Cardinals Postseason Craze Is More Than Miracle

This is definitely not a phantasm, not even an illusion but a reality for baseball as the Redbird gang is the sphere of the game's utopia. In every conceivable way, the Cardinals are the biggest surprise this postseason, in the town where Midwestern values are distinguished from the wildest cult of fans surrounded by the banks of the riverfront and the nation's tallest monument.

Beyond all the pity and messes from the Steroid Era, a dreadful age in sports when many players were juicing their bodies with performance-enhancers, the Cardinals are the coolest fable. The hallucination has turned into reality, and St. Louis is largely in position to win the World Series.

They look like the team of miracles and imagination, but nevertheless it doesn't seem as if the Cardinals are the flukiest ballclub this postseason and may have justified by producing at the right possible time to become the hottest club that they are a menace, not to society but opponents in October.

Will the world ever realize that baseball is a game of momentum and awakened bats, a game of hot streaks, not the one game of probability and certainty?? Will the world ever realize that David Letterman is more hilarious than most people think? Will the world ever accept Lady Gaga for who she is?

It's hard to understand the variations of the mind, but it's not difficult to sense that the Cardinals are more than just a surprise. The local franchise is authentic and St. Louis residents actually believe in the Redbirds by now, and only did so after the Cardinals capped an astounding finish to clinch the NL wild-card berth that completed one of baseball's remarkable comebacks.

So before the Cardinals were fueled to string together a historic comeback, the ballclub trailed Atlanta by 10 1/2games, and then won 23 of the last 31 games to complete the unthinkable. The stunner came in the division series when the Cardinals beat the Phillies and eliminated baseball's best team from the postseason, which is probably why the miracle is more refreshing.

The sellout crowd was dressed in seas of Cardinal red and the foot-stomping, loud cheers from fans in the stands exploded at Busch Stadium, feeling the improbable run and imaginary dreams. The ballpark is an insane mental house, and the Cardinals have written a familiar tale with a rare playoff push that can encourage a person to embrace the wave of crazed postseason surprises. The mood is so similar, so common, so timing for the Cardinals, who have made life interesting and entertained fans by the eye-popping, heart-stopping fruition.

There are believers galore in St. Louis, but the Cardinals still have unfinished business in the NLCS. Face it, people. Baseball life in the Midwest is exciting, intense and more fun. From now on, it's about the Cardinals transforming into a believable World Series ballclub and producing in the most gratifying game that incredibly transpose all the momentum in the Cards' favor.

So what a curious, nice irony that the Cardinals, who would reach the highest point of the postseason before even clinching a trip to the World Series, are turning a surreal story into a true baseball anecdote. We trust Chris Carpenter in every start he appears, not as nervous when he face hitters, knowing that the Cardinals are usually untouchable if he's throwing the fastball and has a fiery mindset.

We trust he knows what is expected of him. If not for Carpenter, the Cards probably would not be in this position. But then again, maybe they are just that damn good. Every time Carpenter throws, though, he doesn't hold back his emotions and plays with intensity that normally results in a Cardinals victory, owning remarkable postseason numbers unlike any other pitcher.

As it stands, he is now 6-2 with a 2.94 ERA in 11 postseason starts and he has carried the Cards, and if you admire the beauty of the game, you're probably in love with Carpenter and the beautiful script the Cardinals have produced. The notion of this series brought a sense of aspiration and mastering a world championship is the Cardinals' top priority on their to-do list this fall, wildly standing as the invincible ballclub, a team to beat this postseason, a team no one ever imagined.

At the end of the night, after St. Louis secured a 4-3 win in Game 3 of the NLCS to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with the next two games at home, the Cardinals are frazzled and drained but more importantly have seized home field advantage with the most productive hitters in the postseason.

"We are really not going to stop and think about it because there's so much to do yet," said manager Tony La Russa. "But if you stop and think, you may get distracted and you start walking around and digging yourself, and we don't want to do that."

