Fisk Calls It Like He Sees It

People are going to slam McGwire for awhile, and he 100% deserves it, but I thought Fisk did a hell of a job...

"[McGwire] says, 'Well, it doesn't help eye-and-hand coordination.' Well, of course it does," Fisk told the Tribune for Wednesday's editions. "It allows you more acuity physically and mentally and optically. You are going to be stronger and you are going to be better.

"Some of these numbers that are out there are really warped. Should they be considered? You saw how McGwire was viewed in the Hall of Fame voting. If you take the length of time that [steroid users] use that stuff and subtract 15 or 20 home runs a year for those guys, where are their numbers then?"

Oh, and he doesn't stop there. He goes on to attack McGwire for saying that the PEDs did not help his home run production (the biggest piece of shit lie ever!!!)...

"That's a crock," Fisk told the Tribune. "There's a reason they call it performance-enhancing drugs. That's what it does -- performance enhancement. You can be good, but it's going to make you better. You can be average, but it is going to make you good. If you are below average, it is going to make you average. Some guys who went that route got their five-year, $35 million contracts and now are off into the sunset somewhere. Because once they can't use [steroids] anymore, they can't play anymore."

"Try having your knees operated on and catching for 30 years," Fisk added. "Do you think you feel good when you go out there? [McGwire] had to stand around and play first base. So excuuuuuse me."

Then he started after Clemens...

"The reason he got let go from the Red Sox [after the 1996 season] was because he was starting to break down," Fisk told the Tribune. "His last couple of years in Boston just weren't very productive, a la 'The Rocket.' Then all of a sudden he goes to Toronto and he wants to show somebody something. Then he gets two consecutive Cy Young Awards [in '97 and '98]. Come on, give me a bucket.

"It's obvious to players. You notice that stuff. You know how hard it is to play the game. You know how hard it is to be productive at any age, but especially at an older age. You see guys who are as productive later on as they were early [in their careers]. It offends guys that stayed clean."

Sorry about all the quotes, but they are all too classic to not put them up. I agree 100% with everything Fisk had to say, but the sad thing is there is very little you can do about it now, other then not letting it happen again. McGwire, Bonds, Sosa, are all in the record books already. I don't see the MLB having the balls to take them out, and you really can put a asterisk next to their name, because you don't really know who did and who didn't use steroids. I guess you could put it next to McGwire's name because he admitted it, but what does that do? If you did that it would just give another reason for guys like Bonds and Sosa to never admit it.

Baseball is my favorite sport right now, it is too bad that we sat back and revered something that was fake. Guys like Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth should be revered and atop the record books, but now we are stuck with talented players who may have been good enough to break these records without any help, but did it anyways (when actually the doctors should probably be the ones given credit).

It's just too bad.

Last Story On Mark McGwire

McGwire denied that claim in an interview Monday night on the MLB Network, telling interviewer Bob Costas that it wasn't true and that Canseco must have made the claim to help sell "Juiced."

"I've got no problems with a few of the things he's saying, but again, it's ironic and strange that Mark McGwire denies that I injected him with steroids. He's calling me a liar again," Canseco said Tuesday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "I've defended Mark, I've said a lot of good things about him, but I can't believe he just called me a liar.

"There is something very strange going on here, and I'm wondering what it is. I even polygraphed that subject matter, that I injected him, and passed it completely. So I want to challenge him on national TV to a polygraph examination. I want to see him call me a liar under a polygraph examination. ESPN

This is the last McGwire story I do for the rest of my life unless he dies. I am totally on Canseco's side right now. Jose might be a moron, need money, whatever, but the guy is spot on. McGwire is a scumbag and the only reason he ever admitted it was that he was coming back to the sport. What McGwire did was bullshit, his half assed apology can be thrown out as well. I believe he and Canseco had little injecting parties and no matter what anyone tells me I will never change my mind.

Mark McGwire Comes Clean, Admits Steroids

Here is his whole admission:
"Now that I have become the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, I have the chance to do something that I wish I was able to do five years ago.

