Big Mac is back

"I'm not here to talk about the past" I was home watching the Congressional hearings when Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmerio on a March day in 2005. The hearings were about performance enhancing drug use in baseball. Everyone was speculating what was Mark going to say about his alleged use. To be clear the only substance that we know Mark took was Andro, which was banned by baseball a year after it was spotted in his locker. But there has always been whispers, especially since Jose Canseco an admitted user and teammate, said that he and Mark took the drugs together. This isn't about Mark usage or not, this is more about how his past will affect the team he is coaching.

The job of a hitting coach is to make sure the team's batters are comfortable, noticing glitches and hitches in their swings and part-time psychologist. McGwire is credited with telling Tony LaRussa in spring training in 2001 that Albert Pujols would be a star. He has also worked with Skip Schumacher, Matt Holliday, Chris Duncan just to name a few. The players who worked with him have had nothing but positives things to say about how well he instructs players and the advice he gives. What I find odd is after 8 years of basically isolating himself from the outside world, why would he come back to the game if he does not want to face his past. His past will follow this team around as long as he is there. reporters are going to hound him and the players about his past.

Mark will have to open not only to the press but the his players as well. What's going to happen when a Brendan Ryan comes in and he's slumping and he asked Mark what did he do when he was slumping? Will Mark say "I'm not here to talk about past"? Now I know that won't happen but the scenario is plausible. Mark kept to himself alot as a player and now he is in a role where he has to inject himself into these players lives. His whole job is to make sure the hitter's head is clear when they are up to bat. I will say that during the great home run chase of '98, he seemed a little uptight. But Sammy Sosa got him to loosen up and you saw a very different more engaging side to him. Mark will need to be more engaging and loose with his players in order to win them over.

Finally, Mark is a career .263 hitter, I'm not really sure how that qualifies him as a hitting coach. Most of the batting coaches having higher averages or are former batting champs. In 98, Mark had 70 home runs and 61 singles. Hopefully he can help those guys who are line drive and gap hitters.

A few things working in Mark's favor are that LaRussa has his back and believes in him. TLR is one of the most loyal managers I have ever seen. McGwire also has a great relationship with Albert Pujols. Pujols thinks the world of Bic Mac and he feels the same about the Prince. That will go a long way in that clubhouse and possibly in the resigning of Pujols and Holliday. Finally, Mark has the fans in Busch. Those fans love Mark, steriods and Andro aside. He was wonderful with his time in the community and the many charities he supported. For that he will always be a legedn in St. Louis.



"I'm not here to talk about the past".. at some point next spring he will have to.