His excellence began in the last series, long before the Cardinals climbed into contention, long before earning any credit, and long before the recent marvel in this alluring postseason. Carpenter, unhittable and gritty, is coming off two brilliant performances this fall. His finest outing was a three-hit shutout in a 1-0 win in Game 5 of the NL Division Series against Philadelphia on Friday, for one of the masterly pitching performances in the postseason since Bob Gibson.

For the hottest ballclub, the Cardinals jumped out to a 4-0 first-inning lead, but couldn't maintain the huge advantage as the Brewers pulled back cutting the deficit to one run. They went from mediocre to winners, the Redbirds from the Midwest who came together on a mission in attempt to bring home the pennant.

What an amazing way, after they were cursed and blamed for their nonsuccess, for the Cardinals to reestablish themselves in the second decade of the 21st century, with the accomplished La Russa and the greatest revival. The melancholy has disappeared, the sputtering Cardinals' bullpen has suddenly awakened and St. Louis is not on life-support, suddenly recovering from all the weaknesses that burned the franchise.

For now, though, after the Cardinals were dead in September and suddenly came alive in time for the pennant chase, St. Louis refuse to surrender. The miraculous run is a formula no antagonist can defeat, unable to stop baseball's hottest team that has a monstrous, terrifying pitching staff when the Cardinals bullpen finished the regular season with a 3.73 ERA and ranked 17th in the majors.

That's assuming the Cards, who can win baseball's gorgeous prize, shimmer in the spotlight and try to spend millions on slugger Albert Pujols by the time he test the market this winter, are considered the greatest team given the adjustments from a much-improved bullpen. The game was hyped as a duel of aces, and Game 3 was critical for the Brewers, mainly because Yovani Gallardo started, but Milwaukee struggled badly and the Cardinals were stronger.

The bullpen, 11th in the NL in ERA during the regular season, was the difference as Fernando Salas, Lance Lynn, Marc Rzepczynski and Jason Motte combined to throw four perfect innings after Carpenter left the game. It's been a fun postseason, simply because the Cardinals have brought much drama, now that no team can defeat them, not even Gallardo who is now 1-8 in his career against St. Louis.

Worse, the Brewers rotation is declining when Randy Wolf, Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke are 1-3 with an 11.52 ERA in five postseason starts. The duel lasted only five innings for both pitchers, but Carpenter obviously had the better outing by expertly giving up three runs on six hits with three walks, while Gallardo surrendered four runs on eight hits and five walks.

It's one of the best products on the field in October, an element no one can replicate on pace to accomplish something special. As long as Carpenter is dominating, the Cardinals are giving themselves a chance to clinch their 18th World Series appearance with their power at the plate. He's obviously throwing well for the Cardinals, but not only is Carpenter the component.

There is Rafael Furcal, who has been a big leaguer for 12 seasons and has done well getting on base to move into scoring position. As such a point in the postseason that he is hitting .500, with two triples, two singles and a stolen base and three runs scored, Furcal is producing efficiently.

The same can be said for Pujols, who has been on base in eight of his nine appearances to the plate in the past two games, driving a shot into left-center to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. It would be fatuous, not to mention irresponsible, to dismiss the red-hot David Freese after hitting a double to give his team a 4-0 lead and he is unbelievably 6-for-12 in this series, batting .367 with four doubles, three home runs and 11 RBIs.

"We have a bunch of premier hitters stacked one on top of another, and sooner or later, somebody is going to do something," Lance Berkman said. "It puts teams in a bad spot when everything's clicking, because there's really nowhere to go. It's like an American League lineup in the National League. It's the best offensive team I've ever been a part of in the National League."

Don't forget about the bullpen, too. This is not a mirage, but a genuine natural power.

"I don't consider this team a surprise," Berkman said. "I really don't. Take a step back and tell me which team in the National League has a better lineup than we do. We've got a bona fide ace [Carpenter]. And we've got a closer [Jason Motte] who throws 100 miles an hour, with a nasty slider.

I couldn't agree with Berkman more. This isn't a surprise team, but a championship-caliber team.

