How Big Mac got big

Sometimes, blog posts just sort of fall in your lap. To that end, you can thank today’s not-so-stunning announcement by Mark McGwire that he DID in fact use steroids in his chase to break the long coveted home run record held by Roger Maris, for saving you (and me for that matter) from a post on content anxiety.

It seems that what we all knew for well over a decade is now confirmed by admission by the guilty party and now Big Mac’s name can be placed on that wall of fame that includes Rafael Palmerio, Alex Rodriguez, Jason (and Jeremy) Giambi, Ken Caminiti, and the granddaddy of them all and former bash brother, Jose Canseco.

The question is though, why wait 11 years to come clean? Is it because he wants to reenter baseball with a clear conscience? (For those of you not in the know, MacGwire was named the new Cardinals hitting coach back in October) Or is it so that he can be someday considered for the Baseball Hall of Fame and add his bust to the other cheaters in Cooperstown.

For the record, let me start by saying that I for one could care less that one half of Oakland’s famed dynamic duo finally admitted to the same fate as his counterpart, I really don’t. My stance on the entire subject of the steroid controversy in baseball is well documented. I have released both a podcast and published an essay on the matter and today, more than ever, my position remains the same.

In fact, MacGwire’s lackluster confession only strengthens my argument that were it not for the existence of steroids, there would be no baseball today. What? You think I am wrong? Let’s take a look back a few years shall we?

It’s 1994 and the baseball world is in turmoil because of the tension between owners and the players union resulting in a strike, promptly putting an end to the season that was in progress as well as the entire next season. Fans are left with a sour taste in their mouths as the greed of their heroes leads to the downfall of America’s pastime. Even after the players returned to the diamonds the next year, bitter fans still booed them, if they showed up at all.

But magically, three years later, a man with a magic bat swung his stick, and memorized the sporting world with his feats of strength. Mark’s assault of the single season home run record made the very people who had swore to swear off baseball forever, rethink their sacred vow. Once again the public had reason to believe that all was right again with the athletic world. The barrage of balls leaving the yard even sparked the interest of the youngins, subsequently breading a generation of fans accustomed to seeing home runs by the truckload.

It should come as no surprise that from this resurrection of the game came one of the more shameful periods in the sports history, the steroid era. Of course “shameful” depends on who you ask. If you took the time to read my essay and listen to my podcast, you know that I think the game needs to thank these players for saving it from falling below soccer in the hierarchy of American sports. It would have taken a miracle and many, many years of apologies to get fans to come back without resentment, and thanks to McGwire, they got one.

So I have said it before and I will say it again, before you go wagging your judgmental little fingers at Big Mac, turn those stubs back at yourself and ask this question, “did I really care how he broke that record at the time?” I bet your answer will surprise you.

As one of my favorite beer commercials does so frequently, I will pay homage to the man who made Major League Baseball what it is today.

Rod’s rants presents, real men of infamy, today we salute you, Mark McGwire, your steroid use to break Roger Maris’s home run record single handedly saved the game of baseball. For centuries, players relied on sheer strength to hit balls out of the park, but not you, you brought the wall in by shooting up. Your testosterone endued frenzy introduced fans to a new era of baseball, one which laughs at the past generations so called “power hitters.” So crack open an ice cold hypodermic needle, former bash brother. Another steroid user may have broken your record, but you will always be the steroid user who broke it first.

So for you nostalgia buffs, here is a look at McGwire’s monumental 62nd home run.

Did you think it would be the real one? This one is more real then the one he hit…as far as I know, the person playing this game was not doped up, which makes this one legit.