Mark McGwire back in baseball

frankhardy · October 25, 2009 11:22AM

I haven't had time to process this in my head. I think it is kind of exciting. I am more excited that the Cardinals got rid of Hal McRae.

In order to follow the rules of this forum - I wonder if this will have any affect on his cards. I kind of doubt it. What if McGwire comes clean? Would it have an affect then? I think people would be more forgiving if he just came clean, got it out in the open, and then went on with the rest of his career (whatever that may be). I do hope he realizes that by him being a hitting coach, that the media will be swarming him. I am sure he realizes that.

Big Mac is back

WinPitcher · October 25, 2009 11:26AM

I have no idea about his card values but I like the idea of having him back in baseball.

Steve

SDSportsFan · October 25, 2009 11:26AM

I like it too!!!

Steve

daddymc · October 25, 2009 11:28AM

Thanks for posting, I hadn't heard the news. Glad to see Big Mac involved again.

storm888 · October 25, 2009 11:28AM

"...I wonder if this will have any affect on his cards. I kind of doubt it. What if McGwire comes clean? Would it have an affect then?..."

////////////////////////////////////////

I think so, but not a whole bunch.

JeffD27177 · October 25, 2009 11:35AM

I would doubt that it's going to have any major effect on his card prices.
Maybe a little jump as he comes back from virtual obscurity and practical exile.

It might actually hurt some of his autograph values, as I would assume that he's going to give a lot more autographs since he'll be at the ballpark everyday.

He may be in some 2010 products from Topps, as they'll have easy access to some new "game-used" uniforms to chop up.

SoonerCowboy · October 25, 2009 12:13PM

He only had taken vitamins and Androstenedione.

digicat · October 25, 2009 12:15PM

Have any other players' cards seen a bump when they come back as a coach? I don't think I've seen anything like that.

jackstraw · October 25, 2009 12:38PM

Coaching drills?

samspop · October 25, 2009 1:00PM

Personally, I think it is great news. Puts a nice cap on a great sports weekend for me.

jackstraw · October 25, 2009 1:01PM

You got to fire up the old Mcgwire card thread in celebratin.

vladguerrero · October 25, 2009 1:09PM

I'm glad for him, always liked Mac....

and now someone should bid on this cool PSA 10 Mac I have on Ebay

Mac PSA 10

samspop · October 25, 2009 1:13PM

<< You got to fire up the old Mcgwire card thread in celebratin. >>

Good call. I do need to do that. I got sidetracked with another project at the house a couple of months back. That ends on November 7th (thank goodness)...but, I am also back at work for the first time since getting laid off over 8 months ago. But, I do need to finish that!!

jacksoncoupage · October 25, 2009 1:16PM

<< Have any other players' cards seen a bump when they come back as a coach? I don't think I've seen anything like that. >>

There was a time where Billy Bean, Jason Garrett and other players-turned-coaches (usually obscure guys) RCs started selling decently. Ozzie Guillens RCs went up a bit as well, but yeah, not too often.

samspop · October 25, 2009 1:16PM

<< .... and now someone should bid on this cool PSA 10 Mac I have on Ebay

>>

DONE!!

Now, you need to make me an offer on the 2006/07 EX Steve Nash Essential Credentials that I have!

vladguerrero · October 25, 2009 2:31PM

<< 

<< .... and now someone should bid on this cool PSA 10 Mac I have on Ebay

>>

DONE!!

Now, you need to make me an offer on the 2006/07 EX Steve Nash Essential Credentials that I have!

>>

haha, the only card I have of Nash is a 96/97 Topps Chrome BGS 9 Refractor RC... you don't have any items listed, should I star collecting him?, can I get it for $4.99?, will you pay for the McGwire on time?... there's just too many unanswered questions for me to make a move right now,

Thanks for the bid!

digicat · October 25, 2009 4:00PM

<< There was a time where Billy Bean, Jason Garrett and other players-turned-coaches (usually obscure guys) RCs started selling decently. Ozzie Guillens RCs went up a bit as well, but yeah, not too often. >>

McGwire was already famous as a player. Hmm, did Don Mattingly's stuff get a bump when he started coaching?

samspop · October 25, 2009 9:22PM

From a PR standpoint, McGwire can only help himself by being on the field every day next season.

