I have a longer piece stewing inside, which hopefully, I can get out before we become entrenched in the World Series tomorrow, but, on this, another one of those days that begin to prepare us for the winter without baseball, I think there is only one thing I can write about.

Mark McGwire.

Yesterday, he was announced as the Cardinals new hitting coach.  Why?  I’m not sure, unless it was a way to lure Matt Holiday to stay in St. Louis.  I believe Holiday was one of a dozen players that had worked out with McGwire at his training facility last off-season.  It could also be because this is Tony LaRussa’s last act before retirement- to clear his own name from any steroid taint by clearing McGwire’s.

St. Louis is without a doubt proud of the way the world focused in on the gateway to the west during the summer of 1998, and that has primarily due to McGwire.  He really has the chance to be the prodigal son, returning to make good, and to help the Cardinals return to the World Series.  As Bernie Miklasz writes, there are a lot of former steroid users still working in baseball, so why should McGwire not have the chance to be hired and to fill the job.  Whether we like it or not, he saved baseball.  He brought fans (including myself) back to the game after the strike in 1995.

The problem is that as someone who’s name was continually associated with Federal investigations into steroid trafficking,  he will always have a taint that the media will continue to bring up.  That taint could be something that will rub up against others as they make their way through the Cardinal system. Miklasz also makes this point, noting Colby Rasmus lost weight last off-season while dealing with a medical condition- if he gains weight this off-season that could lead to whispers that McGwire is “helping” the kid.  None of these young players need that.

There is also the problem that McGwire was a home run hitter, and perhaps not the best situational hitter, and his high walk numbers include a large number of intentional walks.  Still, lets assume he can help.

The other reason it raises my eyebrows just a bit, is that baseball has worked so hard to clean up its image in all respects that they do extensive background checks on all they hire.  I know the Mets just hired Wally Backman into a minor league position, but only a few years ago the Diamondbacks fired him only a few days after hiring him because of personal non-baseball related issues that they thought would be a problem.  Apparently, the Cardinals are not worried about the message they are sending by taking a guy who was well known to the Federal authorities and putting him in their clubhouse.

McGwire must know that at his first public appearance he must come clean.  Baseball has been forgiving, and with the Commissioner endorsing the hiring, (as well as Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte preparing to start in the World Series), McGwire must know there will be no punishments by baseball.  I also believe the statute of limitations has run out on any legal issues stemming from the Federal investigations.  Nonetheless, McGwire will have to answer any and all questions.  He will be nervous and awkward- how could he not?  But hopefully, he can be honest enough to actually be that prodigal son.  Hopefully he can come back to St. Louis and to baseball and talk about the past and then let it return to the past.

This might be the sign of the end of the steroid era right here.  The final bookend to be put in place. Wouldn’t that be nice?  We can all go back to looking for the double-play. We can go back to looking for the stolen base.   If only FOX would only ban the close-up and let us watch the play develop- but of course that is a topic for another day.