ESPN: Don't forget Mark McGwire on Barry Bonds' day in court

[heyholetsgogrant]

Don't forget Mark McGwire on Barry Bonds' day in court

By Howard Bryant

ESPN.com

Updated: December 7, 2007, 7:24 PM ET

The latest act of the Steroids Era was a suddenly efficient one; and like a small group jazz session, unlinked and unique individual solos now meet tidily in rhythm at the end. Barry Bonds, arraigned quickly Friday in San Francisco, is the centerpiece. The Mitchell investigation soon will become the Mitchell report, smoothly bound between two covers, the content of its pages forever speaking for it. In the background is Mark McGwire, relevant once a year, this time of year, as a haunting reminder for baseball writers as they contemplate their newly arrived Hall of Fame ballots.

Quite quickly, events have conspired to create a bittersweet mosaic, a telling homage to an era of home runs, drugs and money that not long ago was celebrated as a renaissance by the very person who later demanded an investigation of the good times.

In the span of the next week or so, Bonds will have been arraigned, Mitchell's report will belong to the world and commissioner Bud Selig -- who as late as 2005 refused to accept the necessity of an investigation into performance-enhancing drugs with the same indignant passion with which he has defended George Mitchell's mandate for the past 19 months -- will have twice done something he and the baseball establishment said was too difficult to ever do: suspend players (Jay Gibbons and Jose Guillen) who never have failed a league-issued drug test.

The impulse to view these developments -- the Bonds arraignment, the Mitchell report, the suspensions and the likely humiliation of McGwire in his second year as a Hall of Fame candidate -- as the start of closure is attractive for many. But they are less an end than a beginning coming into clearer focus. That an official report on steroids even exists is proof that the ground on which baseball walks is not freshly cut grass but bloody, scorched earth. Baseball's home run crown once was worn by a man, Hank Aaron, who sat with presidents, and now belongs to someone who stands a very real chance of being a convicted felon. And the man who, for the summer of 1998, was the most popular person in America has barely been able to leave his house the past two years.

Mark McGwire swore to tell the truth; instead, he didn't tell much of anything.

Watching Bonds appear before a judge might create the illusion he again stands as the lone representative for the fall of baseball. To the public, Bonds has become, in effect, the singular face of drug use in American sports. But there are two primary faces of the Steroids Era. McGwire is the other, and he should not be forgotten. He and Bonds are linked, the only two men ever to hit 70 home runs in a season, the two who set the most important records in the sport. Bonds broke Aaron's all-time record. McGwire broke Roger Maris' single-season record, a mark every bit as protected and hallowed. They are linked because each had his moment with the public under oath, and each came up small.

By today's standards, when it is hard to remember what happened last Thursday, people forget just how remarkable the summer of '98 was. Baseball was something it hadn't been in decades: the most important thing in America. And McGwire was at the center of it.

Bonds and McGwire are linked by the diminishment of their images. Bonds, once the prototype for every desirable physical attribute in a baseball player, on Friday in San Francisco was just another guy in just another court entering just another plea. McGwire fell sharply, from robust and hulking, a famous dad who made time for his son, to his nationally televised demise as an American icon on March 17, 2005. His tragic verbal denouement -- "I'm not here to talk about the past" -- has since defined him, even more than his own name does.

Both men are in the position they are today -- Bonds perhaps facing prison, McGwire a fallen legend -- because they looked in the faces of powerful, law-enforcing, law-making bodies (never mind their millions of admirers) and did not convince the public they were telling the truth. Not only did they fail the public with the truth; the public believes they refused to tell it even when each was largely guaranteed that no matter what he said, no harm would come to him.

And in the years that have followed, neither has been able to "man up." McGwire ran under the back porch and hid like a child, and he's been hiding ever since. Bonds bullied, went on the offensive to say he was being singled out because of his race, even though it is common knowledge in the game that Bonds is, at best, indifferent to other blacks in baseball.

A common thread exists for both men; race is a secondary, but still important, spool. McGwire did not exactly lie under oath, but he wasn't forthcoming that cold day in Washington, the day he stood under oath and verged on moral collapse, weighted by his guilt. That day, he grew as defiant as Bonds has ever been, his answers short, his tone quick and arrogant. He looked into the faces of millions of his countrymen and women and under oath refused to defend one day of hard work, or any of his 583 home runs, against steroid allegations. He refused to say that even one single moment of his career came honestly.

