McGwire finally admits using steroids and HGH
Finally, after years of denials and evasion, McGwire has admitted that steroids and human growth hormone helped make him a home run king. McGwire said that he used steroids and human growth hormone on and off for a decade, starting before the 1990 season and including the year he broke Roger Maris’ single-season home run record in 1998.
“The toughest thing is my wife, my parents, close friends have had no idea that I hid it from them all this time,” he told The Associated Press in an emotional, 20-minute interview. “I knew this day was going to come. I didn’t know when.”
McGwire regretted this saying, “I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake.”
McGwire hit 583 home runs, tied for eighth on the career list, and his average of one every 10.6 at-bats is the best ever. His record of 70 home runs in 1998 was surpassed by Barry Bonds’ 73 homers in 2001 — the year of McGwire’s retirement and the apex of the Steroids Era.
Before a carefully rolled out schedule of statements and interviews, he called commissioner Bud Selig, St. Louis manager Tony La Russa and Maris’ widow, Pat, on Monday to break the news and left messages for the current stars of the Cardinals. He issued a statement and called the AP to get his admission out, then gave several interviews.
“It was a wrong thing what I did. I totally regret it. I just wish I was never in that era,” he said.
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