Mark McGwire Admits What Everyone Already Suspected

[FSTargetDrone]

Asterik, Asterik!!!

Posted: 3:04 p.m. Jan. 11, 2010 | Updated: 3:22 p.m. today

Mark McGwire admits using steroids

By RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK — Mark McGwire finally came clean today, admitting he used steroids when he broke baseball’s home run record in 1998.

McGwire says in a statement sent to the Associated Press that he used steroids on and off for nearly a decade and he apologizes for his actions.

He says: “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.”

His voice repeatedly cracked with emotion during a telephone interview as he recounted telling his wife, parents and son that he had used steroids.

His voice breaking, McGwire says, “It’s the first time they’ve ever heard me, you know, talk about this. I hid it from everybody.”

During a 20-minute phone call Monday, McGwire says he called commissioner Bud Selig and Cardinals manager Tony La Russa earlier in the day to personally apologize.

McGwire says that when he used steroids, he never imagined he would have to talk about it to national media.

McGwire's statement to the Associated Press

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.

Oh boo hoo. If had my way, now that he's employed again by the Cardinals, they should bounce his ass. He's also probably lucky he took the fifth when he "testified" before Congress.

[ThomasP]

Who cares?

It's not a secret that professional athletes use drugs. As long as fans keep demanding the performances and the paychecks match the demand, athletes will keep using them.

What's sad is the witch-hunt, and the fact that this garbage has actually been allowed to take up Congess's time in the first place.

[SCRawl]

I've been thinking about this case, and I really can't understand McGwire's actions. I mean, he was given the opportunity (in the form of a congressional subpoena) to admit his use of steroids, and he asserted his fifth amendment rights. This is as clear as an admission as if he shot up with androstenedione at the witness table, and yet he chose to dodge the question. That he couldn't face up to his actions is the only plausible explanation to me, but then, why now?

I can think of only two (weak) reasons for admitting his transgressions now, both of them stemming from naked self-interest: he wants to get into the Hall of Fame, and feels that contrition is the only way to do so; or he wanted to have a job in baseball, and now that he has one he feels that it's secure enough to admit openly what the world already knows.

(It's worth noting that McGwire never actually broke any of baseball's rules by going on the steroids. There were no rules against performance-enhancing drugs at the time he played.)

[Patrick Degan]

Oh, by all means they should put him in the Hall of Fame —with a plaque bearing his name, his image, the chemical formula for androstenedione, and a number 70 inscribed within a big asterisk.

[Darth Fanboy]

He's also probably lucky he took the fifth when he "testified" before Congress.

Snip

Luck had nothing to do with it. That was strategic on McGwire's part. Check out the following article, it explains just about everything.

Link

Mark McGwire testified before the Committee on Government Reform of the House of Representatives on March 17, 2005. During the hearing he declined to answer questions about whether he used steroids. On Monday, McGwire admitted that he did use steroids. SI.com's Michael McCann discusses the legal fallout.

1) Did McGwire perjure himself when he testified before Congress?

No. Perjury requires knowingly lying while under oath. McGwire followed his lawyer's advice by neither confirming nor denying that he used steroids. His opening statement set the tone: "My lawyers have advised me that I cannot answer these questions without jeopardizing my friends, my family and myself. I intend to follow their advice." He also repeatedly remarked, "I'm not here to talk about the past," even when that statement seemed unrelated to questions posed by members of Congress. McGwire's evasive performance may have been a public relations disaster, but he avoided committing perjury or any other crime.

2) If McGwire had a deal with Congressmen Henry Waxman and Tom Davis "not to talk about the past" why did they keep asking him about it?

McGwire originally sought immunity from criminal prosecution as a condition to testify. The immunity would have enabled him to implicate himself in criminal activity related to steroids without the threat of prosecution for that activity. The request, however, was denied by then U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez. The granting of immunity typically involves a balancing of several factors, including the likely probative value of the witness's testimony and the types of criminal acts potentially committed by the witness; Gonzalez concluded immunity was not justified.

McGwire eventually agreed to testify without immunity, but with a possible handshake deal with Waxman and Davis, the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Government Reform, respectively, that he could skirt questions about his past by invoking his Fifth Amendment privilege. The privilege protects parties in a legal proceeding from disclosing information that they reasonably believe could be used in, or give rise to, criminal prosecutions of them. McGwire was concerned that admitting to steroids use would have constituted an admission of guilt under the Anabolic Steroid Control Act. Instead of expressly referring to his Fifth Amendment privilege, McGwire opted to say that he was "not here to talk about the past."

