As I am currently sailing in the Caribbean on the Cardinal Cruise, the normal banter among the Cardinal faithful is about the team and what to expect in the upcoming season.
You would expect questions like “Who will be the fifth starter?” or “How about the third base spot?
However, those conversations are of the minority. The fact of the matter is that I didn’t have to travel 2,500 miles to get this. Sun, yes, but Mark McGwire? Step right up, every comer has something to say. Never in the history of Cardinal Nation has one subject stirred up so much.
There are three factions here, and all seemed to be well dug in on the Mark McGwire debate.
One group has decided that no matter what and when, an apology is an apology and we all need to move on. In their eyes, McGwire made a mistake and he is now paying for it and that should be enough. After all, they say, he is a good guy and really didn’t use steroids to improve his game. They were used to stay on the field.
Some would even go as far to utter that according to baseball, the drugs in question were really not illegal at the time McGwire was using them. Pardon me while I search for my “stupid” cap. I must have lost it somewhere. Don’t forget that if you question what McGwire said, show any outward displeasure or anything else that would show you are not on board, you could stand to lose your Cardinal Feathers – and how can you get to heaven without them?
The next group of Cardinal Nation is not happy. They are embarrassed that this situation has put their team on the national stage for reasons other than Pujols, Holliday, Carpenter and Wainwright. Throw in the fact that it has been learned that some of McGwire’s answers have now been disputed by his steroid supplier, and we have more fuel for the fire. It is a fire that is now out of control.
There is solace now that those who booed former Cardinal Jack Clark for his criticism last week have been joined by a national figure on a daily basis. From Hall of Famers to civic and business leaders, they are now loading up on McGwire.
You can’t boo everyone on this one. Right or wrong, this faction is gaining support, whereas it will continue to be a distraction until more is said or done by the baseball higher ups.
Tony La Russa wanted this and now he has it, although I am not sure if he or the Cardinals thought this would mushroom into the cloud that it has become. Distraction? How?
The final group is just waiting for this whole thing to just go away. Sorry to inform you, but it may take awhile longer than what we thought. This group knows that all has not been right from the day McGwire came out with his admission, but they thought it would get better and it would go away and that Cardinal Nation would all come together and support one of their own.
While they may not condone what has happened, they don’t want to make bigger waves to a fragile issue. They now realize the only wave left here is of the tsunami nature and it has already started to form. Still they just want this to go away and it just won’t.
What’s worse is that the enormous amount of energy expended by all parties here has normally been reserved for Cub fans and anyone else who threatens the spirit of Cardinal Nation. Little did we know that the threat would come from within.
The commissioner has allowed this saga to go on. The trustees and contributors of the game have made themselves very clear on their stance and yet there is no real answer on the question. What now? The national media members have spoken loud and clear on how McGwire and the Cardinals will be treated from now on and the fans continue to speak in a tone unlike we have ever heard since the current ownership has taken over.
While I have no further questions for Mark McGwire concerning his steroid use, I am certain that there will be others who continue this at their behest. How the Cardinals and McGwire respond will be interesting.
The best thing that could happen is playing games. This issue may be moved to the back burner – or it may be ignited to a higher flame. People are already running down the street with their hair on fire.