Tony La Russa and Mark McGwire: Two Peas in a Pod

Tony La Russa, arguably one of the best managers in baseball, is a huge hypocrite. Mark McGwire, one of the best power hitters in baseball history, is an admitted cheater. McGwire, in an interview published by SI.com on 1/11/201, says "I used steroids during my playing career and I apologize, McGwire said in his statement. "I remember trying them 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 nineties, including the 1998 season." That was the year McGwire and Sammy Sossa had a home run battle, with McGwire breaking the record for most home run in a season, 70.

For his part, in an interview with Bill Madden of the New York Daily news on March 8, 2009, La Russa said that baseball should have a "zero tolerance" when it comes to steroid use, responding to the Alex Rodriguez admission of using some kind of injection he had admitted to. Really Tony? In fact, in that interview, Tony was asked whether he felt his legacy had been tainted by the Jose Canseco revelations, and allegations about McGwire, Tony said "It appears that during that time, stuff was being done by our competitors as well, so it wasn't an edge." Oh really? Everyone else was cheating, so what's the big deal, right?

Surely, Bud Selig, the Commissioner of Baseball, would never let an admitted cheater back into the game. Pete Rose was banned forever for breaking a 90 year old rule, so McGwire certainly won't be let back in, right? Wrong. In fact, in an interview published on ESPN.com on 10/27/2009, Selig said he was "delighted that Mark's coming back to the game." He is also quoted as saying, 'Mark McGwire is a very, very fine man, and the Cardinals are to be applauded." Applauded Bud? For hiring an admitted cheater to be their hitting coach? Oh, Okay.

I'm totally amazed at the lack of outcry by baseball fans across the country, since all of this was announced. Not to be lost on all of this, remember that McGwire actually played for La Russa in Oakland, and St. Louis, while all of this steroid use was going on. What happened to "zero tolerance," Tony? Zero tolerance for anyone who didn't play for you?

Perhaps Tony should have traded for Alex Rodriguez, and Manny Ramirez during the off season, and added Roger Clemmens as his pitching coach, maybe that would get our attention. I'd suggest Pete Rose as a consultant to the club, but he bet on baseball, so he's certainly out of the picture, we couldn't have that.

I have to wonder how St. Louis Cardinal fans will react to McGwire on the teams opening day in St. Louis. Does he get a standing ovation? Does the man who admits to everything wrong with baseball in the past two decades get a warm and fuzzy reception from loyal baseball fans. I don't know, I guess we'll have to stay tuned for the next chapter of "Two peas in a pod."