He rejected his hero position then as much as he runs from it now. That's why, as a person of public substance, he's been finished for two-and-a-half years, having plummeted mercilessly to earth, a flaming, redheaded Sputnik, unlikely to return.

Bonds effectively dared prosecutors to take him down. He spent the past four years using his wealth, his talent and his position to buttress a defense that has gone no deeper than "because I said so." Exposing him was a challenge federal prosecutors readily accepted and one the public, tired of easy escapes by powerful people, hungrily relished.

They also are linked because they provide an unforgiving mirror for the American blemishes that do not fade. One is white, the other is black.

There are many tributaries along this river of disgrace. They range from the thought that the federal government wanted to "get" Bonds more than the rest, to the flimsy notion that neither of them ever failed an official Major League Baseball drug test and so somehow both are $100 million victims, to the idea that Bonds' blackness is the reason he has been hit the hardest, been treated more harshly than McGwire, has received the least amount of public sympathy.

None of these issues lacks merit. In fact, it is impossible to conduct a full, rounded discussion without their mention. Race plays a factor in every discussion between blacks and whites, whether it's about Friday night poker, Bonds, O.J., Michael Vick, Don Imus or McGwire. Accept this for no other reason than the country was built on a foundation of the races being split, a foundation that never has been -- and likely never will be -- properly retrofitted.

But it should be remembered that the Steroids Era has had many other faces, many other suspects, at least in public perception. There was Brady Anderson, who faced questions about his 50 home runs in 1996; and Sammy Sosa, who hit 60 home runs three times and didn't win the National League home run title in any of those years. There was Ken Caminiti, who admitted he won the 1998 NL MVP award on steroids; and David Wells, who in 2003 -- the old days of resistance -- said half of the game's players were using steroids. The Yankees forced him to retract that statement. There were Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi, Rafael Palmeiro. Bonds has outlived them all as a productive, record-breaking player.

Barry Bonds dared prosecutors to come after him. Now they have.

The difference isn't that Bonds has been treated differently because he happens to be black. The difference is in how McGwire has been treated because he happens to be white, and it started with the decided lack of bloodlust to pursue him after he folded before Congress. It should be recalled that while the press has lauded the federal government for its apparent netting of Bonds, it attacked Congress for meddling with baseball that day in March two years ago -- I remember, because I was there -- even when it was McGwire who was betraying the public trust....

Source: ESPN.COM

Full Article Click Here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=bryant_howard&id=3145754

[JMS]

Source: ESPN.COM

Full Article Click Here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=bryant_howard&id=3145754

Maguare has nothing to worry about. He didn't lie to anybody. He took the fifth. I remember talking heads across all channels calling him gutless and the rest when he did that. He looks like the smart one now.

[Teller]

So McGwire's not being prosecuted because of race?

Great. Then the non-prosecution of Mr. I-Suddenly-Forgot-How-to-Seak-English proves that America is quite tolerant of very dark-skinned, Spanish-speaking immigrants.

I'm really sick of what passes for journalism these days; even in an op-ed.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Barry Bonds is proof that what you do and how you treat people will come around to bite you in the ass.

Often, the cover-up and the lie is worse than the truth. Had Bonds fessed up awhile ago, he wouldn't be in this mess. Had Bonds not been a raging ******** his entire career and not chosen to pick a fight with the government, he wouldn't be in this situation

McGwire taking the 5th admitted his guilt...no one will argue that. He's paid his price. Giambi came out and apologized....look how well he's distanced himself from that mess.

Bonds constantly denied, denied, denied...he's also being brought up on what, tax evasion charges or something? BIG difference between McGwire and Bonds.

This has absolutely nothing to do with race, although the race baiters will do their best to make you believe otherwise.

This is what you get when you treat people like ****. This is what happens when you lie and don't tell the truth when you've been given a ton of opportunities. This is what happens when you act like a raging ********. This is what happens when you pick a fight with the government.

The only thing that makes this a race issue is that members of all races can learn from this.

