I'm Not Here To Talk About The Past
October 28th 2009 20:38
The St. Louis Cardinals announced that manager Tony La Russa agreed to a one year contract to manage the team in 2010, and La Russa promptly announced that he was replacing hitting coach Hal McRae with former slugging great Mark McGwire.
We all remember Mark McGwire, not for the 70 home runs he belted during the 1998 season, or the 583 home runs he slammed out of parks during his sixteen year major league career, but for refusing to answer questions posed by a congressional committee, led by Congressman Tom Davis, looking into steroid use by baseball players. McGwire, not wanting to perjure himself, refused to answer when asked if he used steroids while he was an active player.
Is McGwire really going to be the hitting coach, or is he just going to use this title to really be the pharmaceutical coach, instructing the players on how to add pounds of pure muscle, turning singles and doubles into home runs? Cardinal’s lead off hitter Skip Schumaker, who has worked on his hitting with McGwire in past off seasons, praises McGwire’s tutoring. However, in looking at Schumaker’s statistics for 2008 and 2009, his only full seasons, nothing changed. He batted .302 in 2008 and .303 in 2009, he hit 8 home runs in 2008 and 4 in 2009, and he had 163 hits in 2008 and 161 in 2009. His RBI output dropped significantly, due to McGwire’s coaching, from 46 in 2008 to 35 in 2009. Do the Cardinals really need that kind of coaching?
When looking at McGwire’s own personal statistics, it’s tempting to ignore his lifetime .263 average and 1,596 strikeouts and concentrate on the fact that almost 36% of his 1,626 hits were home runs. Now, a good hitting coach doesn’t have to be the best hitter. Many times, the best coach is someone who knows the mechanics of hitting and can recognize the flaws of others, convincing them that they need to change what they are doing. The fact that Schumaker believes in McGwire’s ability as a coach gives McGwire credibility.
Is McGwire really going to be the hitting coach, or is he just going to be the legal coach, coaching the players on how to avoid questions about steroid use without perjuring themselves? McGwire hired a terrific lawyer who coached him not to say anything when asked during congressional hearings whether he took performance enhancing drugs during his playing career. McGwire, who remained famously silent on the question, instead read from a prepared statement in the March 2005 hearings and said, “I’m not here to talk about the past.” By not invoking the protection of the fifth amendment, McGwire avoided accusations that he had in fact taken PEDs but wanted to avoid incriminating himself, and by not answering the questions, he could not be held accountable in the future for perjuring himself. Other players, when accused in the media, such as Andy Pettit and A-Rod, chose to come clean; if only they had access to McGwire’s lawyer.
Is McGwire really going to be the hitting coach, or is he just going to be a draw to fill the seats, the greeter coach who parades himself around the field before the game starts greeting the fans in the expensive seats? The Mets brought back Willie Mays, ostensibly as a player, but it was really as a draw to fill seats for a second rate team.
So, is McGwire really going to be the hitting coach, or is this a last gasp attempt by his friend La Russa, who is probably managing for his last year, to rehabilitate McGwire’s image; he only received a maximum of 25% of first place votes on Hall of Fame ballots since he became eligible for induction, while 75% is required.
What will we hear next? Will Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker bring back Pete Rose, who knows a thing or two about hitting and try to rehabilitate him for future Hall of Fame admission? Pete can handle the Vegas book in the clubhouse. Will Bruce Bochy, the manager of the San Francisco Giants, bring back Barry Bonds, who also knows four or five things about hitting, to be the hitting coach, and maybe shine up his image for future Hall of Fame consideration? After all, Bonds has yet to be convicted of anything. He could also serve as the BALCO rep in the clubhouse.
I love baseball, and I wish all of these millionaires well; the public has a short attention span and really wants to put all of this, as Mark McGwire says, in the past. To quote that great mind, Rodney King: “People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?”
