McGwire Fesses Up

[Redz]

Obviously not a shocker that he was doing them, just that it took so long for him to admit it.  It's healthy for the game at this point to have more and more guys simply clear the air - though I'm sure Bonds never will.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4816607

"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."

[Redz]

Images:

[Lucky17]

I'm sure that the timing of this statement, just a week after McGwire once again failed to receive enough votes for induction into the Hall of Fame, is purely coincidental.

Not.

[Redz]

I'm sure that the timing of this statement, just a week after McGwire once again failed to receive enough votes for induction into the Hall of Fame, is purely coincidental.

Not.

I think it has more to do with him putting on a Cardinals uniform again in February as a hitting coach.

[Lucky17]

I'm sure that the timing of this statement, just a week after McGwire once again failed to receive enough votes for induction into the Hall of Fame, is purely coincidental.

Not.

I think it has more to do with him putting on a Cardinals uniform again in February as a hitting coach.

Oh sure, there's that too.

But I can't see any sportswriter voting for McGwire, as long as he continued to deny having used steroids.

Not saying that now he's fessed up, he'll be voted in. Just that no one is going to vote for a liar *and* a cheat.

[LB3533]

It doesn't matter to me anymore.

Lets just play the game now and worry about the next scandal as it happens.

I really only care about one thing, get the Yankees off the hill.

[Donoghus]

This might be the least shocking news ever.

Must feel good for Big Mac to get it off his chest, though.  You know the sportswriters were going to come hard at him come spring training if he remained quiet.

[GreenFaith1819]

Well at least he can now move on with his life. Sorry to see it ever happened to him.

Hope everything turns out well for him.

[fairweatherfan]

Not a huge surprise.  The only reason I ever thought McGwire wasn't on roids was because of his use of andro, which is often used as a kind of poor man's roids for people who can't or won't take the real stuff.  Andro on top of steroids doesn't really give any additional benefit.

After the Congress incident it was of course pretty obvious he had been juicing all along.  Wonder if the andro was a deliberate smokescreen or if he was just throwing back whatever might help.

Glad he came out - I think a lot of these steroid guys will ultimately be forgiven as long as they eventually admit it and apologize.  And I'm glad he didn't try to protect the 98 season as well.  The culture of baseball was so riddled with PEDs at the time that probably 90+% of the power hitters were using.  The league should've stepped in about 10 years earlier than they did, but they were too in love with the positive press all the HR records were getting to break up the party. 

[greg683x]

while I do agree that he had to do this if he was ever going to take a coaching position, Im sure this has just as much to do with the Hall of Fame, as Lucky17 had mentioned.  I think he's decided to take a coaching position and fess up to all of this to try and regain some shred of his legacy back at the very least.

I know Macs a good guy and theyre worse people in the world, but I have no sympathy for any of these guys.  If I read the article on espn correctly he said that he used roids to help with injuries so he could recover faster and also prevent them occurring.  If thats the case I dont buy it. 

[celticsclay]

Not a huge surprise.  The only reason I ever thought McGwire wasn't on roids was because of his use of andro, which is often used as a kind of poor man's roids for people who can't or won't take the real stuff.  Andro on top of steroids doesn't really give any additional benefit.

After the Congress incident it was of course pretty obvious he had been juicing all along.  Wonder if the andro was a deliberate smokescreen or if he was just throwing back whatever might help.

Glad he came out - I think a lot of these steroid guys will ultimately be forgiven as long as they eventually admit it and apologize.  And I'm glad he didn't try to protect the 98 season as well.  The culture of baseball was so riddled with PEDs at the time that probably 90+% of the power hitters were using.  The league should've stepped in about 10 years earlier than they did, but they were too in love with the positive press all the HR records were getting to break up the party. 

I haven't followed his confession closely, but my guess was that he was on andro before actual steroids. He liked the feel of andro so decided to go for the real thing. That seems to be the path with a lot of those pro hormones.

[Finkelskyhook]

I am shocked by this admission.  I thought morphing from Richie Cunningham to Hulk Hogan was from McGuire showing the same committment to physical fitness as Roger Clemens......

[fairweatherfan]

If I read the article on espn correctly he said that he used roids to help with injuries so he could recover faster and also prevent them occurring.  If thats the case I dont buy it. 

Why don't you buy it?  Steroids are ridiculously good at injury recovery and prevention, and McGwire basically lost multiple seasons to injuries early in his career.  I seriously doubt the mass and strength gains weren't at least part of his motivation, but this is a guy who hit 49 home runs as a relatively skinny rookie.  I don't think he felt like he needed more power to compete; staying on the field was his major issue.

SNIP

I haven't followed his confession closely, but my guess was that he was on andro before actual steroids. He liked the feel of andro so decided to go for the real thing. That seems to be the path with a lot of those pro hormones.

The andro was found in his locker during the 98 HR chase; it was a big controversy at the time.  According to him he was juicing before and during that season.  Maybe he started the way you describe but it would've been much earlier.

[Chief]

Now if we can only get Bonds to confess.

[greg683x]

If I read the article on espn correctly he said that he used roids to help with injuries so he could recover faster and also prevent them occurring.  If thats the case I dont buy it. 

Why don't you buy it?  Steroids are ridiculously good at injury recovery and prevention, and McGwire basically lost multiple seasons to injuries early in his career.  I seriously doubt the mass and strength gains weren't at least part of his motivation, but this is a guy who hit 49 home runs as a relatively skinny rookie.  I don't think he felt like he needed more power to compete; staying on the field was his major issue.

He said he started using steroids in 1989/1990, in the years before then he played 151, 155, 143, and 156 games in 1990.  Those arent exactly injury plagued seasons.  So his story doesnt fit in that regard, not to mention it shows that hitting 40, 32, 33, 39 home runs clearly wasnt enough for him.  I am aware how steroids are effective in regards to recovering from injury, I just dont buy that it's thee only reason that he decided to use, especially in 1989 clearly, and continue to use them.  I just dont buy it.    He turned his career around and started to stay healthy, then he said he stopped.  Why did he start back up? 

I realize he hit 49 homers as a relatively skinny rookie, but Barry Bonds was able to hit 40 home runs before he began to really juice, and arguably had a hall of fame career before he decided it just wasnt enough.  I just feel that while McGwire did use steroids to help with injuries, the notion that theyll increase his power, and home run totals were also part of the reason to use and continue to use.  Is it so hard to believe that McGwire craved the same history breaking attention that Bonds did??  I know people like to separate Mcgwire from people like Bonds and Clemens because McGwire from what we've all seen and heard is a 'nice guy' but really in the end he's guilty of the same crimes as Bonds and Clemens

In this world there are many people that lead clean lives that are nice people, and there are people that lead clean lives that are complete jerks.  There are 'nice' people in this world that break the same laws that bad people do, but nice or not, theyre still a criminal, and hes still a cheater.