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.
The logic would typically follow that a player takes any performance enhancing drug to enhance their statistical performance. A strong player will hit more home runs, and his team will find more success. McGwire, on the other hand, took these drugs because he felt that they were his only means of staying free of injury.
You may remember that the beginning of McGwire's career was marked by many injuries that saw him missing the majority of some seasons as a result. His potential was never realized because of this, despite the fact that he averaged more home runs per at bat than any other player of his time.
It looked as if McGwire's plans worked to perfection. The first baseman enjoyed a fruitful era of power hitting that saw a much lower incidence of injury issues.
Everything came together in 1998, a year in which McGwire set baseball history. Having broken a seemingly unbreakable record held by Roger Maris, the St. Louis Cardinal hit an astounding 70 home runs during the course of the year.
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.
Many now realize that the writing was on the wall this whole time. How could a player in his mid 30s suddenly hit more home runs than ever before? How could others like Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa hit even more? We all should have known better.
Despite this all, one has to wonder if McGwire should be chided or praised for his recent admissions. While his numbers will certainly hold very little credence, he was a brave man to do what far too players have been willing to do up until now.
The logic would typically follow that a player takes any performance enhancing drug to enhance their statistical performance. A strong player will hit more home runs, and his team will find more success. McGwire, on the other hand, took these drugs because he felt that they were his only means of staying free of injury.
You may remember that the beginning of McGwire's career was marked by many injuries that saw him missing the majority of some seasons as a result. His potential was never realized because of this, despite the fact that he averaged more home runs per at bat than any other player of his time.
It looked as if McGwire's plans worked to perfection. The first baseman enjoyed a fruitful era of power hitting that saw a much lower incidence of injury issues.
Everything came together in 1998, a year in which McGwire set baseball history. Having broken a seemingly unbreakable record held by Roger Maris, the St. Louis Cardinal hit an astounding 70 home runs during the course of the year.
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.
Many now realize that the writing was on the wall this whole time. How could a player in his mid 30s suddenly hit more home runs than ever before? How could others like Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa hit even more? We all should have known better.
Despite this all, one has to wonder if McGwire should be chided or praised for his recent admissions. While his numbers will certainly hold very little credence, he was a brave man to do what far too players have been willing to do up until now.
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