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. 
Ok 1st of everybody says that he was a one trick pony, If i recall he was a pretty good fielder also and even won a gold glove award in 1990. Only he knows if he used anything “illegal”. The andro was not on the banned list at the time so it should have no reflection on his hall of fame stats. And please all these Pampas reporters were kissing his — while he was playing. With out him and Sosa baseball would have recoverd but as quick, the homerun record race had the nation watching again after the strike. the standard for the Hall of fame should be was the player on the Ballot one of the best in baseball when he played and the answer to that is yes. name another rookie that had 49 homeruns in their 1st year in the league? also if you look at him as a rookie and when he retired you will not see a big change in body style or head size (paging Mr. Bonds). So if when the time comes and Barry or even the rocket gets in then it is a shame. And let be a little more truthful he he play for the Yanks he would already be in.
Boys-
MAYBE he looked like a fool in front of “congress” (I guess those “bozo’s”
should know one when they see it). Being a fool is neither a sin or a crime, but, back to character, he refused to lie. I think that speaks volumes about the MAN.
CycloneCard
Outside of people in St Louie everyone knows McGwire is a cheater. You all need to open up your minds and look at the big picture.
The case against Mark McGwire boils down to suspicion of cheating, not proof. And it boils down to his appearance before Congress, where he, in effect, refused to be part of a witch hunt.
Let’s suppose that instead of the first decade of the 21st century, Mark McGwire was testifying in the 1950s. And let’s suppose instead of a select committee probing steroid use, that McGwire was in front of the House UnAmerican Activities Committee. And let’s suppose McGwire gave Joe McCarthy the same answer: “I’m not here to talk about the past.”
He’d have been a hero. And if more people had given Joe McCarthy that answer, and shown the courage to accept the consequences of refusal to testify, maybe this country would not have the black eye that is the shameful history of McCarthyism.
Mark McGwire followed his conscience and refused to name names. He has not once publicly complained about not being in the Hall of Fame, not once condemned the critics who jumped on a runaway bandwagon intent on runnng him over.
Mark McGwire constantly gave back to the community when he was a Cardinal. How many children got Cardinals tickets they otherwise could not afford thanks to his generosity? How much work did he do in public and behind the scenes on behalf of abused children? And look at the digified way he left the game he loved.
McGwire admitted up front his use of andro. As for any other allegations, proof, not suspicion or accusation, should be the measuring stick.
Mark McGwire was not perfect, but he was a great player and a good man in his era. He absolutely belongs in Cooperstown, knee-jerk reactions to the accusations his detractors lob at him notwithstanding.
Even if McGwire did steroids or HGH? He did them before they were banned by MLB so this discussion is MOOT.
Get over it, he was a great asset to the game of baseball. He and Sosa brought the game back after strike.
He should be in the HALL.
It would seem that Baseball cashed in on Marks great run and then when the rules changed they wanted to get on the “drag him down” band wagon. I never noticed where all the money raised by baseball promoting Marks sucess was offered back to the public or donated to charity. And if you are going to retro all negative attributes to players of the past by the rules of today many greats will be stricken from the HALL. Mark showed up, played by the rules of the time and was great at it. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and allowed to hold his head high.
Wasn’t Ty Cobb considered to be the most dirty cheater in the history of baseball, as well as being one of the meanest? The Hall of Fame voters sure didn’t seem to care about integrity when it came to him.
I dont care about the steroids. As if another 500 or so players didnt use them. Ten years ago when you heard the name Mark Mcgwire or Sammy Sosa, you had a smile come to your face. Now your all going off on them like there the freaking Rams or something. Mark was a good player, cheated? yes. But how many other hundreds of players cheated back then or even cheat now. Mark should be in the hall of fame. He deserves it. Wheather it be for character or for ability, he didnt do steroids his whole career, so why should 1/4 affect the other 3/4?
McGwire deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. His stats stand for themselves. If he DID or DID NOT take steriods, doesn’t matter. It was not illegal at the time. You still have to have pure talent to accomplish what he did. His contributions to baseball are one of the reasons this game is still alive. Everyone needs to get over it and let the man get what he deserves, The Hall of Fame!
McGwire will never be in the hall of fame and I couldnt be happier. He is a disgrace to the game.