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"Now that I have become the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, I have the chance to do something that I wish I was able to do five years ago.

I never knew when, but I always knew this day would come. It's time for me to talk about the past and to confirm what people have suspected. I used steroids during my playing career and I apologize. I remember trying steroids very briefly in the 1989/1990 off season and then after I was injured in 1993, I used steroids again. I used them on occasion throughout the '90s, including during the 1998 season.

I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era.

During the mid-'90s, I went on the DL seven times and missed 228 games over five years. 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.

I'm sure people will wonder if I could have hit all those home runs had I never taken steroids. 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.

Baseball is really different now -- it's been cleaned up. The commissioner and the players' association implemented testing and they cracked down, and I'm glad they did.

I'm grateful to the Cardinals for bringing me back to baseball. I want to say thank you to Cardinals owner Mr. DeWitt, to my GM, John Mozeliak, and to my manager, Tony La Russa. I can't wait to put the uniform on again and to be back on the field in front of the great fans in Saint Louis. I've always appreciated their support and I intend to earn it again, this time as hitting coach. I'm going to pour myself into this job and do everything I can to help the Cardinals hitters become the best players for years to come.

After all this time, I want to come clean. 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."

AZGrizFan wrote:Next question: Does he get charged with lying to Congress?

AZGrizFan wrote:He has (in my mind) at least salvaged SOME dignity with this admission.

It's my personal opinion that he sees the writing on the wall regarding HOF induction and is hoping to gain some converts with a full admission of his actions during the steroid era. Not sure if it'll help as it puts his numbers into better perspective, but at least it's a start.

Every day Jose Canseco becomes a smarter person. Whowouldathunkit?

DJH wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:Next question: Does he get charged with lying to Congress?

He never lied.

bandl wrote:Who will come out next?

Bonds?
Clemens?

"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."

In 16 seasons, McGwire hit 583 homers. The 500-homer plateau is tantamount to an automatic pass to the cozy baseball enclave in upstate New York. Imagine the angst when those sluggers who have either admitted using, tested positive, were accused or strongly suspected — Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, Gary Sheffield, Sammy Sosa, Juan Gonzalez among them — retire and their five-year waiting period is up.

AZGrizFan wrote:He has (in my mind) at least salvaged SOME dignity with this admission.

It's my personal opinion that he sees the writing on the wall regarding HOF induction and is hoping to gain some converts with a full admission of his actions during the steroid era. Not sure if it'll help as it puts his numbers into better perspective, but at least it's a start.

Every day Jose Canseco becomes a smarter person. Whowouldathunkit?

dgreco wrote:Sosa has enough problems I doubt he comes out.

I would like to see some non HOF guys come out too. I speculate players such as Brady Anderson was doing roids and I think it would be more interesting to hear the non obvious names.

dgreco wrote:Sosa has enough problems I doubt he comes out.

I would like to see some non HOF guys come out too. I speculate players such as Brady Anderson was doing roids and I think it would be more interesting to hear the non obvious names.

JoltinJoe, WideRight82, Willie wrote:

JMU DJ wrote:

dgreco wrote:Sosa has enough problems I doubt he comes out.

I would like to see some non HOF guys come out too. I speculate players such as Brady Anderson was doing roids and I think it would be more interesting to hear the non obvious names.

JoltinJoe, WideRight82, Willie wrote:

BlueHen86 wrote:

dgreco wrote:Sosa has enough problems I doubt he comes out.

I would like to see some non HOF guys come out too. I speculate players such as Brady Anderson was doing roids and I think it would be more interesting to hear the non obvious names.

I don't think there is any incentive for Anderson to come out. McGwire had to come out because he will be the Cards hitting coach this year, if he didn't come clean he would never stop getting questioned about it.

Anderson can just fade away and be forgotten, which wil happen whether he comes clean or not.

SuperHornet wrote:I think I heard the commish say that this rehabs McGwire somewhat. If that's the case, then why the cr@p hasn't a certain other guy who "came clean" not had his ban repealed yet? You can't have it both ways, Selig.