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.
What may have been more interesting is the fact that McGwire claims to have used these drugs not simply as a means of getting ahead. McGwire says he took steroids because he believed that they would help him heal from injuries more quickly.
This would make sense in McGwire's case, as injuries seriously slowed down the pace of what would have been an otherwise torrid career. He was one of the best power hitters in the game, but his potential was always cut short due to injury.
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.
No year was more indicative of his steroid use than 1998 was. This is a year that you very likely remember, as he belted 70 home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals, breaking the single season home record previously held by Roger Maris.
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.
In retrospect, it should have been obvious that McGwire and others were using illegal substances. There was no other way to explain the unprecedented jumps in production, and the baseball world should have been keen to this.
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.
What may have been more interesting is the fact that McGwire claims to have used these drugs not simply as a means of getting ahead. McGwire says he took steroids because he believed that they would help him heal from injuries more quickly.
This would make sense in McGwire's case, as injuries seriously slowed down the pace of what would have been an otherwise torrid career. He was one of the best power hitters in the game, but his potential was always cut short due to injury.
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.
No year was more indicative of his steroid use than 1998 was. This is a year that you very likely remember, as he belted 70 home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals, breaking the single season home record previously held by Roger Maris.
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.
In retrospect, it should have been obvious that McGwire and others were using illegal substances. There was no other way to explain the unprecedented jumps in production, and the baseball world should have been keen to this.
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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