Unfortunately for McGwire, most members of the Committee were acutely interested in his past, and there was little either Waxman or Davis could do about it. Indeed, despite Davis's admonition to his colleagues that a House rule "protects witnesses and the public from the disclosure of defamatory, degrading or incriminating testimony in open Session," McGwire was repeatedly posed incisive questions by members of both parties, including Congressmen Bernie Sanders (now a U.S. Senator) and Patrick McHenry. Given that the hearing was watched live by millions of Americans, it would have been difficult for either the chairman or ranking member to cut off seemingly legitimate questions posed by Committee members. In reality, McGwire and his advisers should have appreciated that dynamic before they agreed that McGwire would testify. After all, as Congressman Mark Souder astutely observed that day, "As far as this being about the past, that's what we do. This is an oversight committee. If the Enron people come in here and say, we don't want to talk about the past, do you think Congress is going to let them get away with that? When we were doing investigations on the travel office, on Whitewater, if President Nixon had said about Watergate when Congress was investigating Watergate, we don't talk about the past, how in the world are we supposed to pass legislation?"

3) What would have happened had McGwire talked about the past?

If McGwire had denied using steroids -- that is, lie -- he would have set himself up for perjury charges. But keep in mind, under Title 18 of the U.S. Code (Section 1001), there is a five-year statute of limitations for federal perjury charges. That means that McGwire or any other witness from the March 17, 2005 hearing would need to face perjury charges by March 17, 2010. It is unclear whether the government would have had sufficient physical evidence to investigate and seek a grand jury indictment against McGwire; there does not appear to be a Brian McNamee-like figure from McGwire's past.

Alternatively, if McGwire had admitted that he used steroids -- that is, told the truth -- he would have been subject to investigation by federal authorities as to which steroids he purchased, when and how he purchased them, from whom he purchased them and similarly probing questions. In theory, McGwire could have faced criminal charges under the Anabolic Steroid Control Act. While some might point out that no player who admitted to using steroids has been prosecuted for purchasing or using steroids, keep in mind that those players -- including Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte -- had not yet admitted to using steroids in 2005; McGwire and his attorneys did not have the benefit of observing those players' legal experiences.

McGwire's admissions of steroids and subsequent cooperation with federal authorities could have impacted other players and the steroids scandal in general. For instance, it may have aided federal investigations into other players alleged to have used steroids, including Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. It may have also helped the Mitchell Commission in its internal investigation. On the other hand, by admitting that he used steroids and subjecting himself to potential prosecution absent cooperation with authorities, McGwire might have put himself in the uncomfortable and unenviable position of implicating friends and former teammates.

4) McGwire contended that he would have jeopardized his family and friends had he talked about the past. Is that true? What would have really happened?

McGwire could have implicated his family and friends in participating in criminal acts if he purchased illegal steroids from them or if they aided and abetted his purchasing of illegal steroids. Alternatively, had McGwire purchased illegal steroids from criminal or nefarious types, he may have feared that divulging any sellers' names could have led to reprisal against his family and friends. In hindsight, these may seem like far-fetched, almost quixotic concerns, but at the time McGwire's counsel may have encouraged McGwire to pursue the least risky strategy.

5) McGwire adamantly denied Jose Canseco's account of his using steroids with Canseco in the clubhouse. Does either player have grounds for a lawsuit against the other?

Both players could refer to defamation law, which concerns damaging and untrue statements that are publicly made. Neither player, however, would likely prevail in a defamation claim, particularly since neither player has enjoyed widespread credibility on the topic of steroids.

Slander is the oral version of defamation, while libel refers to defamation by written or visualized material. A defaming statement must be egregious, as opposed to one that is merely insulting. Public figures, like McGwire and Canseco, also have the burden of showing that the speaker had "actual malice" (that is, knowledge or recklessness) in making a defaming statement. The truthfulness of a statement is almost always an absolute defense to defamation.

McGwire could contend that Canseco libeled him in his book, Juiced Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big. In the book, Canseco claims to have injected McGwire, among other assertions about McGwire's use of steroids. McGwire could assert that while he indeed used steroids, Canseco's description of McGwire's usage was untrue and that the description injured McGwire's reputation and exposed him to public ridicule. Such a claim seems unlikely to succeed, however, given that the core claim by Canseco -- McGwire used steroids -- has been acknowledged as true by McGwire.

