As I have scanned the numerous and varied fan and media reactions to the return of Mark McGwire to organized baseball as hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, one conclusion has been reinforced – Big Mac remains a polarizing figure.
As such, his upcoming plan to speak to the media may have repercussions that could affect the perception of his entire generation.
There are some that believe McGwire needs to say no more than he already has. At the other end of the spectrum, some expect more details than McGwire may be able to give. The majority likely fall somewhere in the vast gulf between.
Below, I have characterized over a dozen different points about which I have read in the last 24 hours, with issues organized into those covering McGwire’s past and those more related to his present.
A pro/con format is used to suggest every point has a counterpoint, rather than to suggest any particular thought is right or wrong. Some believe certain points are relevant while others may see the same items as insignificant. That further illustrates the challenge represented by Mark McGwire.
Regarding the past
Pro: McGwire has been punished enough. Even under today’s rules, a positive steroids test would have been only a 50-game suspension.
Con: McGwire’s absence from the game has been self-imposed, furthered by his bungled 2005 congressional testimony.
Pro: There is no proof against him. McGwire did nothing illegal at the time.
Con: Adding to the weight of evidence against McGwire included details of usage provided by his own brother.
Pro: McGwire should not be singled out when hundreds are assumed guilty, including players on the current Cardinals team.
Con: McGwire evaded the truth. Others have apologized. Are any of them big-league coaches?
Pro: Why should McGwire try to say more when the questions will not stop?
Con: Many other players have been able to move on following apologies. Remaining in limbo will not work while being in a job in the public eye.
Pro: MLB has not banned McGwire, so why should the Cardinals?
Con: There is no ban, but strong sentiment against McGwire exists. He has yet to receive more than about 25 percent of the Hall of Fame vote, for example.
Pro: McGwire chose not to talk to Congress to protect himself and others.
Con: Why did he not follow up on his offer to educate youth against steroids?
Pro: McGwire was my favorite player and is a local hero.
Con: McGwire has a tarnished image, especially outside of St. Louis and his signing sends a bad signal to youth.
Regarding the present
Pro: McGwire was a great hitter, so he will be a great hitting coach.
Con: A number of great players have shown they cannot effectively teach others.
Pro: McGwire has worked with major league hitters informally.
Con: He has no experience as a hitting coach in organized ball.
Pro: The Cardinals need a more patient hitting style – too many strikeouts, too few walks.
Con: McGwire was a home run hitter with a below-average average.
Pro: The hiring was done to help in the efforts to re-sign Matt Holliday.
Con: Holliday didn’t fully embrace McGwire’s advice and money factors may be more important.
Pro: The move was engineered by Tony La Russa to resurrect McGwire’s national image.
Con: Even with an apology, many opinions about McGwire have been set.
Pro: Having McGwire back is a good PR move by the Cardinals.
Con: Without closure, McGwire’s presence will be an ongoing distraction for the team.
Pro: If McGwire can coach, that is all that matters. MLB hitting coaches need not be role models.
Con: McGwire needs to address the past so he can move forward.
I think that the last two points are the salient ones here. If he is a distraction to the team then it is a problem. At some point he is going to have to address this, and it is better that it be addressed in the offseason so that it doesn’t linger into spring training. His job is to get the hitters ready and anything that takes away from that, on the field or off, is a detriment to the team. I, personally, believe that he was doping, but it wasn’t against the rules at the time. Further, I think it was widespread at the time. I am ambivalent about anybody from that era being placed into the hall, as are clearly the baseball writers. I think that any past steroid use has no bearing on his role as the hitting coach. I think for the good of the team, he must come clean about past use, his continued denials and refusal to address the issue WILL become a distraction.
Bottom line………we have a weak bench…….in more ways than one. When Albert succumbed to self doubt, we lacked leadership, and it showed all round. Steroid jacked or not, we have doubled our testosterone output in one fell swoop by adding MM. Yes, I believe MM may well step on a few toes………Yadi……..
The polarizing analogy works Brian, but I see a direct confrontation on the horizon. If Cardinal hitters wake up, the credit given will be his validation as hitter/coach. If they struggle……………he is a big target.
