La Russa: Proof of Mark McGwire’s “certain integrity” makes him a Hall of Famer
LAS VEGAS — Given the chance to celebrate and comment on Rickey Henderson’s appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa also seized the opportunity to stump for another dynamo member of his Oakland Athletics teams who will be on the ballot.
On his third try, Mark McGwire belongs in the Hall of Fame, La Russa believes.
It’s a matter a of “integrity.”
“This steroid issue, that’s a matter of integrity, right?” La Russa said. “That’s one way to describe it, right? Well, it occurred to me, I know that I’ve never spoken much about it at all, but this guy did something that screams integrity. … How many guys do we know that had a contract like he had? He had a contract in his hand for $15 million over two years, and he walked away from it because he didn’t feel like he could play to that level. That, to me, there’s a certain integrity for the sport, for self-respect and everything.”
La Russa is referencing a story that is well-known in St. Louis. After the 2001 season, a disappointing one for the slugger, McGwire retired and, as Bernie Miklasz put in a column around that time, “handed a guaranteed $30 million contract back to the Cardinals.” From Rick Hummel’s coverage of the extension McGwire signed during spring training of that same season, quoting Walt Jocketty to start:
“… He wanted to have a clause that if he was unable to play, he’d only take half his money. He said, ‘Look, I don’t want to be paid if I’m not playing. I don’t want my full salary if I’m not going to play. I don’t think it’s right.’ “But we weren’t able to put that kind of language in the contract. Still, I think it’s remarkable that he would do that.”
Jocketty said the Cardinals called the commissioner’s office about the matter and the reply was that the Cardinals could indeed put the clause in the contract, “but they didn’t think it would be approved (by the players’ association).”
La Russa contends that while the hearings before Congress and the subsequent lack of comment from McGwire — who did speak with Hummel on the 10th anniversary of his 70 home runs in 1998 — has cast a shadow over McGwire’s career, this act of giving back a guaranteed contract sheds the real light on McGwire’s character. And, La Russa continues, yes, character should be considered when Hall of Fame voters consider McGwire for a third time.
The manager believes that this act of “integrity” should not necessarily change how people view what has happened since McGwire retired but it should be entered into evidence with equal fervor.
McGwire retired after the 2001 season with 583 home runs and as the single-season home run king, a record since broken. He was also a 12-time All-Star and by many standards an obvious Hall of Famer. He has received roughly the same percentage of votes each year, right around a fourth of the votes.
La Russa’s comments created this exchange with reporters on Wednesday when he asked if how McGwire handled the contract situation and retirement tells more about him than how he performed in front of Congress or how he’s not fielded questions about the usage of performance-enhancing drugs:
La Russa: Now, our guess, and people that I’ve talked to, our guess is that a whole lot of guys, just being normal, would be figured some way to either talk to the organization, like let’s get a buyout, give me $5 million instead of $30 million, whatever it is, or go ahead and play less than their best and collect a check for two years. He walked away from two years of $30 million, and I thought to myself when I told this one writer, ‘Man, I think that speaks to the public or the voters about his integrity.’
You’ve got to be a pretty solid character guy … Am I reading that wrong? Do you think that’s a good sign of character, that you would walk away from $30 million if you didn’t think you could play to that level? How would you take that decision and not make sense of it.
Reporter. I’m not sure that you’re comparing apples to apples.
La Russa: So how would you describe a guy that walks away from $30 million?
Reporter. I’m agreeing with you that that’s a sign of character, not to have a debate that’s going to be transcribed here. This isn’t the place. I would agree that that’s a sign of integrity. But I think we all do things that show integrity in one side of our life and make questionable moves on another parallel track.
La Russa: I’m just saying that the fact that he walked away from that money has been an under-discussed, under-publicized — I know I have not discussed it, and I think that is a hellacious sign of the type of person he is, and that should translate into knowing that he’s a special guy. I just never talked about it. I thought I had the chance so I’d mention it.
