![Kidd Kidd - The Weak And The Strong - Produced By Falling Down [Listen/Download] -TI50](http://api.ning.com/files/KBrEfAoS3SGRyiBvnAgJjDM7Dgb5JmI6lOCJho3HWgAv-pePPXJe9-uN4Vp9IsqWAwL6yCrg7H88GNeiw8uihw__/thisis50resized.png?width=32&height=32&crop=1%3A1){kind=small}
![50 Cent Speaks On His 'Playground' Book Being Picked Up By Fox For New Cartoon, How His Career Impacted His Son, Making Sure All The Members Of G-Unit Became Known & More [Video]](http://api.ning.com/files/gfq3QAvFlwWETwGdA7WPV4yOp*A67vSjd672cT9jTCA6KFirVgJ1emvSqKMc772EoyELmo9msqZ8T670jrEhNqYMUqpm8NIA/279055527.jpeg?width=32&height=32&crop=1%3A1){kind=small}
"50 Cent- Financial Freedom..."
Mark McGwire Finally Admits He Took Steroids When He Broke Home Run Record In 1998
NEW YORK - Mark McGwire finally came clean Monday, admitting he used steroids when he broke baseball's home run record in 1998.
McGwire said in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Monday that he used steroids on and off for nearly a decade.
"I wish I had never touched steroids," McGwire said in a statement. "It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era."
McGwire also used human growth hormone, a person close to McGwire said, speaking on condition of anonymity because McGwire didn't include that detail in his statement.
McGwire's decision to admit using steroids was prompted by his decision to become hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, his final big league team. Tony La Russa, McGwire's manager in Oakland and St. Louis, has been among McGwire's biggest supporters and thinks returning to the field can restore the former slugger's reputation.
"I never knew when, but I always knew this day would come," McGwire said. "It's time for me to talk about the past and to confirm what people have suspected."
He became the second major baseball star in less than a year to admit using illegal steroids, following the New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez last February.
Others have been tainted but have denied knowingly using illegal drugs, including Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa and David Ortiz.
Bonds has been indicted on charges he made false statements to a federal grand jury and obstructed justice. Clemens is under investigation by a federal grand jury trying to determine whether he lied to a congressional committee.
"I'm sure people will wonder if I could have hit all those home runs had I never taken steroids," McGwire said. "I had good years when I didn't take any, and I had bad years when I didn't take any. I had good years when I took steroids, and I had bad years when I took steroids. But no matter what, I shouldn't have done it and for that I'm truly sorry."
Big Mac's reputation has been in tatters since March 17, 2005, when he refused to answer questions at a Congressional hearing. Instead, he repeatedly said "I'm not here to talk about the past" when asked whether he took illegal steroids when he hit a then-record 70 home runs in 1998 or at any other time.
"After all this time, I want to come clean," he said. "I was not in a position to do that five years ago in my congressional testimony, but now I feel an obligation to discuss this and to answer questions about it. I'll do that, and then I just want to help my team."
The person close to McGwire said McGwire made the decision not to answer questions at that hearing on the advice of his lawyers.
McGwire disappeared from the public eye following his retirement as a player following the 2001 season. When the Cardinals hired the 47-year-old as coach on Oct. 26, they said he would address questions before spring training, and Monday's statement broke his silence.
"I remember trying steroids very briefly in the 1989/1990 offseason and then after I was injured in 1993, I used steroids again," McGwire said in his statement. "I used them on occasion throughout the '90s, including during the 1998 season."
McGwire said he took steroids to get back on the field, sounding much like the Yankees' Andy Pettitte two years ago when he admitted using HGH.
"During the mid-'90s, I went on the DL seven times and missed 228 games over five years," McGwire said in the statement. "I experienced a lot of injuries, including a ribcage strain, a torn left heel muscle, a stress fracture of the left heel, and a torn right heel muscle. It was definitely a miserable bunch of years, and I told myself that steroids could help me recover faster. I thought they would help me heal and prevent injuries, too."
Since the congressional hearing, baseball owners and players toughened their drug program twice, increasing the penalty for a first steroids offense from 10 days to 50 games in November 2005 and strengthening the power of the independent administrator in April 2008, following the publication of the Mitchell Report.
