When McGwire took the stand five years ago, he wasn't ready to talk about the past.

McGwire’s first statement showed some remorse, but was mostly factual. His interview with Bob Costas on MLB Network was much more sincere and showed a side of McGwire that fans hadn’t seen before. The tears, the sniffles, the red eyes, and his entire demeanor showed that he truly is sorry for what happened. 

Here’s the thing: As much as it is painful to say so, where would MLB be without that 1998 Home Run Race between Sammy Sosa and Big Mac? Would MLB be any where near the sports power it is today? The strike in 1994 had decimated baseball and the Sosa-McGwire competition revitalized the game. If McGwire hadn’t been juicing, what would baseball look like today? 

McGwire made a mistake and shouldn’t have used steroids. However, there is some part of me that’s glad that he did. He and Sosa revived baseball. They made it what is today – both the good and the bad. They were two of the main results of the steroid era and their success fueled other players to start using steroids. However, they also built up the sport into the huge industry it is today. 

So in one way, we should be condemning McGwire for his poor decision and ostracizing him from baseball. On the other hand, we owe him a debt of gratitude for bringing fans back to the diamond. 

In the end, I’m indifferent. McGwire’s statement is meaningless to me. Everyone knew he used steroids. Him confessing it confirms what everyone already knew to be true. It shows character to be able to come back and admit it, especially after his “I’m not hear to talk about the past” speech five years ago. In terms of baseball and how I view McGwire’s career, this doesn’t change my opinion of him at all. Continue reading “McGwire Admits Using Steroids” →