The steroid hearings
(MARCH 17, 2005)
Mark McGwire choked back tears, and Sammy Sosa stared straight ahead as former and current majorleague players and officials came to Congress to face questions about their efforts to slow the use of steroids.
McGwire and Sosa have come a long way since they shared the national spotlight in the summer of 1998, running down Roger Maris’ seemingly unbreakable single-season home run record as the world looked on.
The game is grappling with its steroid problem. In the last few months, leaked grand jury testimony has tarnished its reputation as sluggers such as Jason Giambi and Barry Bonds have all but admitted they used steroids to enhance their performance.
Commissioner Bud Selig and Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Donald Fehr argued later in the day that the game’s steroids policy put in place in 2003 and recently strengthened have dramatically reduced their use. But fans may be more suspicious than ever after McGwire’s vague testimony.
While Sosa, Frank Thomas, Rafael Palmeiro and Curt Schilling all said they never have cheated chemically to gain an advantage, McGwire sidestepped questions in a fashion that seemed to make even the Congressmen uncomfortable.
In perhaps the most gripping moment of the hearings, Rep. William “Lacy” Clay (D-Mo.) tried unsuccessfully to get McGwire to say he had not used steroids.
“We both have young children,” Clay said. “Can we look at those children with a straight face and tell them that players like you played the game with honesty and integrity?”
McGwire, who had become emotional reading an earlier statement, barely flinched.
“As I’ve said before, I’m not going to discuss the past,” he said.
Selig and Fehr were pushed for an immediate strengthening of baseball’s steroid policy, including stiffer punishments. At various time in the hearing, representatives threatened to enact legislation to impose
their own testing program as well as repeal the sport’s antitrust exemption.
There was no testing in 1998, when McGwire hit 70 home runs, or in 2001, when Barry Bonds hit 73. In a recent book, “Juiced,” retired slugger Jose Canseco charged McGwire, Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro, among others, had used steroids and human growth hormone to increase their home run totals.
to
But with the exception of Canseco, whom was referred to as a “liar” and a “so-called author” by Schilling, none of the players were open in their discussion of steroid use.
McGwire stood alone in ducking the committee’s questions. He had called himself “a team player” during his opening statement and made it clear he would not disclose secrets from his career in baseball.
“Asking me, or any other player, to answer
questions about who took steroids in front of television cameras will not solve this problem,” McGwire said. “If a player answers no, he simply will not be believed. If he answers yes, he risks public scorn and endless government investigations. My lawyers have advised me that I cannot answer these questions without jeopardizing my friends, my family or myself. I intend to follow their advice.”
While no congressman directly asked McGwire if he had taken steroids, he sidestepped more than 10 questions, six times saying that he would not talk about the past on the advice of his lawyer.
In an odd twist, McGwire offered to become a national spokesman for antisteroid education.
“My message is that steroids are bad — don’t do them,” McGwire said. “I’m here because of that. I will do everything I can to turn this into a possibility.”
Rep. Patrick T. McHenry (R-N.C.) asked McGwire how he knew steroids were bad.
“Because of personal knowledge or because of things you have seen with others?” he asked.
“I’ve accepted my attorney’s advice not to comment on this issue,” McGwire answered.
For his part Sosa’s statement said he never used “illegal performance-enhancing drugs.” Moreover, it added he never “[had] injected myself or had anyone inject me with anything [and I haven’t] broken the laws of the United States or the laws of the Dominican Republic.”