He walked away from the game 8 years ago and, for the most part, went into hiding for the 1st few years. He left with a lot of unanswered questions on his plate. Without a doubt, he will get asked the questions again. The way he answers could determine his HOF status.

I am rooting for him to succeed. In the end, he is a good guy. If you look back at what he did off the field during his career, he was one of the more charitable players in the game, something that got overshadowed because he was so successful on the field. The end of his career could've ended a lot better and hopefully this gives him a chance to rewrite that ending.

GOOD LUCK BIG MAC!

Reljac · October 26, 2009 2:25AM

<< From a PR standpoint, McGwire can only help himself by being on the field every day next season.
>>

These are my thoughts too. Visibility can only help McGwire. PR is a powerful weapon.

Carew29 · October 26, 2009 2:41AM

guys like Mac are hemoroids to this game...they just won't go away!!

hammered · October 26, 2009 2:45AM

Glad he's back
And I hope he fesses up to roid use
I think he'll find that long term, most of us won't care
His '98 season was one of the best things to ever happen to baseball

cwazzy · October 26, 2009 2:52AM

<< guys like Mac are hemoroids to this game...they just won't go away!! >>

I disagree completely. McGwire made some mistakes but he is far from a "hemoroid". He went out there and tried his best every game and every play, on and off the field. Players like Manny Ramirez and Milton Bradley are the "hemoroids to this game".

Allen · October 26, 2009 2:52AM

The real reason they brought him in is because all of the juice Pujols is on has wrecked his elbow again to the point that he can't inject himself anymore. So they said we need to bring in a real expert on this stuff, bingo. I think McGwires Topps Rookie will go way up and the Pujols Bowman Chrome will go down as he is exposed and people start to realize Kevin Burge has all 500 sequential serial numbers for sell on ebay twice a month.

dontippet · October 26, 2009 3:26AM

<< From a PR standpoint, McGwire can only help himself by being on the field every day next season.

He walked away from the game 8 years ago and, for the most part, went into hiding for the 1st few years. He left with a lot of unanswered questions on his plate. Without a doubt, he will get asked the questions again. The way he answers could determine his HOF status.

I am rooting for him to succeed. In the end, he is a good guy. If you look back at what he did off the field during his career, he was one of the more charitable players in the game, something that got overshadowed because he was so successful on the field. The end of his career could've ended a lot better and hopefully this gives him a chance to rewrite that ending.

GOOD LUCK BIG MAC! >>

I completely agree with you. If he is successful and is professional on and off the field, then it can only help.

TheVon · October 26, 2009 3:55AM

I think it's interesting that the Cardinals would want someone that was a .263 career hitter to be their hitting coach. Maybe he's learned a lot since he retired from baseball, but Big Mac strikes me as a guy whose hitting tips might be limited to advice like "go up there and try to hit it as hard as you can" or "wait for a fastball and then turn on it."

cwazzy · October 26, 2009 4:03AM

<< I think it's interesting that the Cardinals would want someone that was a .263 career hitter to be their hitting coach. Maybe he's learned a lot since he retired from baseball, but Big Mac strikes me as a guy whose hitting tips might be limited to advice like "go up there and try to hit it as hard as you can" or "wait for a fastball and then turn on it." >>

I know what you're saying and I must admit that the thought crossed my mind as well. But you don't necessarily have to be good at what you teach. I can teach you how to be a better golfer but I'll never be a scratch golfer myself. Just because McGwire didn't hit for a high career average doesn't mean that he can't help. And if he can add a couple of long balls to the Cardinal lineup it can't hurt anything.

MBMiller25 · October 26, 2009 4:12AM

I'm glad he is back!