[DjTj]

He kind of throws out the race thing and then ****foots around it for the rest of the article, but I think the interesting question is this:

As whites are with McGwire, blacks want to believe in Bonds, to hold on to the different but similarly destructive myth that their shared blackness makes his problems the same as theirs. The racial prism through which the two men are viewed so differently will always say more about us as a whole than it ever could about the two of them.

Why do a large percentage of blacks support Barry Bonds?

There's really only two groups of people that will stand up for Barry Bonds: African-Americans and San Francisco Giants fans ... it's really very similar to our recent episode with Sean Taylor. We had two groups of people standing up for him: African-Americans in the media like Keyshawn and Deion or James Brown, and Redskins fans like us. Everyone else was pretty willing to buy into the thug story because the majority of white Americans just don't identify with the world Sean Taylor grew up in, while many black Americans still do. We heard a constant refrain of "black on black" crime throughout the week ... For the black community, race was an important issue in Sean Taylor's death, and it was no surprise that Jesse Jackson spoke at Sean's funeral.

Is Bonds being persecuted because he's black? Of course not, but that doesn't mean that race doesn't affect the media coverage or the public perception of the story ... we would be naive to think that it doesn't.

[portisizzle]

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[rincewind]

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You're loving every moment of this, aren't you? :laugh:

[Head]

The thing people forget about when talking about McGwire, is he didn't lie to anyone like Bonds did. Also, he admitted to what he took, and routinely took it in front of players, coaches, media, etc. and tested positive for it. It basically amounted to super powered creatine. At the time he took it, it was not a banned substance, as steroids weren't when barry took them. One major difference though, is steroids have been illegal in the U.S. for decades, that's where another problem comes in to play for Barry.

Additionally, McGwire didn't take the fifth to sidestep a question on whether he took steroids, it was when he was asked if he knew of their use, and/or who used them. He stated that he knew of it, and saw it, but took the fifth, because he refused to destroy the lives and careers of those who had taken the steroids.

You and I will never know what he did or didn't take, only he knows that. What I do know, is the only bulk he ever had, was early in his career with those popeye forearms, and later in his career with his flabby gut. He was never the type people looked at and assumed it was artificially induced muscle bulk that magically appeared. It wasn't like he came back from a winter break 86 pounds heavier like Canseco.

People are also quick to forget that McGwire hit 49 HR as a rookie. Barry's career high was like 29 or something before he suddenly hit in the upper 40s twice in a row, then exploded for 74. Huge difference.

Also, look at before and after pics.....Jose's head grew in size. Barry's head looked monsterously huge the older he got, and McGwire's was the same size. There is one thing all the docs and scientists agree on, and that is that 100% of steroid users experience a growth in their head size after age 18, and that steroids and tumors are the only things that can increase head size later in life.

***EDIT*** I had to pull out my cards just to see how drastic the size differences were.

Mark McGwire:

As a rookie, he was 6'2" and 196 Lbs.

Over the course of his career, he grew 3 inches to finish at 6'5" and 225 Lbs.

At a gain of 29 Lbs., his body weight increase was 14.79% of his starting body weight.

Jose Canseco:

As a rookie, he measured 6'3" and 178 Lbs.

Over the course of his career, he grew 1 inch to finish at 6'4" and 258 Lbs.

At a gain of 80 Lbs., his body weight increase was 44.94% of his starting body weight.

Barry Bonds:

As a rookie, he measured 5'11"" and 149 Lbs.

Over the course of his career, he grew 2 inches to finish at 6'1" and 228 Lbs.

At a gain of 79 Lbs., his body weight increase was 53.02% of his starting body weight.

Rafael Palmeiro:

As a rookie, he measured 5'10"" and 147 Lbs.

Over the course of his career, he grew 2 inches to finish at 6'0" and 194 Lbs.

At a gain of 47 Lbs., his body weight increase was 31.97% of his starting body weight.

Sammy Sosa:

As a rookie, he measured 5'11"" and 204 Lbs.

Over the course of his career, he grew 1 inch to finish at 6'0" and 220 Lbs.

At a gain of 16 Lbs., his body weight increase was 7.84% of his starting body weight.

Roger Clemens:

As a rookie, he measured 6'2"" and 181 Lbs.

