McGwire's One-Eyed Baby Brother Writes a Book

[filihok]

http://deadspin.com/5136177/mark-mcg...yline=true&s=x

Jay McGwire grew up idolizing his older brothers, became hooked on steroids, crashed, found God, now wants to share his story with the world. Oh, and he also claims he introduced Mark to 'roids.

[gRYFYN1]

McGwire's One-Eyed Baby Brother Writes a Book

I was worried this was going to be a pornagraphic book.

But, it still amazes me, that we look on in curiosity when someone claim that McGwire (a guy who was a can of green spray paint away from being the Incredible Hulk in STL) did steroids -- I mean wasn't his refusal to answer any questions about it tantamount to an admission?

[Pavelb1]

I was worried this was going to be a pornagraphic book.

But, it still amazes me, that we look on in curiosity when someone claim that McGwire (a guy who was a can of green spray paint away from being the Incredible Hulk in STL) did steroids -- I mean wasn't his refusal to answer any questions about it tantamount to an admission?

It's not but he did steroids, or precursors to steroids. He's said as much, they just wern't banned by MLB yet....though illegal.

[reflections]

http://deadspin.com/5136177/mark-mcg...yline=true&s=x

Interesting.
Guess why not make some cash on your brothers already tainted legacy. Just to make sure noone forgets that nothing has been proven on two of the best home run hitters in the past 40 years.
I hate Barry Bonds (i'm a Dodger fan), but he should of been one of the best players ever to step foot onto the diamond. And that was before any allegations.
Mark McGwire, (along with Sosa) brought baseball back from the idiot strike. And was only proven to have taken Andro (which was legal at the time).

Let's call the era from the strike till, well still ongoing the "Steroid Era" (which it frequently is called, although the "Performance Enhancing Era" would be more appriorate)
Bonds and McGwire should be in the Hall. Bonds for being like I said one of the best ever to play, and McGwire for being one of the best power hitters.

Books like this are obviously a money grab. Guess Canseco didn't ruin enough careers.

[RedsoxRockies]

What is with the picture of the army men and raccoon at the bottom?? Is that a scene from the movie adaption of the book?

[Pavelb1]

Interesting.
Guess why not make some cash on your brothers already tainted legacy. Just to make sure noone forgets that nothing has been proven on two of the best home run hitters in the past 40 years.
I hate Barry Bonds (i'm a Dodger fan), but he should of been one of the best players ever to step foot onto the diamond. And that was before any allegations.
Mark McGwire, (along with Sosa) brought baseball back from the idiot strike. And was only proven to have taken Andro (which was legal at the time).

Let's call the era from the strike till, well still ongoing the "Steroid Era" (which it frequently is called, although the "Performance Enhancing Era" would be more appriorate)
Bonds and McGwire should be in the Hall. Bonds for being like I said one of the best ever to play, and McGwire for being one of the best power hitters.

Books like this are obviously a money grab. Guess Canseco didn't ruin enough careers.

Myth #23 about baseball: Sosa and McGwire saved baseball.

Attendance was actually down the year following the home run chase.

Myth #5 about Baseball: Barry Bonds has never failed a drug test.

Yes, he has.

[HoustonGM]

But, it still amazes me, that we look on in curiosity when someone claim that McGwire (a guy who was a can of green spray paint away from being the Incredible Hulk in STL) did steroids -- I mean wasn't his refusal to answer any questions about it tantamount to an admission?

Not at all. The 5th Amendment is one integral to our justice system, and someone exercising their 5th Amendment rights shouldn't be deemed guilty.

It's not but he did steroids, or precursors to steroids. He's said as much, they just wern't banned by MLB yet....though illegal.

The only thing we know that he took - andro - was not illegal.

Myth #23 about baseball: Sosa and McGwire saved baseball.

Attendance was actually down the year following the home run chase.

That "myth" was created and forced down our throats by the very same media that now condemn these players as vile beings.

Myth #5 about Baseball: Barry Bonds has never failed a drug test.

Yes, he has.

He has never failed a steroid test.

[Pavelb1]

Not at all. The 5th Amendment is one integral to our justice system, and someone exercising their 5th Amendment rights shouldn't be deemed guilty.


The only thing we know that he took - andro - was not illegal.

No? I stand corrected.

After some research I see it was made illegal as late as January of 2005....that doesn't jibe with my memories, someone's been screwing around with the Matrix again.

[gRYFYN1]

Not at all. The 5th Amendment is one integral to our justice system, and someone exercising their 5th Amendment rights shouldn't be deemed guilty.
.

Sure, Sure Crimal procedeing Blah blah blah .... We're not talking about criminal precedents here though, and while yes he did have the right to invoke the 5th amendment, and that a court can't used a persons refusal yo answer as an inference of guilt.


The truth is, we (the public) can draw that inference ... and refusal to do so because the criminal courts draw the very strict line of error on the side of innocence is silly.


