By Fred MitchellHall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk blasted Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and other alleged or admitted steroid abusers Tuesday, calling McGwire's claim that steroids did not help him hit more home runs "a crock."
"They wonder how (steroids) help in baseball and all of that," said Fisk, who starred for the Red Sox and White Sox. "(McGwire) says, 'Well, it doesn't help eye-and-hand coordination.' Well, of course it does. It allows you more acuity physically and mentally and optically. You are going to be stronger and you are going to be better.
"The point I am making is that some of these numbers that are out there are really warped. Should they be considered? I mean, you saw how McGwire was viewed in the Hall of Fame voting. If you take the length of time that (steroid abusers) use that stuff and subtract 15 or 20 home runs a year for those guys, where are there numbers then?"
Photo: Carlton Fisk says Mark McGwire is fudging the truth on steroids. (Tribune)
McGwire, who has been hired by the St. Louis Cardinals as the hitting
coach, apologized last week for his steroid use as a player, but
claimed steroids had nothing to do with him hitting 70 homers in 1998.
"That's a crock," Fisk said. "It's just a crock. Look, there's a reason they call it performance-enhancing drugs. That's what it does: performance enhancement. You can be good, but it's going to make you better. You can be average, but it is going to make you good. If you are below average, it is going to make you average. Some guys who went that route got their five-year, $35 million contracts and now are off into the sunset somewhere. Because once they can't use (steroids) anymore, they can't play anymore.
"And steroids, during that time, probably did as much to escalate players' salaries as did free agency, as did arbitration, and all of that stuff. It did more than just put home runs up on the board or money in the guys' pocket."
"That's a crock," Fisk said. "It's just a crock. Look, there's a reason they call it performance-enhancing drugs. That's what it does: performance enhancement. You can be good, but it's going to make you better. You can be average, but it is going to make you good. If you are below average, it is going to make you average. Some guys who went that route got their five-year, $35 million contracts and now are off into the sunset somewhere. Because once they can't use (steroids) anymore, they can't play anymore.
"And steroids, during that time, probably did as much to escalate players' salaries as did free agency, as did arbitration, and all of that stuff. It did more than just put home runs up on the board or money in the guys' pocket."
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This guy has to be kidding on January 20, 2010 10:14 AM
Maybe he was never suspected by YOU, but to the rest of the world, Auburn football players are at the very top of the list. Keep dreaming or pretending or whatever you have to do to keep up your pathetic fantasy.
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LOL. Thanks for ignoring the rest of my post because you need to senselessly convince yourself.
I'll say it AGAIN; there was NEVER any suspicion of Frank. WHY? Because as I said, there were NO indicators of steroid use. There almost ALWAYS are; change of physical appearance, spikes in home runs, increase in power, etc. Frank never showed any of those. He was always a large man, he never showed spikes in home runs, etc.
Believe what you want, but to suspect Frank Thomas is silly. But it's absolutely reprehensible to call him out or being a "cheater" with no proof, unlike the rest of the mentioned players. And again, there's not even any solid evidence that even REMOTELY suggests Frank was on the juice.
So unless someone has any logical reasoning or evidence, leave Frank alone because he was one of the guys who earned what he got and was shortchanged by steroid users; Frank would have gotten more of what he deserved had steroid use not become so prevalent.
The only one who's "got to be kidding" is you. Try logic next time. Come again.
This week's SI column by Selena Roberts is the worst joke possible. She berates McGwire of his apology.
Hey, happy girl Selena-where and when do you apologize for taking the reputations, educations, livelihoods and very freedom of the Duke lacrosse guys with lies and falsehoods which fit your PC-colored glasses? Speaking of glass, how's your see through house, Selena?
Nice revision to take out Carlton Fisk's quote that incorrectly stated the home run total of bonds, mays, ruth, and aaron at various ages
General etiquette would normally have you posting a note saying that you edited the article. Otherwise it just looks like you're actively trying to cover up for a mistake that you made.
Fisk was no math major. Aaron, Ruth and Mays averaged 28 HRs at age 39, and Bonds hit 73 HR at age 36.
And isn't it interesting that Fisk's career high in HR was at age 37?
Thank you Carlton, for laying out the truth (Mike and Mike read excerpts from the complete interview - check the re-broadcast on ESPN. And, read Howard the Duck's facts, above. Mr. McGwire isn't HOF.
John Kordic on January 19, 2010 6:30 PM
Barry Bods, Frank Thomas, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco............ Where were you when these guys were cheating Pudge?
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Excuse me? Frank Thomas? The man has NEVER been suspected, and he's had AMAZING HR power his ENTIRE career playing baseball; he' ALWAYS been a big man; that's how he's built. He never has all of a sudden become large and has never had huge gaps in HRs from season to season (although they went down a he got older and DH'ed).
Frank was not a juicer. In fact, he was one of the players who was shortchanged of awards because of juicers (Giambi stole away what should have been Frank's 3rd straight MVP).
THink before you post next time.
Who is getting voted into the HOF? The players (Mac, Bonds,ETC,) or the PEDS they used? Don't give me that crap about them being legal in other countries, they weren't legal in the US.
Witness Brady Anderson! Hey Big Mac, looks like you're now a regular rather than a double. And there's no cryin in baseball you big wuss.
BOB JENKINS: "McGwire never cheated. No once"
What planet do you live on?
The guy cheated absolutely every time he came to the plate after his first injection.
And his "admission" was nothing but a calculated set of half truths.
He will never be in the HOF. Neither will Bonds, Clemens, Palmeiro and Sosa. Deal with it.
PUDGE RULES!!!!!