"So I mean, at this point, it really shouldn't be, 'I can't believe the St. Louis Cardinals are in the NLCS, making some noise.' That having been said, we're still a long ways from where we want to be. But the fact that we're here, to me, is not surprising."

For those who can't believe the Cardinals are in the NLCS on the verge of another World Series appearance, believe it.

Cardinals Would Be Fools to Allow Albert Pujols To Test the Market

The time is ultimately dwindling for the St. Louis Cardinals, a ball club overwhelmed by a ruckus as the calendar almost approaches spring, battered by contract negotiations with the most dangerous slugger in baseball.

This would clearly be a devastating and crestfallen loss, the worst faux pas in franchise history if the Cardinals fail to eventually finalize a deal with Albert Pujols, arguably the cleanest hitter in baseball if not the best hitter in baseball. Never to this day has he tested positive for the usage of banned substances, never to this day has he disappointed a cult of Redbird fans that deems that he's the main attraction for baseball.

For all we know, he could be the valuable star in St. Louis, a city where the Gateway Arch overlooks the community and Busch Stadium, where the Mississippi River flows through and where Prince Albert has defined a storied career. Even if he holds the leverage with his swings at nearly every at-bat this season, the Cardinals could be smart and liberal to negotiate a contract extension with Pujols.

If the Cardinals are interested in retaining their slugger, it's momentous that the ball club satisfies and offers Pujols a contract extension, one of the richest deals in baseball. It does, in retrospect, seem preposterous to hear one player request for $300 million—an unprecedented attribute in baseball and it has become, for what it seems at least, a player's birthright to seek an outrageous price.

This, however, doesn't illuminate that he's a mercenary, but a useful fixture if he opts to test the market next winter and be the next biggest free agent after this season. No matter how much money he desires as one of the elite hitters in baseball, a potential Triple Crown winner in the future, his employers willingly acknowledge that Pujols is the best player in the game. It's utterly fascinating that the Cardinals somehow aren't financially stabled to pay him, an excuse the organization adopts, ashamed to admit how cheap they are in paying a franchise player.

During his tenure, he has served the Cardinals well, stood as an idol in postseason conquests and has promoted the sport, given his presence to captivate fans with his unbelievable swings at the bat. Even when the Cardinals refuse to reach a mutual agreement with Pujols, he is expected to arrive at St. Louis' spring headquarters in Jupiter, Florida on Wednesday. With an unusual event for the Cardinals, now on the possible brink of a drastic implosion, it has increasingly built a disturbance and has presented very little details.

The story here is very vague, a chaotic rhetoric that taunts the Cardinals in spring training, and sadly blinds the more important news. Much of St Louis' vernacular focuses on, not the Cards progress en route to a 162-game regular season, not their odds in winning a divisional title, but turns its attention towards Pujols. The latest offer he turned down paints a hapless picture for the Cardinals—really after reports surfaced that he'll not entertain another contract offer before his self-imposed deadline, which means St. Louis won't retain Pujols unless they are aggressive and proactive to settle a palatable deal.

A tale that begins with a debate when Pujols is seeking a 10-year deal, it's very absurd for a middle-aged slugger close to the after years of his remarkable career to be granted a promising wish. While he asks for a berserk contract when he is almost passed his prime and closer to his exit, the Cardinals aren't fools after all, unwilling to desperately hold on to Pujols.

Why?? What is there to lose?

No player at the age of 31 in baseball has attained as much as Pujols. So clearly, he's already received accolades from his worshippers, treasured for crushing homers into the stands, a cure for a sport in tatters by the heinous Steroid Era that has fizzled out slowly, partly with his ability to look at every fastball and belt a home run naturally. In reality, he deserves all the credit in the world as the epicenter to rid the drug crisis.

Generally speaking, for all we know, he's probably one of the purest sluggers in baseball with the art of naturally hitting the ball the distance, gifted by natural powers. It's always nice, although we'll never know if he used any banned substances to help his performance level, when supporters can embrace Pujols and wish for a positive outcome in his successful career, a superlative decade spent with the Cardinals.