For his part, Canseco could argue that by denying Canseco's assertions, McGwire slandered him, but such a claim would be similarly difficult. McGwire's denial of Canseco's assertions, while perhaps undermining Canseco's book, probably does not rise to slander, particularly when most people seemed to disbelieve McGwire. The statement would also have to have injured Canseco's reputation and exposed him to public ridicule, consequences which seem unlikely to be shown.

6) Did McGwire have any legal incentives to admit the truth today?

It's possible that the St. Louis Cardinals could have required, as a condition of McGwire's employment as team hitting coach, that McGwire publicly admit that he used steroids. It would have been a reasonable request. The Cardinals understandably would not want a coach serving as a media distraction, and had he not made his admission, McGwire could have become just that.

7) Does today's admission have any legal impact on criminal actions against Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens?

Probably not. Unless McGwire has information about those players and is willing to share it, McGwire's admission is limited in impact to him

[The Spartan]

This is as clear as an admission as if he shot up with androstenedione at the witness table

Oh, by all means they should put him in the Hall of Fame —with a plaque bearing his name, his image, the chemical formula for androstenedione, and a number 70 inscribed within a big asterisk.

That's the thing though. At the time, androstenedione was not a banned substance, not by baseball, not by the law. It was a steroid, there's no doubt about that, but it was legal for him to openly use it and you could even buy it over the counter as a "dietary supplement." It was banned by other organizations, but not by baseball. You also would not have injected this form of steroids, as I recall. (No I didn't use them, I just remember when they were around) Moreover, and this is the point I'm getting at, everyone knew McGwire was taking andro because he kept a bottle of it in his locker in plain view.

What McGwire it admitting to now is the use of various injectables, i.e. the ones that were both banned by baseball and illegal at the time, though he says he doesn't remember the names of them. He also admits to using HGH. On top of that, he claims he only used them in small amounts for health purposes; so he could come back from injuries faster, not so he could get stronger. Of course, he also claimed he never took steroids so there you go. That said, given how much andro he was downing, back when it "wasn't a steroid" there might be a glimmer of truth to that. Though I think I'd lean towards the "yeah, right" camp on that one.

[SCRawl]

This is as clear as an admission as if he shot up with androstenedione at the witness table

Oh, by all means they should put him in the Hall of Fame —with a plaque bearing his name, his image, the chemical formula for androstenedione, and a number 70 inscribed within a big asterisk.

That's the thing though. At the time, androstenedione was not a banned substance, not by baseball, not by the law.

I mentioned as much in the last line of my post.

It was a steroid, there's no doubt about that, but it was legal for him to openly use it and you could even buy it over the counter as a "dietary supplement." It was banned by other organizations, but not by baseball. You also would not have injected this form of steroids, as I recall. (No I didn't use them, I just remember when they were around) Moreover, and this is the point I'm getting at, everyone knew McGwire was taking andro because he kept a bottle of it in his locker in plain view.

My understanding is that injection is one means of administering andro, though I don't know if it was the one that McGwire preferred. Also, to your last point, I don't think that he wanted it to get out that he was taking the stuff; I recall that a reporter happened to notice the stuff in his locker, and asked the obvious questions. (I have a vague recollection that, when put on the spot, McGwire's answer was that he used it to improve his sex life. I'm not even sure if that answer makes any sense, though I suppose that more testosterone can be a good thing for those purposes.)

What McGwire it admitting to now is the use of various injectables, i.e. the ones that were both banned by baseball and illegal at the time, though he says he doesn't remember the names of them. He also admits to using HGH.

If he's now admitting to taking substances that were banned at the time, then certainly that's a horse of a different colour. He deserves to be left out in the cold like Pete Rose.

[The Spartan]

I mentioned as much in the last line of my post.

I know, but that particular comment was directed more at Degan. I was addressing you and Degan all at once and rather than separate everything I just lumped it all together.

My understanding is that injection is one means of administering andro, though I don't know if it was the one that McGwire preferred.

It may have been, but my memory is of it being used like creatine, either mixed into a drink or as a capsule. Of course, since I didn't use it and that was also more than a decade ago...

Also, to your last point, I don't think that he wanted it to get out that he was taking the stuff; I recall that a reporter happened to notice the stuff in his locker, and asked the obvious questions. (I have a vague recollection that, when put on the spot, McGwire's answer was that he used it to improve his sex life. I'm not even sure if that answer makes any sense, though I suppose that more testosterone can be a good thing for those purposes.)

I don't remember that, I only remembered it being in his locker, hidden in plain sight. I'd figure that if he wanted to truly hide it, he wouldn't have had it in his locker.

If he's now admitting to taking substances that were banned at the time, then certainly that's a horse of a different colour. He deserves to be left out in the cold like Pete Rose.

