Last week McGwireadmitted what many in baseball had long believed: For much of his career,including the magical ’98 season, he used performance-enhancing drugs. Theconfession tainted his achievements, heightened suspicion over Sosa and otherrecent sluggers and proved that MLB will confront issues of the "steroidera" for years to come.
For one of theObservers, who has supported McGwire's candidacy for the Hall of Fame, the newswas particularly painful.
Artie: Just after you vote forBig Mac again, he admits he was "juicing." How does it make you feel?
Frank: Part of my thinkingwith McGwire was that there was no hard evidence, only assumptions. And I hopedhe wasn't "dirty" because he was always a good guy.
Artie: Unlike, say, BarryBonds, a jerk who's easy to condemn.
Frank: Right. I also believethat everyone in baseball—management, the players’ union, media, fans—were"enablers" for the steroid users. We ignored our suspicions, thephysical changes in some players, even McGwire's public connection in ’98 tothe quasi-steroid called "andro," because Mac and Sammy were such funas they hit 70 and 66 homers.
Artie: In 2001, San Francisco fans ignoredBonds' personality and his mega-body to cheer his 73 homers. But at the sametime, there was so much reporting on the "new" baseball athletes,using year-round training and better nutrition, that it was easy for fans tocompare them to the ’50s or ’60s and believe they were legit.
Frank: The last part of mythinking on McGwire was that if he was "using," so were many otherswho didn't reach 583 career homers. Plus, if you start throwing out individualstats and records, what about team results? Those judgments are impossible, soMLB should just acknowledge the steroid era, let the numbers stand but clearlylabel any admitted or suspected drug-user.
Artie: Our separate wing in Cooperstown, sponsored by "Ripley's Believe It orNot," ain’a?
Frank: The trouble is, everytime McGwire spoke last week he made it worse for himself.
Artie: These guys get coachedto the point of absurdity. Big Mac is being "handled" by AriFleischer, a former White House mouthpiece. His media blitz would have beenmore acceptable a couple of years ago, not when he's returning to the game asthe Cardinals' hitting coach.
Frank: Agreed. He said hewanted to come clean at the infamous 2005 congressional hearing but the fedswouldn't give him immunity from prosecution. Fine, but the statute oflimitations on anything he did as a player expired long ago; why not confess atthe earliest possible time?
Artie: He's also gettingcoached by Tony La Russa, who wants us to believe he was shocked—shocked!—tolearn that this guy, whom he saw every day for years, was a user. Baloney!
Frank: I was shocked byMcGwire's total disconnect from reality, in terms of how the steroids helpedhim. He said he used them only for health reasons, to keep his body frombreaking down, but that somehow he would have hit all those homers anyway.
Artie: You can't hit home runsif you're not on the field.
Frank: Exactly. McGwire kepttalking about natural talents, and he surely had them, but as his body wasgiving out, the steroids let him slow that process, recover from workoutsbetter and play more games than he would have otherwise. Call that"performance-enabling" if you prefer, but it's still artificialassistance.
Artie: In 1993 and ’94 heplayed a total of 74 games and hit 18 homers. But he got back over 100 games in’95 and averaged over 150 in ’97 through ’99, when he hit 193 dingers—almostone-third of his career total!
Frank: Let's say that withoutthe ’roids he'd have had 100 fewer at-bats per season from ’95 on. At his bestHR frequency, that would be about a dozen homers a year. That would mean nopassing Roger Maris’ record 61 in ’98 and probably under 500 for his career.
Artie: Which would drop Macinto the category of "good numbers but not a Hall of Famer."
Frank: This gets to what willprobably be the heart of the Hall of Fame debate for "steroid era"guys. Assuming we have a clear idea when they started using, were they Hall ofFamers before then?
Artie: For Bonds and RogerClemens, the answer might be yes. For McGwire, it looks like no.
Frank: Now that McGwire hasprovided his own evidence, I have a hard time seeing myself voting for himagain.
Artie: One thing I know forsure. My guy Bert Blyleven was clean, and next time he'll get the last fewvotes he needs!
Frank: I hope the McGwire messpersuades other users to come clean. And he can do one more thing. If he'ssincere in saying his Hall of Fame chances have nothing to do with hisconfession, he can ask that his name be taken off the ballot, or that no onevote for him.
Artie: He said he wished he"had never played during the steroid era," as though he had nochoice.
Frank: He's started to helpput a close to that era, but he needs to do more.
Saintly Aspirations
Frank: So Mr. Favre is onestep from a Super Bowl in purple. I reckon you're the No. 1 Saints fan thisweek.
Artie: You betcha! TheVikings-Cowboys game didn't end as I hoped, with both teams losing.
Frank: I suppose the Metrodomeroof could have collapsed and injured enough guys on both sides to have the NFLdeclare New Orleansthe NFC champs.
Artie: The Saints will takecare of business this weekend. Brett suddenly loves to play in a dome? Thistime he'll remember how tough he had it indoors when he was a Packer. ThatSuperdome will be just insane!
Frank: Meanwhile the Jets, whomade the playoffs by beating two semi-engaged opponents, could make the SuperBowl as a wild card.
Artie: Using theformula—ferocious defense—that took their stadium-mates, the Giants, to the toptwo years ago. I'll bet the joints are jumping on the Jersey Shore!
Falling Stars
Artie: Ouch! The Bucks and Wisconsin’s hoopstershave to play without a key guy.
Frank: I think Jon Leuer’sbroken wrist is more costly to UW than Michael Redd's re-wrecked knee is to theBucks.
Artie: Me too. Even with Reddthe Bucks were struggling to stay in the hunt for the eighth and last playoffspot in the East.
Frank: A typically rough tripout west (1-5) put them at 16-23 and standing 10th.
Artie: But the East is so lamethat by next week they could be back in the seventh spot.
Frank: I think they're abetter team without Redd. Nothing against him, but he's a one-dimensionalplayer.
Artie: He's a terrificshooter, but this team needs to run and move the ball to be successful.
Frank: When we saw them beat Toronto, a game Reddmissed, they got good passing from every position and balanced scoring.
Artie: On the other hand, theBucks rely on the outside shot, and Redd could rescue them on certain nights.The signing of Jerry Stackhouse might help, but at 35 he's strictly astopgap.
Frank: Redd has been an honestworker and a solid citizen here for a lot of years...
Artie: High praise,considering that Gilbert Arenas has made NBA stand for "Now Bringin'Artillery" into the locker room.
Frank: Unfortunately, now Reddis damaged goods and carrying an $18 million price tag for next season on acontract option the Bucks can't void.
Artie: They could trade him,but who'll want to eat that salary?
Frank: Then there's theBadgers. No doubt Leuer's absence is a big blow.
Artie: They lost at Ohio State,but UW won't crumble. There's too much that's solid about the Bo Ryan system.
