Mark McGwire

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Mark McGwire

Born:	October 1, 1963
Birthplace:	Pomona, California
Height:	6' 5"
Weight:	225 lbs
Bats:	Right
Throws:	Right
Drafted:	1984: 1st Rd (10th) by the Oakland Athletics
College:	USC
High School:	Damien High School (CA)
Teams:	Oakland Athletics 1986-1997 St. Louis Cardinals 1997-2001

Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963 in Pomona, CA)was by all accounts a tremendouse home run hitter for the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals. His reputation as a ballplayer is tenuous at best after increased accusations of steroid abuse surfaced in 2005. He rarely appears in public.

1 Overall Career
2 Awards
3 Achievements
4 Trivia
5 Transactions
6 External Links

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Overall Career

McGwire began his career with the Oakland A's and played there until 1997, prior to joining the St. Louis Cardinals.

In his first full Major League Baseball season in 1987, he hit 49 home runs, a record for most home runs by a rookie; he was named the American League Rookie of the Year.

In 1997, he hit a major league-leading 58 home runs for the season, but did not lead either league in homers, as he was traded from the Oakland Athletics to the St. Louis Cardinals in midseason, abd eventually signed a long term deal.

As the 1998 season progressed, it became clear that both Mark McGwire and Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa were on track to break the late Roger Maris' single season home run record. The race to break the record first became an international media spectacle as the lead swung back and forth.

On September 8th 1998, McGwire hit a pitch by the Chicago Cubs' Steve Trachsel over the left field wall for his record breaking 62nd home run, setting off huge celebrations at Busch Stadium. McGwire finished the 1998 season with 70 home runs, a record that has since been broken by Barry Bonds. Sosa finished the season with 66 home runs.

In 1999, McGwire drove in a league-leading 147 runs while only having 145 hits, the highest RBI-per-hit tally in baseball history.

McGwire ended his career with 583 home runs, which was then fifth-most in history. He led Major League Baseball in home runs five times. He hit 50 or more home runs four seasons in a row (1996-1999).

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Awards

1987 American League Rookie of the Year
1987 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
1990 American League Gold Glove - 1B
1999 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
Named by Sporting News as one of baseball's 100 Greatest Players
3-time Major League Silver Slugger - 1B (AL: 1992, 1996 & NL: 1998)
12-time Major League All-Star (1987-1992, 1995-2000)

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Achievements

Member of the 500 Home Run Club (583 HR)

2-time League On-Base Percentage Leader (1996/AL & 1998/NL)
4-time League Slugging Percentage Leader (1987/AL, 1992/AL, 1996/AL & 1998/NL)
2-time League OPS leader (1996/AL & 1998/NL)
4-time League Home Runs Leader (1987/AL, 1996/AL, 1998/NL & 1999/NL)
NL RBI Leader (1999)
2-time League Bases on Balls Leader (1990/AL & 1998/NL)
20-Home Run Seasons: 13 (1987-1992 & 1995-2001)
30-Home Run Seasons: 11 (1987-1990, 1992 & 1995-2000)
40-Home Run Seasons: 6 (1987, 1992 & 1996-1999)
50-Home Run Seasons: 4 (1996-1999)
60-Home Run Seasons: 2 (1998 & 1999)
70-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1998)
100 RBI Seasons: 7 (1987, 1990, 1992 & 1996-1999)
100 Runs Scored Seasons: 3 (1996, 1998 & 1999)

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Trivia

Won a World Series Ring with the Oakland Athletics in 1989
Credited with popularizing the phrase, "I'm not here to talk about he past" for use in situations when answering a question you don't want to answer.
Brother of Dan McGwire, an ex-NFL quarterback
Appeared on TV shows, The Simpsons and Mad About You.
Most homers in a season while batting under .200 (29)
In Jose Canseco's book on steriods in baseball, he claimed that he and McGwire would give each other steriod doses, by injecting each other in the ass.

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Transactions

June 8, 1981: Drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 8th round of the 1981 amateur draft, but did not sign.
June 4, 1984: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 1st round (10th pick) of the 1984 amateur draft. Player signed July 20, 1984.
October 26, 1992: Granted Free Agency.
December 24, 1992: Signed as a Free Agent with the Oakland Athletics.
July 31, 1997: Traded by the Oakland Athletics to the St. Louis Cardinals for Eric Ludwick, T.J. Mathews, and Blake Stein.