I have to correct my previous statement. I misread the article, he didn't say that he used HGH. They were referring to Alex Rodriguez with the HGH. Nonetheless:

"The names I don't remember, but I did injectables," McGwire told Costas. "I preferred the orals. The steroids I took were on a very low dosage."

From here.

[ThomasP]

Androstenedione was considered a prohormone, in that it has no (or very weak) actions by itself. It's a precursor to 'active' compounds, and requires enzymatic conversion in the body before it can have any effects. It was taken in pill form, and was considered pretty weak and useless because of poor availability and conversion.

If he was taking the actual banned anabolics, that's a different matter. They actually work.

But again, neither scenario is surprising. Maybe to the general public that doesn't know any different, but the dirty secret of virtually all professional sports (and especially the ones with high stakes) is that performance-enhancers are commonplace, they have been since the 1960s, and even all the money and time that goes into anti-doping has done little to change that.

I still don't see why it's such an issue that it has to eat up this much of the government's time and energy. They've got much better things to worry about than putting on witch trials to keep the public happy.

[Darth Fanboy]

I believe Congress spent time on this because pro sports organizations such as MLB are exempt from Antitrust Laws, although they aren't technically legal monopolies I would think that if the government is giving special consideration to a multi billion dollar business they would want to make sure everything is on the straight and narrow.

Not that I am condoning an overabundance of time spent on steroids in pro sports, but admittedly there has been some badly needed change out of all this.

[Rogue 9]

McGwire speaks

Mark McGwire Admits It Was Really Fucking Fun Hitting Baseballs So Far

January 15, 2010

NEW YORK—Former St. Louis Cardinals slugger, onetime single-season home run record holder, and admitted steroid abuser Mark McGwire came clean Monday, confessing that it was really fucking fun being able to hit baseballs so hard and far.

"I can't remember having a better time in all of my life," McGwire said during an hour-long interview with the MLB Network's Bob Costas. "Do you have any idea what it's like knowing instantly that a ball you hit is going to fly—no, soar—over a fence in a major-league stadium? Well, I do. And it's fucking fantastic."

"I'm sorry everyone had a problem with it," McGwire added. "But I was having a blast."

Though McGwire told Costas there were times he almost regretted taking anabolic steroids, the former Oakland Athletics star said that, considering the tons of fun the performance-enhancing substances allowed him to have, he never thought twice about his decision.

"I was hitting baseballs over 450 feet," McGwire said. "That's really far. And high, too. Oh my God, were they high. Towering, in fact. I was, like, crushing these things."

According to McGwire, he had the most fun during the 1998 season, when he fired off 70 home runs and broke Roger Maris' single-season long-ball record. McGwire said he had the second-most fun the following year, when he hit 65 home runs, many of which, the giddy slugger proclaimed, "went for miles and miles."

However, a visibly emotional McGwire admitted that he had absolutely no fun in 1993 and 1994, when he was plagued by injuries and hit just nine home runs each season. At that time, the first baseman explained, the balls were either going high and not that far or traveling too low and not that hard.

"That was a drag. Don't get me wrong, just hitting the ball really high in the air can be cool sometimes, even if you get out," said McGwire, adding that it's enjoyable to watch a routine pop-fly that goes "way, way up there." "But I was getting out a lot during those years, so I had to do whatever was necessary to hit the ball really high, far, and hard all the time."

"High plus far plus hard equals big-time, serious fun," McGwire continued.

McGwire also said that his decade-long steroid abuse had little to do with gaining an edge on his competition and more to do with his observation of how players who didn't hit the ball very far were not enjoying the game.

"I would look at a guy like John Olerud just kind of hitting these dinky ground balls, and I would say to myself, 'No way this guy's having a good time,'" McGwire said. "All I know is, when I got up to the plate, the outfielders would back all the way up because I hit the ball so far. I really enjoyed that."

"I also liked hitting it over their heads," McGwire added while flexing his right bicep and then making a swinging motion with his arms. "Crack! Home run."

According to the three-time Silver Slugger Award winner, the fun he was having also seemed to make everyone else—including teammates, fans, and Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig—have fun while they watched his at bats.

McGwire said that the main thing he learned in his 16 years as a player was that people tend to be happier when players are hitting the ball really far.

"By their reactions, I just figured they were cool with me taking steroids and having a good time," McGwire said. "They clearly knew I was taking performance-enhancing drugs, right? I mean, look at me. I look like a fucking monster. Plus, come on—I was hitting the ball really, really fucking far."