I never knew when, but I always knew this day would come. It's time for me to talk about the past and to confirm what people have suspected. I used steroids during my playing career and I apologize. I remember trying steroids very briefly in the 1989/1990 off season and then after I was injured in 1993, I used steroids again. I used them on occasion throughout the '90s, including during the 1998 season.

I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era.

During the mid-'90s, I went on the DL seven times and missed 228 games over five years. 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.

I'm sure people will wonder if I could have hit all those home runs had I never taken steroids. 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.

Baseball is really different now -- it's been cleaned up. The commissioner and the players' association implemented testing and they cracked down, and I'm glad they did.

I'm grateful to the Cardinals for bringing me back to baseball. I want to say thank you to Cardinals owner Mr. DeWitt, to my GM, John Mozeliak, and to my manager, Tony La Russa. I can't wait to put the uniform on again and to be back on the field in front of the great fans in Saint Louis. I've always appreciated their support and I intend to earn it again, this time as hitting coach. I'm going to pour myself into this job and do everything I can to help the Cardinals hitters become the best players for years to come.

After all this time, I want to come clean. 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."

Well doesn't that beat all? Mark McGwire did steroids, you don't say? This was a smart move by him anyways due to him being in the limelight again. He would be constantly bombarded by these questions all the time in St. Louis, and now it can be all brushed under the rug because America loves forgiving. Now if they can please leave that innocent Barry Bonds alone.


BMack's Take:


All I can say is it is about fucking time...

"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."

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 (Boston.com)."

Since McGwire wants to come back into baseball and be a hitting coach I am glad that he finally came out and admitted it. I wish he had just done it right away, but now there is no question that he used steroids, and probably will not be voted into the Hall of Fame, but the road to forgiveness with fans usually starts with the truth. I don't think you'll see as much backlash as you might think....

La Russa's Real Motives For McGwire As DH

I found this very interesting...

"Yesterday we talked about how Mark McGwire will begin the next stage of his baseball life as hitting coach of the Cardinals, but Tony La Russa might have more in mind.

La Russa told the Contra Costa Times that he might even consider using McGwire as a pinch-hitter. To wit: "If we're in contention, we'll put him on the roster Aug. 31. It's a nice little dream," said La Russa. "Is it likely? Probably not. I don't think it's a zero possibility."

Now, however, people are questioning motives. The conspiracy theorists -- we use such phrases as the highest of compliments -- at the New York Daily News speculate that La Russa is actually buying time for McGwire to get into the Hall of Fame. By pushing back the initial vote on Big Red another five years, more time will pass and we'll get all weepy and come to terms with our own conflicted love affair with the steroid era ... or something along those lines (ESPN)."

I hate it, but I have to admit it is a smart move. If they can delay the vote for the Hall of Fame McGwire has a much better shot at getting in. All the numbers are there, but it is obviously the whole steroids thing that is holding him back. I don't think he should get it, but I am also very against steroid use. Still, you got to admit that this is an ingenious plan.....if it's true.

McGwire Coming Back As Coach And Pinch-Hitter?

"Mark McGwire will begin the next stage of his baseball life as hitting coach of the Cardinals, but could manager Tony La Russa have something else in mind? La Russa told the Contra Costa Times that he might even consider using McGwire as a pinch-hitter.

"If we're in contention, we'll put him on the roster Aug. 31. It's a nice little dream," said La Russa. "Is it likely? Probably not. I don't think it's a zero possibility."

La Russa added that he expects McGwire to have a press conference by the end of the month and definitely before the start of spring training. Remember, Big Mac doesn't like to talk about the past (ESPN)."

Personally, I don't think McGwire should be aloud near an MLB field again, but that is completely biased. Still, he has been out of the game too long, and I just don't think he has anything in the tank to be a pinch hitter. My real question here is why would you put more of a spotlight on a guy who has done everything he can to avoid it?

McGwire's Brother Says mark Did Steroids

A new book proposal, submitted by the admittedly estranged brother of Mark McGwire, claims the former major league slugger used both steroids and human growth hormone during his career.

In the proposal, first reported Wednesday on Deadspin.com, Jay McGwire alleges that Mark used Deca-Durabolin and that he introduced Mark to performance-enhancing drugs in 1994. ESPN

I plead the 5th.