Reporter. So you’d consider it as an intangible for his Hall of Fame?
La Russa: Yeah, he’s got this cloud over him.
Reporter. Character is an issue (on the ballot).
La Russa: So I think that showed great character because there’s not many guys that I know that wouldn’t have said, ‘I’ll just stumble along and take those checks.’
La Russa said he recently had dinner with McGwire, while the general managers gathered in Dana Point, Calif. for their annual meetings. He did reiterate an invitation to come to spring training and be a hitting instructor. La Russa lauds McGwire’s ability to teach hitting, his thoughts on hitting and how he could help several of the young hitters. The slugger has helped Chris Duncan before, and Skip Schumaker credits McGwire with helping him improve as a hitter.
McGwire was close to joining the team in spring training this past season, enough that the team was beginning to plan the inevitable crush of coverage. There was even that typo on Day 1 of camp that had McGwire listed as a coach on La Russa’s workout-organization sheet.
“Well, there’s no doubt because he was on his way last spring, and then he had an issue,” La Russa said. “He was within a week of coming to camp. But it’s still the same. His two boys are demanding a lot of his time, and he’s having a great time being around them.”
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
Just because McGwire turned down money does not mean that he belongs in the Hall of Fame. The fact of the matter is the guy is a cheater. McGwire, Sosa, Palmero, Giambi and the rest of the steriod bunch have no business near of being mentioned with cooperstown.
Tony LaRussa is so right…Mark McGwire is as Tony LaRussa says…has a lot of character. I have always liked McGwire as a player and a person…if he took something as a player, it was legal at the time…time to let it go…he deserves to be in the Hall Of Fame…and as a coach on the Cardinals in some capacity.
The problem with McGwire in the Hall is that he was a one-trick pony, and that trick was a trick. I don’t blame him too much personally for taking roids. In an age of roids, if you don’t shoot-up, you get left behind. Besides I would not wonder if there were not some pressure from management to “be the best you can be.” There are too many alumni of TLR University that have done roids to believe that Tony was blind to the whole thing. As for his ability as an instructor, I have no doubt of it. His was one of the most elegant swings ever seen. If he could teach that quick inside swing to knucklehead Dunc, records could fall. Re. instructors: What ever happened to Steve Finley? Back in 02 (or was it 01?) he was credited with teaching Andy Benes a forkball (or splitter or something that sank) over the All Star break, and Benes went from being the worst pitcher in baseball to being the best in the second half. No doubt other, less publicized, factors were involved, but that seems like pretty good teaching to me. Why isn’t Finley (or Benes, for that matter) teaching that pitch to every hurler in the St. Louis organization?
Wade, give me a break. I hope that during the “steroid era” you didn’t watch any games out of your disgust for these “cheaters”. I am tired of all of these people getting their d*%$s tied in knots whenever someone mentions any of these guys for the hall of fame. People who make this argument but still enjoyed watching the long ball leave the park during this time are one of two things, a hypocrite or too dumb to realize something was going on at the time.
Wade, your entirely off base. You ASSUME that McGwire is a cheater, that has never been proven. It is a fact he walked away from a 30 million dollar contract. You are right that does not mean he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
What he did do on the field is why he deserves to be there.
To the above commentor:
I believe you mean Chuck Finley, not Steve.
Regarding Big Mac and the Hall of Fame:
It’s pretty obvious that McGwire took steriods. While he has not come clean about this, he also has not lied about it. Like the contract issue Larussa mentions, this also does speak volumes about his character.
For McGwire to get into the HOF, he eventually will need to come clean about his steroid use, and express some sort of contrition. Will we ever see that? Hard to say, because clearly McGwire cherishes his privacy. I don’t think that he values the HOF enough to endure the discomfort of public scrutiny that would ensue from him coming forward with a public apology.
Wade: Cheater? Fact? Show me the money. Seriously.