TheVon · October 26, 2009 4:37AM

<< I know what you're saying and I must admit that the thought crossed my mind as well. But you don't necessarily have to be good at what you teach. I can teach you how to be a better golfer but I'll never be a scratch golfer myself. Just because McGwire didn't hit for a high career average doesn't mean that he can't help. And if he can add a couple of long balls to the Cardinal lineup it can't hurt anything. >>

Fair enough. In fact, I even understand the argument that really gifted hitters could end up being the worst teachers because hitting came naturally to them and they might not be able to convey in words what their muscle memory recalls.

That said, I still think McGwire is an odd choice due to his low career average and his unorthodox hitting stance. I just don't see him being a real student of hitting mechanics and theory. But that's just my outsider's perspective.

cwazzy · October 26, 2009 4:49AM

<< 

<< I know what you're saying and I must admit that the thought crossed my mind as well. But you don't necessarily have to be good at what you teach. I can teach you how to be a better golfer but I'll never be a scratch golfer myself. Just because McGwire didn't hit for a high career average doesn't mean that he can't help. And if he can add a couple of long balls to the Cardinal lineup it can't hurt anything. >>

Fair enough. In fact, I even understand the argument that really gifted hitters could end up being the worst teachers because hitting came naturally to them and they might not be able to convey in words what their muscle memory recalls.

That said, I still think McGwire is an odd choice due to his low career average and his unorthodox hitting stance. I just don't see him being a real student of hitting mechanics and theory. But that's just my outsider's perspective. >>

Actually from what I hear several Cardinal hitters were already consulting McGwire in the off season. I don't know which ones but if Rick Ankiel and Joe Thurston were among them we could be in for a VERY disappointing season next year. LOL

I actually think McGwire will do fairly well. I hope anyway. He was my favorite player growing up (along with Canseco, go figure

).

StanTheManMusial · October 26, 2009 5:02AM

Guys like Skip and Matt Holliday have worked with McGwire during the winter for a couple of years or so. Even before Matt came to St. Louis, he was working with McGwire. You see what it has done for Skip. He has been a solid .300 hitter, even after changing positions in 2009. McGwire sure has been a big help for Skip.

And if some want to argue about great hitters being better hitting coaches, then how has that worked out for Tony Gwynn Jr? He has one of the best hitters you could ask for as a full time hitting coach(his dad), so there you go..

Tabe · October 26, 2009 8:25AM

<< Fair enough. In fact, I even understand the argument that really gifted hitters could end up being the worst teachers because hitting came naturally to them and they might not be able to convey in words what their muscle memory recalls.

That said, I still think McGwire is an odd choice due to his low career average and his unorthodox hitting stance. I just don't see him being a real student of hitting mechanics and theory. But that's just my outsider's perspective. >>

I'm with you. McGwire never struck me as a student of the game or one that can provide expertise to a wide variety of hitters.

I am happy to see him back in uniform though. I've always liked him - ever since he hit a HR in the CF upper deck at Tiger Stadium as a rookie in '87.

Tabe

bengineno9 · October 26, 2009 9:23AM

Should of hired Larry Walker.

samspop · October 26, 2009 9:28AM

<< Should of hired Larry Walker. >>

Why?

bengineno9 · October 26, 2009 12:48PM

Why not?

Need to rephrase that.
I think Larry Walker would of been a better fit, if willing.
Steer away from all the PED/Steriods drama and controversy. No distractions.

.313 career batting avg.
7x gold glove award winner.
Already a spring training instructor and well respected.
Certainly has a lot to offer.

Should be interesting though. I think Mark has a lot to offer. Maybe even a chip on the table
to get Holliday signed. Either way i hope he addresses the "past".

wilkcards · October 26, 2009 1:50PM

This is good news. He has been one of the saddest figures in sports since those congressional hearings. Those of us who watched the home run chase will never forget what he did for the game.

Mark McGwire back in baseball

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