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| Mark McGwire Wins Lou Gehrig Award
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| April 21, 2001
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Mark McGwire is an obvious and
almost automatic choice to pace Phi Delta Theta's Lou Gehrig Memorial
Award into the 21st century.
The big St. Louis Cardinal first baseman fits the Gehrig image in so
many ways on and off the field. In uniform, on the basis of his
spectacular 70 and 65 home runs in 1998 and 1999, and 32 home runs
during an injury plagued 2000, Mark had moved into seventh place on the
all-time home run list at 554 going into the 2001 season.
During the past season he moved past the Yankee Iron Horse in career
home runs by a first baseman. The Gehrig record was 483. Off the field
McGwire has amassed an assortment of recognition and awards worthy of a
presidential candidate. "Being honored for being in the Lou Gehrig
tradition is a very distinct honor," he said when advised launched
in 1995 to perpetuate Gehrig's memory.
"Gehrig was the epitome of the good things baseball stands
for," he went on. To fully appreciate Mark's involvement in
society, one only has to consider the $1 million he contributes annually
to the Mark McGwire Foundation for children. This is not money he
raised, but represents his own check.
The money is distributed to agencies working with child abuse in St.
Louis and his native area in southern California. The Foundation income
from other sources includes benefits from McGwire appearances in golf
tournaments and other activities.
Another $350,000 from his own bank account in the 1999 season came from
a $5,000 contribution to Starbucks Coffee for every home run he hits.
That money is given to the company's sponsored literacy program and goes
to the city in which he hits the home run.
McGwire is both candid and humble in explaining his Foundation.
"Child abuse is a national problem," he said. "When I was
making enough money to contribute to society, it was sitting there, and
I felt it's a great involvement for me. "It's not like cancer,
heart disease or other medical problems that get supported by their fund
raisers. People don't like to talk about is, but it needs attention.
Children are our future and they need somewhere to turn when they need
help"
McGwire firmly believes celebrity status athletes like himself have a
responsibility to society. "We have the opportunity to be role
models. Not everyone is in a position to lead the way." McGwire
said his attention to child abuse was verified by his involvement with
the Yahoo Drink company setting up a web site to provide information.
"We had 60 million hits. Can you believe that?"
McGwire and Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs are credited with sparking a
much needed renaissance in the baseball interest with their headlines
making assaults in 1998 on the home run records of Babe Ruth and Roger
Maris. The '98 season. McGwire first full season in the National League,
found him pumping 70 baseballs into orbit to eclipse 61. McGwire was
acquired by the Cardinals just ahead of the trading deadline at midpoint
of the 1997 season. It was a cost cutting move by the Oakland Athletics,
who accepted three pitchers with ordinary credentials to unload
McGwire's salary.
He turned out to be the best bargain in baseball history for the Red
Birds. Attendance figures soared and the Cards hit all-time highs with
3.2 millions in '99 and 3.3 millions in 2000. McGwire had an impressive
record in the American League where he played in three World Series with
the A's in three consecutive years. 1988-89-90.
He broke in with a bang leading the majors with 49 circuit blows and 118
RBI's his first full season in 1987. He remained a consistent power
hitter and had amassed 363 home runs but the franchise itself was going
downhill, leading to his availability. St. Louis fans got a taste of
what was ahead when he quickly adjust to the National League pitching
and hit 24 home runs over the remainder of the year.
With the 34 he had already hit for the A's his total was a whopping 58.
What happened next is dramatic baseball history as he and Sosa fought
each other off as both headed for the career record. A late season spurt
enabled McGwire to reach the 70 mark-the game's new plateau. That Sosa
hit 65 was an amazing display of what was happening though out the
majors-an awesome power surge.
McGwire recently signed a 2-year contract extension with the Cards which
practically ensures he will end his career in St. Louis. He enters the
2001 season just nine homers back of Reggie Jackson's sixth place career
mark.
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