That was the St. Louis American’s own Mike Terhaar you heard on Tuesday morning lambasting the KFNS Morning Grind crew for supporting Mark McGwire for induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Terhaar, who serves as art director and has helped the American win numerous layout and design awards, questioned how anyone could doubt that McGwire used steroids.
I’m in total agreement with him. In fact, anyone who saw the St. Patrick’s Day 2005 performance on Capital Hill should have no doubt that McGwire indeed did use some kind of steroid and/or human growth hormone.
Also, remember why McGwire was called to testify before Congress in the first place – Jose Canseco wrote in his book that he had personally injected “Big Mac” in bathroom stalls across America.
Yet, on Monday and Tuesday several of St. Louis’ sports commentators including Jim Hayes of KFNS and Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz had the nerve to say they really had no proof that McGwire was on some kind of “juice.”
This is almost as delusional as a coach losing a game and then declaring his team won. Of course, that could only happen in Missouri, just ask Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel.
Thank goodness that many Hall of Fame voters are already on board as saying they will not vote for McGwire – at least on his first shot at induction.
The Associated Press surveyed about 20 percent of eligible voters and just 25 percent gave McGwire the thumbs up. I don’t know if Miklasz was polled, but based on his comments on Monday on 1380 AM, he is siding with McGwire.
Players need 75 percent of the vote to win induction.
This will be an easy mark for Cal Ripken, Jr., and Tony Gwynn. The thought of McGwire being on stage in Cooperstown with these two gentlemen is a horror.
Says HOF voter Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News, “There is a clause on the ballot indicating that character should be considered and after his nonperformance at the congressional hearings his character certainly comes into play.”
McGwire’s famous line of testimony “I’m not here to talk about the past,” is coming back to haunt him.
“He doesn’t want to talk about the past?” says McCoy. “Then I don’t want to consider his past.”
Speaking of the past, has McGwire followed up on his promise to do anything he could to keep young people from turning to steroids to enhance performance? No.
McGwire disgraced himself, the St. Louis Cardinals, Major League Baseball and Tony La Russa, yet there are St. Louisans who support his Hall of Fame candidacy. Many of these same individuals would not vote for Barry Bonds’ inclusion five years after he retires. Say what you want about Bonds’ alleged steroid use, “Game of Shadows” and his self-proclaimed ignorance of the fact he had used “The Clear,” the fact remains that he had Hall of Fame credentials as of the mid-1990s. The day he reached the 500 home run, 500 stolen base mark, his place in the Hall of Fame should have been secured.
But it seems some voters are trying to rationalize putting McGwire in the Hall of Fame and leaving out McGwire. Obviously, race is playing some kind of role in some folks’ thinking.
McGwire doesn’t even seem to care if he is voted into the Hall of Fame or not. He keeps laying low and living the life out in California. This is fine with me. I just hope he doesn’t resurface at Cooperstown during the coming summer.
As Terhaar said on Monday, it would be a joke to have McGwire in and have Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson out.
What would also be a tragedy is McGwire displaying his Hall of Fame bust as the late Buck O’Neal looks down from heaven after falling one vote short of enshrinement last February.
