Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David "Big Mac" McGwire, is an American former professional baseball player and currently a bench coach in Major League Baseball. As a first baseman, his MLB career spanned from 1986 to 2001 while playing for the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He quickly grabbed media attention in 1987 as a rookie with the Athletics by hitting 33 home runs before the All-Star break, and would lead the major leagues in home runs that year with 49, setting...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBaseball Player
Date of Birth1 October 1963
CityPomona, CA
CountryUnited States of America
In spring training, it was one of my goals to get fifty homers. Now everything is basically icing on the cake as far as what I can do to strive for, I surprise myself. It's unbelieveable.
In '83, we went over to Amsterdam. I just remember people saying, 'Baseball's just starting over here. They're learning how to play the game of baseball.'
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.
I'm a very positive person and I just wish everybody else would be positive.
I don't think it can be done. The season is too long and the fatigue gets to you. Maybe if I had a little help ...
I'm sure people will wonder if I could have hit all those home runs had I never taken steroids.
I didn't even realize it was a grand slam (number thirty-one) because I was mentally preparing myself for Andy Benes because he struck me out the first time.
So be it. I’m happy to bring the country together.
Babe Ruth, what can you say? You are almost speechless when people put your name alongside his name. I wish I can go back in time in meet him. Obviously, he was probably the most important sports figure in the world at that time. Hopefully, someday when I pass away, I get to meet him, and then I can really find out what he was really like.
I've been thinking about the record since I reached the fifty plateau. But you think about it and then you let it go because you can't waste many brain cells on hours thinking about it.
This is a great thing that's happening in baseball. We don't know if it will ever happen again.
Performance-enhancing drugs are an illusion. I wish I had never gotten involved with steroids. It was wrong. It was stupid.
The only reason I took steroids was for my health purposes. I did not take steroids to get any gain for any strength purposes.
I'm being embraced by the public, but also baseball is being embraced.