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La Russa said he first contacted McGwire about the coaching job a week earlier, when he was still supposedly mulling his future. He said McGwire showed immediate interest, but the manager said the steroids topic was not broached.

How did Mark McGwire "dash" our hopes? The issue is steroids, and Mark McGwire is stilling living in the closet. In front of a Congressional panel, he refused to answer questions -- he pleaded the fifth. That does not mean that he used steroids or he did not.

Does it bother me either way? No, it does not. Barry Bonds was, is, and will continue to be my favorite baseball player. But his use of steroids came about after he saw the 1998 McGwire/Sammy Sosa love-fest, and he made a joyless power-grab, an egotistical, Ty Cobb-style mission to be the greatest home run hitter ever. We all know that he was using growth hormone and anabolic steroids. Tell-all exposes can lie, but a rapidly growing skull does not. In essence, Bonds played the part of the villain beautifully, even reaching his goal.

What role did Mark McGwire play, and what role is he still playing? He is not hero, victim, or villain. He is mired in the closet, denying and acknowledging, and stringing us along the whole way. Hypocrisy kills; it's not the original crime, it's the coverup. Mark McGwire needs to come clean regarding the culture of major league baseball during the steroid era.

McGwire continues to break our trust. We all thought it was possible for a man to be 6'5'' and 250 pounds and pound the baseball into the stratosphere -- clean, without the drugs. That was a lie -- a lie of omission -- and it needs to be acknowledged. He toyed with us, coyly letting us think that he was Paul Bunyon, more legend than man, and he was in our minds. The closet served him during those halcyon days, but now it will rear its head like a menace and a cancer now that he tries to revive a major-league baseball persona turned into a Gothic man-with-a-past than (think Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre). Mark, if you plan on staying in the closet, do so out of the public eye. If you plan on being in the public eye, come clean about what you and others used during the steroid era.

Is this a witch-hunt, a baseball McCarthyism? No. I'm not asking for McGwire to name names, Elia Kazan-style. He needs speak honesty, and admit that all he ever loved was baseball, and that he wanted to be the greatest slugger of all time, and that the spirit of the times got the better of him. Sometimes the criminal can save face with honesty. The gravity of the situation is large -- is McGwire a Nixon-in-denial -- hated, territorial, lying -- or is he a Shoeless Joe Jackson -- a sympathetic man, who held the best intentions, but was wronged by circumstance? I won't hold my breath. L'Affaire McGwire continues! The only way out of the morality play is the truth.

Congress Hearings on Steroid Use in Baseball, Feb. 13

Today was a day of accusations.  A day examining who said, he said, he did, she did, he didn't.  I felt while reading through the espn blog on baseball that it was a kindergarten class without a parent to say "let's move on and say you're sorry." Come on!

It's truly a disappointment that something deemed as entertainment has captured the attention  of congress when their are countless other issues that they SHOULD be dealing with.  And while I am truly annoyed by these congressional hearings isn't this baseball's issue?  If something is illegal in baseball--why hasn't baseball figured out how to manage this?  They've dealt with scandals in the past.  When there's an argument on the field players get tossed.  When there are major problems players have been fine and suspended.  Why isn't this happening now?

Ultimately the problem should be solved (and should have already been solved) by the commissioner and owner's of baseball.  They hold the strings--the hiring and firing as well as the purse strings.  And ultimately that's what it all comes down to is the purse.  Because with the rise of the supposed and likely use of steroids in baseball, home-runs have skyrocketed, pitchers keep pitching and money keeps rolling in.  Sure the player's union has made it difficult, but have they made it impossible?  What if someone had said no in the mid 90's and demanded that baseball be cleaned up?  Eventually someone would have had to come around, because the players would have wanted to play and owners would have wanted their teams to play.  However, it appears that the owner's and the commissioner let the dollar signs guide their decisions--not integrity and certainly not ethics.

The sad thing is that while these hearings might hurt Clemens--true fans will still want to listen and watch baseball come April.  I can hear that "take me out to the ballgame theme now."  And even if it hurts MLB attendance initially at some point folks will forget and come back--because it's the sport that gets to people.  While the drama behind the scenes now is ugly the drama on the field every season cannot be scripted any more beautifully.  It's something that fans can cheer for, connect with and embrace. 

So I guess what does that say about us all?  That we want to win at any cost?  That we're willing to bend the rules a little for the sake of a game?  Or that we expect that baseball should be able to manage their own game that fans support, pay for, sweat for and dream about. 

Baseball--take a stand.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Major League Baseball lost one of their own this morning, relief pitcher Josh Hancock, who was killed in an automobile accident.  He was 29, and won the World Series with the Cardinals last year.

No other details have been released yet, but it's a very sad situation indeed.

I got the White Sox's new, official batting practice hat.  I really like the new hats...they're pretty nice.  I'm sure you've seen them...the players are using them for the spring training games right now.  The piping along the brim is a nice touch.  They look sharp.  Anyway, I'm pleased.

PLAY BALL!

 

Two of the best words you’ll begin to hear again all across America today