We all remember Mark McGwire, not for the 70 home runs he belted during the 1998 season, or the 583 home runs he slammed out of parks during his sixteen year major league career, but for refusing to answer questions posed by a congressional committee, led by Congressman Tom Davis, looking into steroid use by baseball players. McGwire, not wanting to perjure himself, refused to answer when asked if he used steroids while he was an active player.
Is McGwire really going to be the hitting coach, or is he just going to use this title to really be the pharmaceutical coach, instructing the players on how to add pounds of pure muscle, turning singles and doubles into home runs? Cardinal’s lead off hitter Skip Schumaker, who has worked on his hitting with McGwire in past off seasons, praises McGwire’s tutoring. However, in looking at Schumaker’s statistics for 2008 and 2009, his only full seasons, nothing changed. He batted .302 in 2008 and .303 in 2009, he hit 8 home runs in 2008 and 4 in 2009, and he had 163 hits in 2008 and 161 in 2009. His RBI output dropped significantly, due to McGwire’s coaching, from 46 in 2008 to 35 in 2009. Do the Cardinals really need that kind of coaching?
When looking at McGwire’s own personal statistics, it’s tempting to ignore his lifetime .263 average and 1,596 strikeouts and concentrate on the fact that almost 36% of his 1,626 hits were home runs. Now, a good hitting coach doesn’t have to be the best hitter. Many times, the best coach is someone who knows the mechanics of hitting and can recognize the flaws of others, convincing them that they need to change what they are doing. The fact that Schumaker believes in McGwire’s ability as a coach gives McGwire credibility.
Is McGwire really going to be the hitting coach, or is he just going to be the legal coach, coaching the players on how to avoid questions about steroid use without perjuring themselves? McGwire hired a terrific lawyer who coached him not to say anything when asked during congressional hearings whether he took performance enhancing drugs during his playing career. McGwire, who remained famously silent on the question, instead read from a prepared statement in the March 2005 hearings and said, “I’m not here to talk about the past.” By not invoking the protection of the fifth amendment, McGwire avoided accusations that he had in fact taken PEDs but wanted to avoid incriminating himself, and by not answering the questions, he could not be held accountable in the future for perjuring himself. Other players, when accused in the media, such as Andy Pettit and A-Rod, chose to come clean; if only they had access to McGwire’s lawyer.
Is McGwire really going to be the hitting coach, or is he just going to be a draw to fill the seats, the greeter coach who parades himself around the field before the game starts greeting the fans in the expensive seats? The Mets brought back Willie Mays, ostensibly as a player, but it was really as a draw to fill seats for a second rate team.
So, is McGwire really going to be the hitting coach, or is this a last gasp attempt by his friend La Russa, who is probably managing for his last year, to rehabilitate McGwire’s image; he only received a maximum of 25% of first place votes on Hall of Fame ballots since he became eligible for induction, while 75% is required.
What will we hear next? Will Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker bring back Pete Rose, who knows a thing or two about hitting and try to rehabilitate him for future Hall of Fame admission? Pete can handle the Vegas book in the clubhouse. Will Bruce Bochy, the manager of the San Francisco Giants, bring back Barry Bonds, who also knows four or five things about hitting, to be the hitting coach, and maybe shine up his image for future Hall of Fame consideration? After all, Bonds has yet to be convicted of anything. He could also serve as the BALCO rep in the clubhouse.
I love baseball, and I wish all of these millionaires well; the public has a short attention span and really wants to put all of this, as Mark McGwire says, in the past. To quote that great mind, Rodney King: “People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?”
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Comment by Anonymous
I don't know Cardinal fans, if your hitters are 40 pounds heavier and each hitter has 30 home runs, do we chalk that up to the coaching success of McGwire or do we need to delve deeper?
Comment by The Static 1
4th and Blog - Clemson Tigers Football
Palmeiro had more talent, but he is hiding somewhere in Miami with a giant beard and sunglasses... but I hear Roger Clemens is available if anyone wants a pitching coach.
Comment by Schmoozer