Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
March 12, 2009
Emerging Coach

Karen Crouse talks to Mark McGwire, who coached four players this winter.

"I very rarely talked about my swing when I played," McGwire said. "Really, not that many people asked. It's really interesting to try to talk about it with hitters. It was so enlightening to work with the guys over the winter and see how their minds work. It was neat when you can see the light bulb go off."

McGwire spent the winter on call, volunteering his time and expertise to four players from his former teams, the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He was reconnecting with a game he clearly loves. On the fields at the University of California at Irvine, he condensed the players' swings, infused them with his knowledge and enthusiasm, and strengthened their minds, which he described as the batters' most powerful and least developed muscle.

One thing people forget when it comes to steroids is that you still need a good swing to hit the ball. McGwire had the swing and put the muscle behind it.


Posted by David Pinto at 10:21 PM | All-Time Greats | TrackBack (0)
Comments

I don't know about that. In his mid-20s, McGwire was basically Adam Dunn -- low batting average, a lot of walks, good power. The only difference between the two is that Dunn hits about 10 more HR a season.

Then, in his late 20s, McGwire started falling apart. In his age-27 season, which is the peak time for a typical player, he hit .201/330/383. He had 22 home runs in almost 600 plate appearances.

And then, suddenly, in his early 30s -- at a time when most players of his type are in serious decline -- he starts mashing 50+ home runs a season, and hits 70 at age 34. That's a highly suspicious career arc. I don't see a naturally sweet swing; I see steroids providing a big boost to a marginal talent.

Posted by: jvwalt at March 13, 2009 10:36 AM
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