Mark McGwire

  • Major League Baseball All- Century Team

Mark David McGwire ( born October 1, 1963 in Pomona, California ) is a former American professional baseball player in the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals in the MLB. The twelve -time All - Star played the position of the first baseman, won with the Athletics in 1989, the World Series and was known with 583 career home runs as one of the best "Power Hitter " MLB history. In 1998 he hit 70 home runs and broke a decades- old record of Roger Maris. He also won in 1990 a Gold Glove as the best defensive player. In 2010 he confessed that he had doped with steroids.

Career as a player

Oakland Athletics

1986 McGwire made ​​his debut with the Oakland Athletics. With designated hitter Jose Canseco, he formed one half of that power hitter duo, which became known as the " Bash Brothers" and three times in a row won the American League finals. McGwire hit at this time resistant and 35 more home runs, what (constant to .240 ) to even out its relatively low batting average. 1989 Athletics won the World Series against the San Francisco Giants. In the following years McGwires services stagnated, however, and he swore after the season end of 1991 to fight hard for his goals.

During the summer break McGwire put extra layers in the weight room, jogging and in front of the ball machine and grew a beard and a mullet hairstyle grow to look fearsome. His batting average rose in the following years to over 30%, and with the new-found security he hit home runs more often. In 1996 he hit 52 home runs at a respectable batting average ( .312 ).

St. Louis Cardinals

In season mid-1997 McGwire joined the St. Louis Cardinals. In the 1998 season chasing Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs and he the eternal 61- home-run record of Roger Maris. Ironically, against the Cubs beat McGwire 's 62 home run, whereupon Sosa ( standing at 58 ) congratulated him personally. McGwire finished with 70 and was the celebrated star of the season, even if the Cardinals missed the playoffs. For his record performance McGwire was chosen by the magazine Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, as well as by the Associated Press. In the next season McGwire hit 65 home runs again, but built from the autumn of his career and played his last game in 2001. The record is lost McGwire three years later to Barry Bonds, who screwed the brand to 73 home runs in a year.

Doping

McGwire admitted in 1998, for years to take muscle-building supplements to himself. Because these preparations were banned by the IOC and WADA, but not in the MLB, he was not prosecuted. 2005 intensified the controversy, as José Canseco Juiced his biography ( a slang word for " doped " ) brought out intense steroid doping admitted and accused McGwire and other baseball stars of participation. On demand by state anti-doping authorities said McGwire, that the atmosphere was so charged that no one would believe a "no", but he too loved his family, to bring them with a " Yes " in the firing line of the press.

McGwire was subsequently elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005 not in 2006. The extremely low approval rating below 25 % ( required 75%) has been widely interpreted as a result of these vague statements. McGwire was never spoken guilty of a misdemeanor, in 2010, he admitted, however, to have doped with steroids.

A trainer

In 2009 it was announced that McGwire will work from the 2010 season as hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was appointed for this purpose by his former manager as a Cardinals player and coming manager, Tony La Russa. After the 2010 season, his contract was extended for another year.

Private life

2002 McGwire married Stephanie Slemer. He plays a lot of golf in his spare time and avoids since advent of doping suspicions of the press.

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