I like to believe that he's clean. I like to believe that he's never injected or swallowed any performance enhancers. I like to believe he's a spotless luminary with exceptional kindness, principles and grace. In fairness of his phenomenal achievements, by the time this is over, Pujols may demand $30 million or more a year, a longer term, an opt-out clause in his final season and, above all, plenty of cash to definitely shrink half of the Cardinals payroll.

For now, however, the devoted fans cannot breathe, fearful and uneasy because he might leave if the Cardinals refuse to pledge in providing so much money to Pujols. Because he's approaching the final point of his career and some day will reminisce about the era he once ruled in baseball when he won three Most Valuable Player and two Gold Glove awards, all in one decade with one team, the Cardinals fear to appease Pujols worried about future plans.

Beneath the madness, the Cardinals aren't stupid enough to allow the slugger to test the market, right? Most of all, hopefully, the Cardinals aren't so indifferent or oblivious, right? We'll like to think so, at least I would like to think otherwise of an organization that has depended on Pujols' power bat. His swings alone have bailed out St. Louis in previous seasons, whenever the lineup slumped to produce RBI or score a number of runs for a commanding lead.

So the Cardinals must be willing to salvage the first baseman and cannot allow him to take off for another franchise that offers him the riches he is seeking of late, a wealthy contract that will automatically make him the richest player in the game today. If he does test the market next winter, given that both sides in the Pujols negotiations have chosen to react foolishly and persist in the public drama, you can only imagine the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs or even the Mets bidding in the Pujols sweepstakes, meeting with him at the negotiation table to convince him of building a foundation elsewhere.

The clock is ticking and still no deal has been finalized. Meanwhile, with only a day left before he reports to spring training, the uncertainty is so horrifying that he'll likely be thrust on the open market, available to solidify someone's lineup in the majors. If there's one person tired of hearing about Pujols and the contract dispute, it's Cardinals manager Tony La Russa irritated with the anonymity of the contract insanity.

As of Sunday, he admitted that the situation possibly is a "spectacular distraction." But only a fool loses Pujols, a powerful slugger in this generation—an age when many players have disappointed and betrayed us. If the Cardinals handle it poorly, they can wave goodbye to Pujols. This is outlandish in many ways and unfair since the club pampered one of his teammates.

It was only two years ago when the Cardinals gave Matt Holliday $120 million for seven years, or even a year ago when they allowed Mark McGwire to return as the club's hitting coach after his staggering confession and admission for using steroids. In one twisted incident, La Russa was arrested near the Cardinals' spring facility in Florida in 2007 and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, but after all, his job was salvaged by the front office.

And now, the Cards refuse to give Pujols what he wants. A long time ago, owner Bill DeWitt Jr. lost me when he couldn't find a solution to donate more than $200 million of his payroll to Pujols. If he leaves, the Cardinals may drop drastically and become below average.

That would be unbelievably agonizing for the fans, the community and the organization, operated by general manager John Mozeliak. The maddening tumult must come to an end, but the only way it will cease is when Mozeliak overcomes his weariness and proactively settles a deal.

The Cardinals lost me.

Give him what he wants. It's time this deal gets done as the clock ticks hastily.

Johnny Cueto Issued Harsh Suspension, but Brandon Phillips Prompted Brawl

It wasn’t a typical skirmish in the Reds-Cards showdown, but it was the wildest melee in the history of sports, as each team was unable to stay above the fray when a verbal altercation initiated a physical altercation.

It was utterly amazing that Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips, an agitator who caused tempers to flare and blatantly singled out the St. Louis Cardinals with verbal trash talk, merely was handed a fine for escalating and instigating an ugly war between two teams with bad blood.

In truth, the animosity triggered a benches-clearing brawl that was so atypical at a time when peace and unity spreads throughout the game. And besides, a brawl very seldom materializes unless it is Yankees-Red Sox and UFC brawls, which are mundane and happens to be some of the greatest fights in sports.

