Many fans of baseball were surprised by Mark McGwire's recent confession. The slugger had used steroids for the greater part of his baseball career, as this gave him an unfair edge and contributed to the mammoth seasons that we as fans witnessed.
Most baseball players are thought to have used steroids in order to pump up their offensive stats, thereby securing more valuable contracts in the process. In McGwire's case, things were different. He simply wanted to recover from any injuries in less time than he'd otherwise be able to.
This seems very believable when you look at the career path that McGwire followed. Through 1989, his playing time had been seriously hampered due to injury, and many felt that he would otherwise be the best home run hitter in baseball if not for his injury issues.
His strategy seemingly paid off. During the 1990s, McGwire experienced fewer injuries than he had in the prior years, despite the fact that he was older. He also saw a significant boost in his home run total.
No year was more indicative of his steroid use than 1998 was. This is a year that you very likely remember, as he belted 70 home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals, breaking the single season home record previously held by Roger Maris.
Just a few short years later, a few steroid allegations by Jose Canseco and some admissions by others shocked and devastated baseball fans. Many began to speculate that McGwire was under the influence of these illegal substances too.
In retrospect, it should have been obvious that McGwire and others were using illegal substances. There was no other way to explain the unprecedented jumps in production, and the baseball world should have been keen to this.
McGwire violated the trust of the baseball world and cheated his way to a record. Despite this all, he deserves a bit of respect for having the courage to come out with a secret that hundreds of players from that era still likely hold.
Most baseball players are thought to have used steroids in order to pump up their offensive stats, thereby securing more valuable contracts in the process. In McGwire's case, things were different. He simply wanted to recover from any injuries in less time than he'd otherwise be able to.
This seems very believable when you look at the career path that McGwire followed. Through 1989, his playing time had been seriously hampered due to injury, and many felt that he would otherwise be the best home run hitter in baseball if not for his injury issues.
His strategy seemingly paid off. During the 1990s, McGwire experienced fewer injuries than he had in the prior years, despite the fact that he was older. He also saw a significant boost in his home run total.
No year was more indicative of his steroid use than 1998 was. This is a year that you very likely remember, as he belted 70 home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals, breaking the single season home record previously held by Roger Maris.
Just a few short years later, a few steroid allegations by Jose Canseco and some admissions by others shocked and devastated baseball fans. Many began to speculate that McGwire was under the influence of these illegal substances too.
In retrospect, it should have been obvious that McGwire and others were using illegal substances. There was no other way to explain the unprecedented jumps in production, and the baseball world should have been keen to this.
McGwire violated the trust of the baseball world and cheated his way to a record. Despite this all, he deserves a bit of respect for having the courage to come out with a secret that hundreds of players from that era still likely hold.
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