Coming Clean

Mark McGwire admitted today that he used steroids at various points throughout his career . This is not a shocking admission as this has been suspected for many years. In fact it's an admission that is a long time in coming.

For McGwire, the question is whether this will really change things for his Hall of Fame candidacy. I recently stated my opinion that he was not a Hall of Famer based on statistics alone. His lone Hall of Fame justifying statistic is the 586 career home runs which now, by his own admission, are questionable.

Still, I believe it was wise for McGwire to acknowledge that he used steroids. He is attempting to return to professional baseball this spring as the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. I believe he should be allowed this opportunity to return to major-league baseball. Everything I've heard about Mark McGwire is that he is a nice man and a class act. He is also somebody who made a mistake or error in judgment. He should be allowed to admit it and move forward.

McGwire's admission would have been better had it come four years ago. In his statement today he said he took human growth hormone in an effort to try and heal from his injuries. Mark McGwire's career was racked by injuries. He missed the equivalent of several full seasons with injuries. Had he been able to stay healthy and on the field, he likely would have passed 700 home runs and possibly broken Henry Aaron's record.

So I believe McGwire's statement about why he took steroids. Here was one of the best athletes in the world who found himself unable to play the game. When offered something that might have allowed him to get back on the field of play is not unreasonable to expect that he would try it. Yes, it was probably illegal. Yes, he should not have done it. But, can we say anyone of us, when denied the opportunity to pursue something we love and something that will provide for our family for generations, would do whatever it to continue to pursue it? At best, we probably cannot say for sure.

When he reports to spring training as the hitting instructor for the Cardinals, McGwire will likely still have to do a drop dead press conference. He is going to have to stand there and answer all the reporters' questions. I believe if he does he can put the issue to rest. Once he answers all the questions I think the public will lose interest. It is not important to me how and when he took each injection.

I hope therefore that Mark McGwire's admission allows him to get on with his life and his career. For baseball I hope this may be a starting point in getting beyond the steroid era. There is still going to be criminal trial of Barry Bonds, a possible indictment of Roger Clemens and the names of the various alleged steroid users on the Hall of Fame ballot. Hopefully however Mark McGwire has started baseball on to a path out of the steroid era.