Anyway, I’ve only posted once about the ongoing steroids saga, providing links to what I consider the best available reflections on the steroids era. Nerdicus Finch has also posted once. Basically, for good or bad, I believe that I’m beyond shock in terms of “who did” and “who didn’t.” And after the congressional hearings, only the most hard-core and/or delusional Big Mac fans could have still been shocked by today’s statement. If I had a vote for the Hall-of-Fame, I would have voted for McGwire, as well as the other “no brainers” like Clemens, Bonds (when they become eligible), et al.

So I was interested in what Mr. McGwire had to say, but while reading his statement, one segment stuck out:

“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.”

Mr. McGwire went on to state that he took these drugs for health reasons–that he believed they were helping him prevent and return from injury. He seemed to suggest that no steroids could help him hit more home runs, that home run hitting comes from genetics. Lets throw out the analysis of the steroid era statistics as a whole and take these claims at face value. If this is true, why would Mr. McGwire wish that he hadn’t played when he did? He made more money than he would have in any other era. If the steroids helped him heal, and nothing else, then he hit more home runs just by staying on the field than he would have in any other era. And while it doesn’t make it cheating right, a LOT of other people were doing it.

Mr. McGwire may be sincerely sorry. Like Tony LaRussa said, “the one thing he did not do is lie,” so he’s got that going for him. Which is nice. But I find myself agreeing with Rob Neyer’s excellent post from this afternoon:

I just wish that players like McGwire didn’t feel compelled to apologize, when we know that many of them would do exactly the same thing again, if they were in the same position. Most of them — and I don’t mean this as an insult — are sorry about getting caught, but not sorry about doing what they had to do (or thought they had to do) to get healthy or gain a competitive edge.

As THE major story of about fifteen years of baseball, the steroid era needs to be mentioned in the Hall of Fame. Maybe it puts some records out of reach…but hitters were on steroids. Pitchers were on steroids. Was your favorite player on steroids? Chances are probably the same as rolling a die… By condemning only the players who have been caught or admitted it, we give countless others a free pass. The only players who should be saying, “Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era” are the ones who remained clean.

I’ve said it before, and Bill Parcells said it before me, but sometimes you are what you are.

The steroids era is what it is.

What do other nerd card appreciators think?

April 10, 2006

March 21, 2007