Jack Clark: Mark McGwire Makes Me Throw Up

Former St. Louis Cardinals slugger Jack Clark ripped into another former Cardinals player and present Cardinals coach Mark McGwire today. In the aftermath of McGwire's admission that he had used steroids, Clark seemed most angry at McGwire for claiming that the steroids he used were for health purposes only and that the steroids and human growth hormone that McGwire admits to using did not help his performance.

Clark called McGwire, "a sad excuse for a baseball player" and, "Just seeing him in uniform makes me throw up," said Clark. "He should not be in baseball. He should be banned from baseball more than ever."

Clark was joined in his condemnation of McGwire by another former Cardinal, Andy Van Slyke. While Clark focused in on McGwire's claim that steroids did not help him, Van Slyke discussed how he did not appreciate that McGwire blamed the era he played in and the game of baseball itself. Van Slyike told the St. Lois Post Dispatch, "(McGwire) blames it on not being tested and he blames it on the era. Why would you blame baseball for taking steroids?"

The views expressed by Clark and Van Slyke run counter to the code of silence that Major League Baseball players generally strictly adhere to. While that code does loosen a bit post retirement at times, the secrets and opinions held by players are almost always very closely guarded. It is considered almost sacrilege to divulge secrets to the outside world.

But the statements made by McGwire may very well prove to be over the line insofar as other players respecting the code. Clark and Van Slyke come from a time when steroid use was likely not as rampant in baseball as it became int he years after they retired. As players today reflect on their careers, those that never used steroids or human growth hormone may well prove to be very annoyed with McGwire.

While McGwire did admit that he used steroids, to not acknowledge that much of his on field performance is likely due them is at best indirectly disrespectful to players such as Clark and Van Slyke who were both good, but not great players. Former Boston Red Sox outfielder Mike Greenwell, another good but not great player, has in recent years suggested that Jose Canseco robbed him of the MVP award in 1988 by using steroids.

While retired players expressing their opinions on other retired players is notable, it would be a much more significant development of current players begin pressuring other current players. Perhaps if a current player or players begin expressing their views as forcefully as Jack Clark did when discussing Mark McGwire, peer pressure will emerge as another tool on baseball's fight against performance enhancing drugs.

Source: Rick Hummel, "Jack Clark: Steroid users 'fakes, phonies, creeps, cheaters'", stltoday.com