Mac should have a lot of influence not only due to his imposing presence, and alpha male factor, but also because of his relationship with Tony. It is well known the part played by Mac influencing Tony to put young Albert on the roster. One could easily imagine equal influence in the other direction with reluctant students. And Tony’s circle of favorites are likely in for a reality check. I wouldn’t want to be the hitter who just blew off all the instruction and had a shitty at-bat and now has to walk back to the dugout to come face to face with that BSD.
Interesting article presenting a counter to the conventional wisdom that Mark should and must fess up. Points out that the typical american ‘ritual of contrition’ that we’ve seen time and again seems only to lead to redemption when it’s followed up by on field heroics. This implies that fans really just care about what happens on the field, but feel politically incorrect about being OK with it without the ritual of contrition. The article points out that since Mark will not be able to follow up with on field heroics, redemption cannot be expected to flow from the ritual, so why do it.
http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/mlb_postseason/posts/83481-keep-it-zipped-mark
An interesting angle, but wouldn’t election to the Hall of Fame be enough redemption?
The premise of the article would be more understandable if McGwire decided to remain in hiding and if he didn’t care about the HoF – just say quiet. But the ground rules have changed. McGwire now wants to step out of the shadows. The article does not address the affect that his unchecked presence will have on the atmosphere surrounding the Cardinals team, a concern Chris zeroed in on above. As such, the article seems to focus on only one slice of a bigger pie.
My view is that Mark (and TLR) understands the need to follow up the ritualized contrition thing with action. The next best thing to action on the field is undeniable contribution as a coach helping others to achieve the heroics. Hence, the move into coaching. I would think that since coaching is one giant step removed from the real thing, the result is not predictable. A crappy speach and one year, however successful, may not do it, so the effectiveness of the gambit may be directly related to the time and effort Mark is willing to put into it. Which is as it should be. Hopefully he’s not expecting a quick fix.
McGwire did not evade the truth. He did not discuss the truth. Most others on his panel before Congress chose to lie, unlike Big Mac. He took the harder route of not giving happy talk lies.
It beats me what McGwire is supposed to apologize for. All pro atheletes for several decades in multiple sports have used body building methods. What is McGwire supposed to do? Annouce: I McGwire was the only pro ballplayer in America who buffed my muscles, so I should apologize, because I was the only one, until because of my evil doing, all sorts of high school football players took PEDs, because irresistably lured into this by my life story?
It would be pity of McGwire feels obligated to himself do one of the dopey formulaic apology routines, like Giambi, A-Rod, and other great moral leaders of the 21st centiury.
McGwire was attacked, only because of his achievements. Nobody got all upset Gary Bennett or Colby’s Dad took PEDs. To make headlines, only stars are attacked. Its all about degrading heroes. This is a great double standard between players. Critics do not care about the Ryan Franklins and Gary Bennetts, only a few stars, who are persecuted. Lots of hyrocrisy.
Hormones are natural chemicals that heal muscles. All animals have muscles, so hormones from other species may work too. They probably especially helped older players who otherwise needed more off days of rest, being sore. Older players have the experience to know how to play, so with HGH, B12, etc, their muscles were restored faster and they were able to do well. Examples are Bonds and Clemens playing for so long.
There are not medical problems true medical experts are concerned about. Just urban legends circulating among the like minded.
So Selig and the Players Union have figured out how to cope with this nonsense in future. Set up a monitoring program. Move forward. Play ball.
McGwire evaded a number of questions asked directly of him while under oath. He avoided telling the truth just as he avoided lying. One does not have to be on either side of the fence to acknowledge that basic fact.
Here is a dictionary definition of “evade”: “To avoid giving a direct answer to.”
I agree he evaded questions. I am not sure why this is a problem.
Canseco was unemployed and wanted to earn some money by telling stories about other players. Most folks will understand Canseco’s self promotion and denigration of others. He needed money.
Then BB’s bears jumped on the chance to obscure their avoidance of real problems besetting America by jumping on a publicity opportunity to get their photos taken grilling celebrity ballplayers like Sosa, McGwire, Palmeiro, Canseco. It was an election stunt.
McGwire did not tell whoppers, just declined to not lie under oath, under advice of counsel, unlike some others.
Big Mac’s a nice guy. So he wants to come back and work with players, just like he has in recent offseasons. He had a great time in St Louis, its great that he is back.