Over the course of his career, he grew 2 inches to finish at 6'4" and 226 Lbs.

At a gain of 45 Lbs., his body weight increase was 24.86% of his starting body weight.

Now I ask you this.....If you had to pick out the obvious steroid users from this list, based on weight increases, how could you pick McGwire or Sosa? Just saying.

[Head]

bump for my edit

[rincewind]

Now I ask you this.....If you had to pick out the obvious steroid users from this list, based on weight increases, how could you pick McGwire or Sosa? Just saying.

Becuase of the horrorific debacle that was their congressional hearing. I don't speak english????? Mother ****er, yes you do.

Plus - with the exception of Palmerio, Sosa is the only red-handed cheater of the bunch. That POS took 'roids AND corked his bat. :doh:

[Head]

Becuase of the horrorific debacle that was their congressional hearing. I don't speak english????? Mother ****er, yes you do.

Plus - with the exception of Palmerio, Sosa is the only red-handed cheater of the bunch. That POS took 'roids AND corked his bat. :doh:

Sosa, who has had the lowest increase in body weight of almost any player in the league, is on steroids? Outside of hitting a lot of HR, what is your basis for this?

Are aware that the when he began popping the HR regularly, he had also worked all winter prior to that with a strength coach, and a batting coach, and that he came out with a totally different stance and swing that year? It might also help to point out he led the league in strikeouts almost every year of his career, and I am almost certain he has the single season and career record for that, meaning he was ALWAYS swinging for a HR.

Other than HR totals, what logic do you use to say he used steroids? For the record, I hate him and every team he's played for - I'm a Braves fan, but I think the logic behind the accusations is absurd, especially with no evidence.

It may also help to point out that Sosa to this day is the only MLB player to request a roid test.

[rincewind]

Sosa, who has had the lowest increase in body weight of almost any player in the league, is on steroids? Outside of hitting a lot of HR, what is your basis for this?

Are aware that the when he began popping the HR regularly, he had also worked all winter prior to that with a strength coach, and a batting coach, and that he came out with a totally different stance and swing that year? It might also help to point out he led the league in strikeouts almost every year of his career, and I am almost certain he has the single season and career record for that, meaning he was ALWAYS swinging for a HR.

Other than HR totals, what logic do you use to say he used steroids? For the record, I hate him and every team he's played for - I'm a Braves fan, but I think the logic behind the accusations is absurd, especially with no evidence.

It may also help to point out that Sosa to this day is the only MLB player to request a roid test.

I know you say he only put on 16 pounds, and I don't have access to his cards. But, look at these pictures and tell me that's only 16 pounds:

to

I just don't see a guy who came up as a lead off hitter going from mid-30s HR power to 50+ for four straight years. Plus, the ****er corked his bat so he's already a cheater.

edit - according to the Baseball Almanac site, Sosa weighs 185. I assume this refers to the lowest point in his career, which means he put on 35lbs.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=sosasa01

[rincewind]

Sosa is second all-time in Ks, but doesn't rank in the top 20 single season (Ryan Howard set the mark this year).

[ekoch]

Barry Bonds is proof that what you do and how you treat people will come around to bite you in the ass.

Often, the cover-up and the lie is worse than the truth. Had Bonds fessed up awhile ago, he wouldn't be in this mess. Had Bonds not been a raging ******** his entire career and not chosen to pick a fight with the government, he wouldn't be in this situation

McGwire taking the 5th admitted his guilt...no one will argue that. He's paid his price. Giambi came out and apologized....look how well he's distanced himself from that mess.

Bonds constantly denied, denied, denied...he's also being brought up on what, tax evasion charges or something? BIG difference between McGwire and Bonds.

This has absolutely nothing to do with race, although the race baiters will do their best to make you believe otherwise.

This is what you get when you treat people like ****. This is what happens when you lie and don't tell the truth when you've been given a ton of opportunities. This is what happens when you act like a raging ********. This is what happens when you pick a fight with the government.

The only thing that makes this a race issue is that members of all races can learn from this.

I heard his late dad, Bobby, was a big A*** as well.

[portisizzle]

You're loving every moment of this, aren't you? :laugh:

It is getting me by until I can start the 2008 Pussina watch.