This week, the most controversial issue happened, as usual, when Major League Baseball issued suspensions for players involved in a repulsive brawl, but the league mishandled to impose a befitting penalty for the instigator who was the cause of an ugly incident.

How utterly compelling we continue to ignore the causes and effects in life and deny the visible evidence, finding someone else liable for their wrongdoings in a tawdry and uncontrollable scene.

But this is the era we live in, a sport blinded by the truth in regards to steroid scandals, awful no-calls, or even an asinine brawl, as baseball shows favoritism and remains unsuccessful in punishing those who fuels a free-for-all.

Whether he wants to admit it or not, Phillips should be hanging his head in shame, blaming himself for prompting the dispute and adding to the hostility. When he publicly lashed out at the Cardinals the other day, his abhorrent remarks backfired and cost Cincinnati and starting pitcher Johnny Cueto a seven-game suspension for his actions during the brawl of Tuesday night’s game.


Few believe, however, that Phillips broke baseball’s unwritten rule and suggested that he should have served a suspension. All of his talk was fighting words and led to absolute nonsense, as Phillips became famous for publicly calling out the Cardinals and unpleasantly starting a fight -- similar to the heated, back-and-forth disputes that are common at nightclubs or even in sports bars, such as this fracas.

The theory is, of course, play nice and perform the task with class and good sportsmanship. Have they ever heard of playing nice? Sometimes I wonder and gush over the significance of sportsmanship and respect for peers and teammates, whereas reconciliation can harmonize things for a friendly, relaxing night at the ballpark.

Point is, it was hilarity with no purpose, for what could have been a harsher punishment.

And since Phillips said he despises the Cardinals on Monday, it had antagonists emotionally livid during a matchup that turned out to be appealing, captivating baseball devotees who are now anxious to witness a rematch between the Reds-Cards in the NLCS. It’s suddenly the dream matchup? From contamination to knockouts, baseball has suddenly turned into WrestleMania and Ultimate Fighting?

If there is any excitement and noise in baseball come October, it would be a hostile meeting between two heated, ill-tempered rivals, and it would be equivalent to the outrageous Jerry Springer studio-brawls, or fights that take place on the playground during recess.

When the news first surfaced, it strictly revolved around Phillips and no other player or manager. As of recently, he was overly talkative in his public rant and obviously broke the Cardinals' hearts, but they were smarter by not responding to Phillips' fighting words. Yes, words that were foolish, words that were an explanation for antipathy.

“I’d play against these guys with one leg. We have to beat these guys. I hate the Cardinals. All they do is [beep] and moan about everything, all of them, they’re little [same bleep, plural], all of ‘em. I really hate the Cardinals. Compared to the Cardinals, I love the Chicago Cubs. Let me make this clear: I hate the Cardinals.”

Oh, he clearly elaborated and stated how he felt about the division rivals. The harsh words probably made the Cubs speechless. The spiteful words probably opened many eyes. The insulting words probably awakened the Cardinals, and have inspired them to come out with much fortitude, strength and firepower.

It’s very interesting to see whether the Cardinals ride an emotional surge from Phillips' bickering, and maybe this was a momentum push to increasingly expose the strengths of the unbeatable and unstoppable Reds. But if anything, the latest incident was mishandled and managed wrongly, failing to acknowledge the core of the problem and fairly suspend Phillips, who impelled both teams to act inappropriately in a much-anticipated altercation.

It’s very surprising to some degree that only three players were suspended for the brawl, when there were evidently more than three players involved in the incident. This is unfortunate in a way, as Cueto is hit with seven games and we all know why. But I have a problem with Reds pitcher being forced to sit out seven games, as the enforcers were too harsh.


In some way, Cueto could have gotten away with kicking as if he was a whiny baby stuck in a stroller, in a brawl that drifted toward the fence behind home plate. At that point, players were pinned against the backstop netting, including Cueto who showed off some of his Kung Fu movements. From a sensible viewpoint, he used self-defense.