"Baseball is really different now - it's been cleaned up," McGwire said. "The commissioner and the players' association implemented testing and they cracked down, and I'm glad they did."
San Francisco Chronicle
Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
Comment
-
Comment by Coop on January 12, 2010 at 6:35am -
I dont give a f***! I like my athletes full of dat juice! Otherwise the s*** is boring! Juice up n*****!
-
Comment by SHON JONES on January 12, 2010 at 3:28am -
hot shot in the BUTT .20 C C .
-
Comment by PLAY on January 12, 2010 at 2:30am -
i dont go in front of cameras w/a statement ready,i have to work for my bailmoney.this f**** knows he did wrong n got away clean n now he wants to go back,Sosa changing skin color tryn to blend in n**** i mean white boy we know u were black b4 n now u trying to cover up so people wont say hey thats a juicer.now they say he changed his color.wtf is that shiet.
-
Comment by PLAY on January 12, 2010 at 2:25am
-
1thuggaka the shootist ur funny but 4reals same here, no jumpin no suker punching just alot of a** whoopin acouple times i got whoop n still got to court and said f** that,i whooped his a** but i didnt assult him.n that b**** to she hit me first n well its called SELFDEFENCE,shiet.thow says not to kill, it dont say thou shalt not slap a b**** she lucky i didnt punch her in her f**** mouth.An my uncle well he desearved his a** whoopin,shiet he was abussing my grama,no he pressed charges n i told the cops look for me im tired of turning myself in for dummasses. MAGQUEER should have said the truth in court.shiet P****.
-
Comment by DJ BlackAce on January 12, 2010 at 12:23am
-
f*** him....bout they love to bother a barry bonds...but he goes and does the same s***...f****** people...the media and the mlb killed barry on that s***....Mark was on the same crap but they sucked his d*** for it....see what a difference tone makes...f******
-
Comment by JerseyDog on January 12, 2010 at 12:06am -
Like we didn't know already. That n**** used to come up to bat looking like Tony Montana.. coked up like a muuug!
-
Comment by 1THUG aka PROJECK KEEM!! on January 11, 2010 at 11:54pm -
damn that white steeroid negga head is shaped differently.............HAHAHA
-
Comment by 1THUG aka PROJECK KEEM!! on January 11, 2010 at 11:44pm
-
real talk on tha ken griff jr. bein tha best of this era......that negga stay injured...he coulda use steeroids and recovered faster to jack up more homers but he done tha right way............that cheaters never win motto is tha truth......look at bill bellycheck he recorded neggaz plays....and sure tha pats won 18 games that year but when it counted they couldnt get tha big one..........and negga tyree made miracle catchez off tha helmet...juss to let patriots know cheatin dont pay......macquire will never see that hall.......
-
Comment by Trisno on January 11, 2010 at 11:18pm -
Come on. Eerybody knows these fools are juicing.
-
Comment by Dubb on January 11, 2010 at 10:09pm -
I Been Knew It. All This says Is Ken Griffey Jr. Is The Best Slugger Of Them ALL!!!!
Top Content
Upcoming Releases
Latest Activity
- Top News
- Everything
NEWSKULL commented on ChasinDatPaper's blog post Mary J. Blige Hit With $3.4 Million Federal Tax Liendfgdshdfhs commented on dfgdshdfhs's photo
(((WWE 100%fRee))) WWE Extreme Rules 2013 Live Streaming Watch Online HDHQ fight
"WWE Extreme Rules 2013 Live Free Stream. On Sunday, WWE Superstars will battle for titles, pride and revenge at Extreme Rules 2013.
The event should be a huge test for WWE title challenger Ryback, a showcase of WWE’s most violent matches and…"
dfgdshdfhs commented on dfgdshdfhs's photo(((WWE 100%fRee))) WWE Extreme Rules 2013 Live Streaming Watch Online HDHQ fight
"WWE Extreme Rules 2013 Live Free Stream. On Sunday, WWE Superstars will battle for titles, pride and revenge at Extreme Rules 2013.
The event should be a huge test for WWE title challenger Ryback, a showcase of WWE’s most violent matches and…"
"Let me guess, she will start blaming slavery? You can do crimes and get away with it. There is no way you can ditch the IRS!"
© 2013 Created by 50 Cent.
You need to be a member of ThisIs50.com to add comments!
Join ThisIs50.com