For myself, I could care less if McGwire lands in the Hall of Fame. I just like having him back. Maybe McGwire does not care either. Maybe he just likes the cameraderie and teaching others.
Now that I think about it, thats what Mark should say in a press conference. He enjoys working with other athletes and helping them. He loved playing in St Louis and would like to spend some time serving TLR before he retires. McGwire’s return is not about the Hall of Fame, as some cynics suggest, because there is so much more to life than worrying about that. That’s for writers and fans to debate. Mark McGwire’s daily life is about doing what he enjoys and serving others.
McGwire could say that he’s experienced a lot during life. Life has ups and downs.
He was married, the marriage ended, but he loves his son and was fortunate to get remarried. A former team-mate told stories in a sensationalized book. Because of his celebrity, he got hauled before Congress. He refused to lie. Some fans were disappointed. Many athletes in many sports have chosen to take take muscle stimulants while building their bodies. McGwire was not alone in this, with so many others of his generation. His success made him a unique target for criticism. It was especially painful and disappointing that his younger brother also tried to cash in by writing a book. Mark will offer no comments about his brother, ever.
TLR has urged Mark to return and share his knowledge. He enjoys Tony, Skip, Albert and others. He loved his playing days in St Louis. Mark is returning to give something back and to serve other athletes. He does not want to be a poster child for PEDs in sports, when this has been widespread through modern athletes, aiming to better themselves and compete. He is not here to dwell on the past, but to help the Cardinals offense in 2010. He is sorry to have disappointed people who have not understood how many players have built their bodies and how they have done so, for decades. However, he is encouraged that MLB and the Union now have a monitoring program to enforce prohibited substances. This protects players like himself who by their very successinevitably attract wild claims and have their records disparaged.
Out on the coast…………….. the sports shows are ranting on the racist aspect of Selig being thrilled the MM is coming back, while still completely blocking Bonds from any BB related activities. This will be interesting. If I were Mark, I would make a full confession on the travel day, Friday I think, and then say that this is my final statement on the matter……………….. but he won’t. Selig’s control of this issue through BD will be something to watch.
On the topic of Rasmus. He has a metal bat, beat the fool out front ,college/little league special swing. It was as bad as Ankiel’s. He will be forced to relinquish it by MM. He was the preferred player in a non competitive outfield. As things change he will have to worry about his career, not just his protected status. If he uses his natural ability to adjust, he will become a player. His future is unknown to me because of his relentless ego centered performance. The distance that both he and RC displayed last year, from team consideration, raises many questions. If the Cardinals need or are relying on him for power, they are finished from inning one.
Westie, Bud Selig cannot say anything nice about Bonds while he is prosecuted by the government.
However, in due course, if Bonds beats the rap and if McGwire does a good job, then TLR can fire Aldrete and hire Barry as assistant hitting coach.
TLR wanted Bonds a couple of years back, but Mo nixed it, probably because of the Federal investigation. Albert too has said supportive things about Barry.
However, TLR absolutely needs to draw the line with Jose Canseco, no hiring that Judas. What happens in the Clubhouse, should stay in the Clubhouse. No way with Jose.
The History channel has a program about the history of cocaine, which asserts that it was commonly used in America from Civil War era untill just about 1900 or a bit later. They say it was used by baseball players ‘on the diamond’, to ward off fatigue, etc. Talk about a performance enhancing drug. Has anyone ever considered an asterisk on records and stats, HOF members, etc. from this early era. It was niether illegal nor banned at the time, but its effect in enhancing energy and vigor was known, and it was used for that purpose.
bb, you have been on a roll with some keen insights. Sherlock Holmes used to use cocaine, to stimulate his mind, even if he was fictional. There are recent studies that claim babies born to addicted mothers are brighter. Cocaine may have been in some early formulations of coca-cola.
A Sports Illustrated explanation:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1156742/1/index.htm
In the movie Casablanca, a policeman states he is shocked to find there has been gambling going on, inside this casino, while he pockets his winnings. So too it is with people shocked that atheltes use PEDs to make themselves, surprise, more athletic. How amazing this is.
A pretty good essay by Bernie is at:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/columnists.nsf/berniemiklasz/story/4CF43B81B78635B28625765E0005AFE2?OpenDocument