While Im not saying McGwire should be thrown in prison (which the penalties for taking schedule III drug is nebulous at best, even possession for personal use isn't technically an offense, yet those lead to ditribution which is illegal). I ma simply saying that the circumstantial evidence points to anything but the fact he never took steroids, and that no one should be surpised when someone says he did.

The could never criminally prove that Al Capone broke the law other than tax evasion, partly because of that attitude, but do you really believe he never did anything wrong ?

[HoustonGM]

Sure, Sure Crimal procedeing Blah blah blah .... We're not talking about criminal precedents here though, and while yes he did have the right to invoke the 5th amendment, and that a court can't used a persons refusal yo answer as an inference of guilt.

If he had denied it under oath, he very well may have become the subject of a perjury investigation, a la Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. I don't blame McGwire at all for refusing to speak. You're free to infer from his refusal to speak that he's "guilty." However, pleading the 5th is absolutely NOT tantamount to an admission, whether or not you want to use it as (weak) circumstantial evidence.


As for this article, that picture of Jay and Mark looks awfully faked, doesn't it?

[dickay]

If he had denied it under oath, he very well may have become the subject of a perjury investigation, a la Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. I don't blame McGwire at all for refusing to speak. You're free to infer from his refusal to speak that he's "guilty." However, pleading the 5th is absolutely NOT tantamount to an admission, whether or not you want to use it as (weak) circumstantial evidence.


As for this article, that picture of Jay and Mark looks awfully faked, doesn't it?

And if he had spoken the truth that yes he did steroids, rather than take the fifth in embarrasing fashion or lie....he'd be far more respected today throughout the public.

He had little to nothing to lose by being honest. He's out of baseball, had a great deal of public support prior to the hearings and while yes some may have lost respect for his accomplishments he had enough credibility to invoke and pioneer serious change. By hiding from it however, he destroyed his credibility and looks now like a fool and a liar. It is really a shame.

[HoustonGM]

And if he had spoken the truth that yes he did steroids, rather than take the fifth in embarrasing fashion or lie....he'd be far more respected today throughout the public.

I don't know about that. Besides, what about the possibility that he DIDN'T do steroids? We don't know.

I've read from multiple sources that taking andro is an indicator that he wasn't taking anabolic steroids, as it's not a smart idea to mix them (according to the multiple people I've seen claim this).

[dickay]

I've read from multiple sources that taking andro is an indicator that he wasn't taking anabolic steroids, as it's not a smart idea to mix them (according to the multiple people I've seen claim this).

If that were true, why not just say it? Why when asked if he ever took a needle in the butt from Canseco would he not deny it rather than take the 5th? I agree he's allowed to do what he did, but the court of public opinion is an entirely different beast.....and I've convicted him right, wrong, or indifferent.

[HoustonGM]

If that were true, why not just say it? Why when asked if he ever took a needle in the butt from Canseco would he not deny it rather than take the 5th?

If he had denied it under oath, he very well may have become the subject of a perjury investigation, a la Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.

I agree he's allowed to do what he did, but the court of public opinion is an entirely different beast.....and I've convicted him right, wrong, or indifferent.

And he followed the advise of his lawyers, whose priority is the legal side of things, not the public relations side, and that's what he should do in such a situation. However, he really was in a no-win situation. Whether or not he ever did steroids, saying that he didn't would've resulted in people calling him a liar and likely a perjury investigation, and saying that he did do them (which would be a lie if he didn't), probably wouldn't have changed the public opinion all that much...

Players accused of taking steroids are automatically guilty, even those that never did. The ones that deny it are called liars, even if they're telling the truth. The ones that admit to it...well, it depends on who it is. In the cases where it has happened, people have generally forgiven them. However, those cases aren't cases of all-time greats that have broken tons of records, so they don't tell us much about how the public would react to an admission from Bonds, Clemens, or McGwire. My guess is that it wouldn't change anything, except they'd no longer be called liars.

Also, McGwire HAS denied it in the past. He just didn't do so at the Congressional hearing, because, as I've said, there's a good chance it would have resulted in further investigation.

Take Sammy Sosa as an example. There's a guy with literally zero evidence of any sort against him. He denied it, yet people still lump him in as a steroid user.

[KowboyKoop]

I suspect that McGwire and Bonds did steroids...but not because of anything they've said or how they have handled themselves with the media..or anything like that. Nobody will ever know for sure, unless they ever confess to it....so I think it's kinda pointless to talk about. It's a part of the game, for better or worse. If the media didn't want it to be that way, they should've been turning up the heat on the steriod issue a long time ago. Perhaps when Brady Anderson magically grows super-huge forearms and nearly triples his season-high HR total with 50 one year, just out of the blue...and HR rates just explode across the league and many players just look insanely jacked up...perhaps they should've spoken up then. They didn't...the players didn't care, the owners didn't care, the media didn't speak up on it......punishing only the players for it now is not the way to go. Move on, let McGwire and Bonds in the HOF, accept it as an era in baseball and try to learn from it.

That's my take.