In perspective, this is one martial arts expert who is being used as an example, and he’s fortunately projected to miss one start and will appeal the suspension, after landing several kicks to the back of Cardinals’ Chris Carpenter and the ribs of catcher Jason LaRue, who suffered a mild concussion and sore ribs according to manager Tony La Russa.

So now, the insults by Phillips aren't the only problem and the storyline receded into distant memory. And now, we are focused on Cueto’s actions. The peeving nonsense is why baseball is so corrupted and battered by a crisis, whereas it is gradually turning millions away. How Phillips receives a fine, and not a suspension? This is another nightmare for baseball, and perhaps only this time it involves a brawl.

While La Russa and Dusty Baker were suspended two games apiece, Phillips, Carpenter, Yadier Molina and Russ Springer were all fined. What? That’s all?

They were all part of the brawl and just as liable as Cueto. There's a clear understanding that Phillips is being painted as the victim, even when he prompted a face-to-face shouting match with Molina and taunted him with his bat. Wow! Really, you forgot that fast? How could you? It just happened a few days ago.

In my mind, it is insanity that people today are not killing Phillips for this.

McGwire Is a Sham After All, but Shows True Remorse

I’m sure many of you still remember the congressional hearing at Capitol Hill. Being seen in the public and before congress, he seemed humiliated and hesitant to speak of possible use of steroids. Mark McGwire has been scolded for refusing to confront an issue that has contaminated the beautiful game of baseball, holding a sport hostage thanks to the infamous Steroid Era.

At this point, believing a word coming out of any player’s mouth seems like a sham when it could actually be the truth. But in this case, McGwire is guilty and has ruined his integrity, finally coming clean about coating his system with steroids for nearly a decade. What strikes me the most is this: He waited until a new decade arrived to admit to using performance enhancers.

Why did he wait all this time? We want to believe the Steroid Era has fled the scene of a toxic era, but it turns out baseball is still a sport in limbo. To this day, the mysterious list is lingering, unidentified names remains baffling and baseball is no longer America’s Pastime, but instead the Shamed Game.

His admission on Monday was supposed to transpire back in 2005. The entire country should have known the truth, especially when all citizens admired McGwire’s record-breaking, baseball-saving season of 1998. Sadly, none of the gorgeous swings at nearly every at-bat was pure or done artistically. Instead he needed juice to elevate a streaky performance level, and now must pay the price for such a sin.

The perfect time came at Capitol Hill, a moment he could have told the truth, rather than keep the truth hidden for more than five years. He refused to deliver specifics, telling the congressmen, “I’m not going to talk about the past.” For declining to reveal the truth, much of McGwire’s reputation and credibility has disintegrated. Although he deserves an ample of credit for clearing his name, parts of his admission don’t make sense whatsoever.

There are plenty of confounding holes to solve after hearing McGwire confess, when he finally had the courage to reveal a regrettable secret, and man-up. The bottom line is, he cheated by putting an illegal substance in his body. Even though he has apologized and confessed of iniquity, that doesn’t make him eligible for the Hall of Fame. No tainted slugger belongs in the Hall, no tarnished legacy should earn any delightful achievement for poisoning the wonderful aspects of the game.

Worst is, McGwire fled and lived behind the scenes, shamed of the treachery he left confidential. Why should I vote a guy into the Hall when he clearly ran before he finally succumbed to reality? Why should I vote a guy into the Hall for depriving a sport we once cherished? Doesn’t anyone feel hoodwinked by the everlasting steroid scandals?

When he emotionally broke down during an interview with Bob Costas, he spoke out with class and forgiveness; he was sincere about letting down fans, former teammates, and the St. Louis Cardinals. At last, McGwire sat to talk about the past, ostensibly contrite of what unfolded during a record season of 70 home runs. However, I’m not buying into his admission and have no sympathy for McGwire, particularly for insisting that he believes steroid use enhances his performance level.

