The Contra Costa Times quotes Tony LaRussa as saying that he will seriously consider adding new hitting coach, Mark McGwire to the roster in August for pinch-hitting duties.
"If we're in contention, we'll put him on the roster August 31. It's a nice little dream."
Of course, an "unretired" Mark McGwire would kick-start a new calendar for his Hall of Fame consideration. Players have to wait five years after retiring or from their appearance in a game and then have 15 more years to remain eligible for election. McGwire has been on the ballot three times and would only have 12 years of eligibility but this would give McGwire extra time for voters to "forgive and forget" about McGwire's ster...whoops, sorry ALLEGED steroid use, Incredible Hulk appearance, back acne, embarrassing Congressional (non) testimony etc.
Couple this with LaRussa's indignant defense of everything Mark McGwire and also his hysterical, rabid insistence that McGwire never used steroids and let's just say that Tony's motivation for this sure seems to be an open question.
Unfortunately, as much as LaRussa talks about the sanctity of the game, I don't think he is above doing something like this in service of his good buddy.
I can just see some Hall of Fame committee preemptively offering to waive the second 5 year waiting period for McGwire if he only gets a few at-bats in August with LaRussa foaming at the mouth responding, "Oh, no you won't! I will play him all year then! We can void Holliday's contract, you know! Don't make me do it! Stop messing with my boy!"
Think I am being too hard on LaRussa?
Think about it.
Tell me it can't happen.
Ok, then.
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4 comments:
I have always had a hard time defining LaRussa's motivations. I don't know if he just loves McGwire or if there is a deeper story there that somehow ties to LaRussa protecting himself. I always feel like LaRussa has an angle beyond whatever public position he decides to take. I dunno.
If McGwire did get say 40 at bats near the end of the season, and managed to hit 3 or 4 homeruns, I have a strange feeling it would go a long way in repairing his reputation (beyond just resetting the HOF clock).
America loves to build heroes, tear them down, then build them up again. It makes for wonderful drama.
If I'm honest with myself, I bet I'd tear up if McGwire came back and hit a home run in his first at bat.
It is interesting to note that Peter Gammons voted for Mark McGwire for the HOF this year. His reasoning seemed a bit un-Gammons-like.
He said McGwire was never caught using steroids and that is how he will judge players of the steroid era. Gammons said he does not believe Manny Ramirez nor Rafael Palmeiro will ever be inducted because they were both caught.
Most of the players of the 70's took greenies (amphetamines). They are/were illegal and certainly enhanced player's ability to perform to a degree.
If steroids weren't so strikingly effective the era would not have been scandalous.
So in a very real sense, the players of the steroid era are being disproportionately punished because science was too good this time around. It tore down too many sacred pillars (records).
Cheating has always been part of baseball. Cheating is passively accepted until it makes a mockery of the game.
Kinda like the wife who puts up with her husband's occasional indiscretions until those indiscretions show up on the doorstep.
Steroids showed up on the doorstep.
FOC,
While cheating has been going on forever, I think steroids was the tipping point because it did change the game turning it into more of an offensive game and it also deemphasized defense, speed, stolen bases etc. The game changed. Further the players' appearances changed with every team seemingly having at least one Incredible Hulk guy in the lineup.
Then McGwire and Sosa have their home run chase/love in and then when the poop hit the fan, people felt duped. Then Barry Bonds breaks a cherished record all while sporting a grotesque appearance and displaying a surly attitude and fans just said "enough". Joe Dimaggio and Ted Williams never looked like that.
Like it or not, Bonds and McGwire probably will always be the focus for the fans' anger at all of this because they broke cherished records while on the stuff and to make matters worse neither will admit to it so they are probably joined at the hip on this forever.
I don't know if LaRussa truly believes that McGwire never took steroids or if he defends him because he is a friend or if he defends him so not to tarnish the accomplishments of those Cardinals teams. I don't know.
One thing I do know is that LaRussa does not seem to respect the fans' anger on the steroid issue and I find that a little offensive. I also find his hypersensitive defense of McGwire to be kind of creepy.
He is somebody I really want to like but....
Kevin
I heard that they were just going to get together for a couple of beers.
They are going to have to bring the batboy for a designated driver.
LaRussa has a problem with DUIs dontcha know.
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