel like I should and want to
touch on this a bit. This week Mark McGwire gave an interview to The Athletic
about his 70 home run season in 1998 and, of course, his steroid use.
McGwire, now a bench coach with the San Diego Padres, hit 70
home runs in 1998 with the St. Louis Cardinals setting the then single-season
home run record mark, passing the Yankees legend Roger Maris who hit 61 home
runs in 1961. Later McGwire admitted steroid use during his playing career,
including during the 1998 season, but this week said he could have hit 70 home
runs in a season regardless of whether he was taking performance enhancing
drugs. Okay, cool…. Then why didn’t you?
McGwire said there was “no way” he would have used illegal
and banned substances if they were tested for in 1998 and during his playing
career. Listen, I totally get why McGwire, or anyone did steroids. If there was
something I could do at my job that could make me millions of dollars I would
at least consider it. If it were against the rules, I probably wouldn’t, and if
it was downright illegal then I definitely wouldn’t, but if there is a little
gray area… I’m sorry… but I am going to exploit that if I ethically can. That’s
what the steroid era was, and it doesn’t make it right, but it is what it is,
and it is what it was. At the same token though I wouldn’t come out years later
and profess how I could have matched those same totals without my shortcuts at
work either, because that’s just being an egotistical douche to me.
Only my opinion, what’s yours? Leave it below in the
comments section or shoot us a line over on Twitter, @GreedyStripes.
A number of years ago, I was in a St Louis bar during a regular season series between the Cardinals and the Mets. Mike Piazza and Mark McGwire were both in the bar (separately). McGwire was surrounded by pretty young girls and wouldn't give anyone else the time of day. Piazza was openly talking with everyone. The stark difference between the two men has always stuck with me. One deserves to be the Hall of Fame; the other does not.
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