I am so sick and tired of hearing how these drugs were not against the rules. They were against the LAW, It was and is illegal posses a controled substance without a presecription, and it is illegal to write prescriptions without a legitimate medical aiment.
This is coming from a guy who played his entire career with "just a pinch between your cheek and gum"!
I say they should blindfold Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa, and fly them to the depths of Haiti and leave them there. They're liars and cheaters and they shoud suffer the wrath of the Satan, just like Pat Robertson said.
I'm a Cubs fan, but way to go, Pudge.
Steroids, HGHand other drugs have hurt MLB very badly. In no other sport are records as relevant or as well-known by the public. Quick : What's the all-time career record for TD catches? I am a huge NFL fan, but I don't know it (I think Jerry Rice holds it, but I'm not even sure of that). All MLB season and career records set after 1990 should be stricken (only pseudo-fans would object) and that includes both Roger Clemens' as well as Kerry Woods' 20 K games. How about a mope like Fernando Tatis hitting 2 GrandSlams IN THE SAME INNING!
can ANYONE tell me what major league baseball rule mark mcgwire broke? all this steroid abuse expanded under pudge's watch as a players association rep (1988-1993). so, if you really look at it when it comes to blame, fisk must take some of the blame for not speaking out when it really mattered. too bad he feels no responsibility for the policies that ALLOWED this rampant abuse to occur.
we blame congressmen and senators for their failure to better the nation as individuals and as a group so why don't we hold these reps responsible for fighting the drug testing as long as they did?
it takes a lot of guts to armchair QB, especially for someone like fisk, who feels like NOW is the time to take a stand, not when it's staring you in the face from the locker across from yours...fisk was still playing during the steroid era so if he couldn't speak out THEN, then i don't want to hear it from him NOW...guts would have been standing up to it THEN...
sorry, pudge — you can't waive this one fair...
Way to go, Pudge!
It's great that a true Hall of Famer came out and said the truth!
MaGwire, Sosa and Bonds are disgusting reminders of what an athlete will do to become famous.
I would like to hear Bonds explain how his head grew two hat sizes after 35 years of age.
Fisk was a steroid user he had all the classic symptoms. Sternght gain and muscle mass gain after 34 years of age, not to mention the rages. Remember his stellar workout ethic? Fisk was a total stroke and probably still is.
What are you talking about? Of course I cheated! I am McGire, the greatest cheater to ever not play the game!
If Fisk is right, then McGwire's "crock" is something for Cardinal fans to ponder. LaRussa has already shown he doesn't care by hiring his "buddy" as batting coach. Hey Mark, I guess we won't be seeing any endorsements for Balco in the St. Louis P-D, will we?
CaptainObvious: You said it all! Agree completely.
I think every one of the guys on that list should be outed. I think Mark McGuire, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, etc. should have all their records removed from the system and put in a new category...Cheater's Records.
Then, you would have the Purity Records belonging to the real stars of baseball...Willy Mays, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Johnny Bench, Lou Brock, Warren Spahn, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, etc.
If you allow these records to stand and these bimbos to be a part of baseball, bring back Pete Rose, exonerate Shoeless Joe Jackson and the Black Sox. They did nothing more/less than these cheats except their faults were gambling and these clowns used steroids.
Now, you have this BIG TOUGH MAN....Mark McGuire whining like a baby...'i just want to move forward and forget the past.' Jeez..what a crying, whiny baby! You could have moved forward and admitted you cheated when you and your buddies were in front of Congress. But, then, it was, 'I don't want to talk about the past.' What changed your mind, Boob?
I for one have no problem with players popping greenies and I wish they weren't banned. Tired players means boring baseball once the dog days arrive. And since I'm paying well over $100 bucks attending each game I don't wanna be watching no gassed ballplayers. And I also ain't payin' no 50 cent for no coke.
I believe both guys, Clark and Fisk, were done before "the steroid era" that McGwire so eloquently hinted was responsible for his behavior. That said, what exactly could Fisk and Clark have done about it? They didn't play with the 'roided-up, noggin' expanding buffoons.
Guys like Fisk and Jack Clark should be applauded, as should Ryno for his HOF speech. They are saying what needs to be said. When someone from the game has the cojones to start ripping Selig for his head-in-the-sand approach to steroids (until Congress got uppity, that is), I'll really cheer.
howard the duck on January 19, 2010 3:27 PM
The fact is that he had a mediocre batting average. He had a mediocre on-base percentage. He had a mediocre number of RBI
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But yet he had more RBI than Fisk and an OBP 53 points higher than Fisk had. When did a .394 obp become mediocre?
If that's mediocre, what the hell should we call Juan Pierre's?
If McGwire's numbers are "mediocre" what does that make Fisk's?
McGwire shouldn't make the hall due to cheating, but the fact that guys geting because of quantity over quality is pretty sad, as well.
Mark McGwire's home run numbers aren't good enough for HOF consideration. Did anyone ever think about that? I mean, really. Forget the fact that he's delusional, trying to convince himself and others that steroids played no part in him hitting home runs. The fact is that he had a mediocre batting average. He had a mediocre on-base percentage. He had a mediocre number of RBI.
The only thing that made McGwire stand out was home runs. Well, his home run numbers are only middle of the pack when it comes to power hitters in his own era. Sosa, Bonds and Griffey each eclipsed McGwire's home run total while Palmeiro and Thome have approached it.
The fact is that McGwire just isn't good enough to be in the Hall. Steroids are not.
I'm not a fan of Fisk. But he's absolutely right about this. McGire may have never cheated, but McGwire sure did.