Andro may be looked down upon and it is in fact banned by MLB right now. But when McGwire admitted (ADMITTED, not DENIED or LIED) to taking Andro, it was neither illegal nor banned.
No proof has ever been offered or implied that McGwire ever did anything outside the rules of MLB.
Do you drink coffee in the morning? Or perhaps you use tobacco products and nicotine? Or maybe just the Vitamin C in your morning OJ? Do any of these substances boost your mood or job performance, perhaps keeping you from dozing off at work? Those are all legal performance-enhancing drugs. How would you like it if one of these substances was subsequently banned and some future employer refused to hire you (or perhaps fires you) because you USED TO use a substance that was once legal but is now banned.
Ex Post Facto, my friend, Ex Post Facto.
As for Cooperstown, maybe we should throw out all the players who have admitted to using “greenies” (amphetamines) during their playing days. After all, many players openly admit using them, though they were always illegal (though never tested for until recently). So why the double-standard?
MLB made their own bed by not testing players for banned substances for many many years. MLB allowed the “juiced” era, knowing full well what was happening behind closed clubhouse doors. Denying a player his post-career due because you “suspect” something is horse-hockey. Show me PROOF. There is concrete proof Bonds did steroids. There is no proof McGwire ever did anything against the rules of MLB.
Let’s see . . . in a sport where stealing signs, stealing bases, ghosting double plays, cheating on the strike zone, throwing spitters, etc. all have taken place over the years (and to the cheer of fans and pundits alike), I am always a bit puzzled as to this steroids bit. If steroids were the key, then why can’t I hit as many homers as McGwire? (Or others for that matter.) If they were illegal then and he used them, then perhaps there is something, but then again maybe not. Do we check the drug/drinking issues of all HOFers and then boot some out who were not totally pristine?
Before you label a person a “cheater”, make sure you have proof that he cheated. Heresay from a former drug user and speculation by the media does not constitute proof. And before you bring out the statement when he appeared before Congress…he clearly told them and everyone else he was done talking about the past. And for some goofy reason, most people took that as an admission of guilt. He should be in the Hall of Fame…PERIOD! And if not, take out the proven cheaters from the Hall of Fame….Gaylord Perry, the spit baller, comes to mind.
I think people have forgotten why Mark McGwire is even mentioned for HOF honor. Yes he has been listed as a steroid user, but so has so many others. Mark averaged well over 30 homeruns a season and was a staple in the lineup. His stats speak for themselves:
12x All-Star selection (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
World Series champion (1989)
Gold Glove Award winner (1990)
3x Silver Slugger Award winner (1992, 1996, 1998)
1987 AL Rookie of the Year
1999 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
MLB Records still standing: 10.61 At bats per home run ratio,
49 home runs rookie season
Most importanly however, is his help in bringing MLB back to the fans. The Great Homerun Race of 98 was something that movies are made of. Watching Mark and Sammy battle every night with my family wondering who would take the lead was amazing and something never to be forgotten. Mark, Sammy, and lets not forget Ken Griffey Jr. helped MLB make a dramatic comeback to its fans after years of disappointment. There is no question that the Race of 98 was HUGE for MLB and that is mostly due to Mark McGwire. Roids have been a big part of baseball for many of years (even now) and to take away something so special because of his success is wrong. No one complained during 1998 when they were cashing in on his success (MLB, Media, Marketing Depts.) But when it ended, they were the first to turn their backs - not Mark. McGwire deserves to be in the Hall of Fame for his role in Major League Baseball was critical to its success today. Astrisk or not, give him his due as a great player who conquered the sport when others (roided or not) couldn’t. MLB, the Media, and their fans all needed a hero and Mark (pun intended) stepped up to the plate, as he had done for years before. Even with the controversy hanging over him, he left the sport just as quitely and humble as he entered it.
For all those that won’t - Thank you Mark for helping me enjoy “America’s sport” with my family and friends. I remember you as does my son and that is what matters.