That’s why steroids are classified as performance-enhancing drugs. So, to say the substances didn’t aid his fraudulent home run total is utterly ridiculous. If he believes he produced off of natural or God-given talent, well, at least he was certain. But he’s naïve to presume that all of his strength was natural.

“It’s very emotional. It’s telling family members, friends, and coaches, you know, it’s former teammates to try to get a hold of, you know, what I’m coming clean and being honest,” McGwire sadly said in a 20-minute interview with the Associated Press. “It’s the first time they’ve ever heard me, you know, talk about this. I hid it from everybody.”

We know you hid it from the world. I tried not to think McGwire was a fraud, but it’s now clear he’s an asterisk. But anyone with the right state of mind knew he was infected after the congressional hearing. For most of his career, he was a con artist and cowardly became a suspicious hypocrite. Like unintelligent people, we embraced the greatest milestone in baseball, an achievement that is now viewed with an asterisk.

If there’s anything legit about McGwire, mind you, we cannot tell because of a long decade of shams. Sure he has all the homers, but a gloomy cloud would always hover over him. He never committed perjury, but he kept a secret hiding and killed perception. The greatest accomplishments of his lifetime are tarnished for good, wrecking the mindsets of those who actually believed at one point. So the gratifying moment has turned into a wicked moment.

The distressing past began to hunt McGwire, and he realized he wasn’t a natural-born slugger. He phoned commissioner Bud Selig, Cardinals general manager Tony La Russa, and the widow of Roger Maris, Pat Maris, to apologize for the disruptions and transgressions.

What bothers me the most is flimsy excuses when someone is caught for sinful actions. McGwire swore that he pleaded for the Fifth Amendment before congress because he wasn’t given immunity, and he was afraid he would have been forced to spent time behind bars. Still, that’s not a good enough excuse to allow McGwire off the hook.

“On the advice of my attorneys, they could not advise me to talk about my past,” he said offensively. “If I did that, and there was a possibility of being prosecuted or summoned to a grand jury, I’m throwing my whole family and close friends and other people that were with me—I’m putting them in jeopardy for some act that I did and I totally regret. I told my attorneys that I would take the hit and protect my family. So I elected to take the hit, and I’ve taken the hit for five years. That was the worst 48 hours of my life on Capitol Hill. I wish I did get immunity; I would have come clean five years ago.”

I’m not so sure if we should buy into that excuse as well. We’ve reached a point when it’s hard to believe anything. Another excuse hard to stomach is McGwire claimed he used steroids to heal from injuries. Then again, maybe he decided to take drugs to care for health. But he still should say it does affect his productivity, adding he’d still have the same total of homers without steroids.

You’d never know. And as far as it goes now, he's tainted no matter what. He said his steroid use mounted in 1994. If you hadn’t noticed, maybe that answered the question to why his batting average was a .249 lifetime and averaged homers every 14 at-bats.

Here is where it’s confusing: suddenly the percentages rose during a season he dominated. He started to approach a paramount site in the majors, a standard that had a large impact on baseball. In what become the engaging era, McGwire's average was .277 with a home run deposited every 8.4 at-bats.

So we’ll never know the true colors of Big Mac, right?

Right! In a period when baseball is contaminated with a juicy aftertaste, productive numbers could be a sham for all we know. All those linked to performance-enhancing drugs, such as a secretive McGwire, an obvious Sammy Sosa, a phony Barry Bonds, a lying Roger Clemens, a confused Alex Rodriguez, a naïve Manny Ramirez, and whoever else I left out, don’t earn my vote for casting distasteful features on the game.

As for McGwire, he was the game’s greatest hitter until steroids played a role, after the usage of steroids provided energy and treated health, which led to his sleazy statement.

“There’s not a pill or an injection that’s going to give me, going to give any player the hand-eye coordination to hit a baseball,” he told Costas on the MLB Network.

What happened has long past, but knowing he committed such a crime is agonizing when many admired him.

McGwire was known for the incredible resurgence; now he’s known for breaking down the game, deemed as the newest sleaze in baseball.