When Mark McGwire made the announcement of his retirement this week, it was a perfectly fitting way to go out. Not in the sense that he was forced into it by mounting injuries just 16 home runs shy of 600, but fitting in that it was a simple, undramatized event.
There was no fanfare, no ridiculously long and drawn-out farewell tour, no dedication of Mark McGwire Avenue in every National League city. Nothing but a few days of speculation leading up to the actual announcement, which was made long after he had played his last game.
Just look at the dude, do you really think he was going to sit through one insincere, melodramatic speech after another in every city he visited? What exactly would he want with the key to St. Louis, anyway? It's not like its going to open any door that he couldn't rip off its hinges with his bare hands.
I'm not saying that Big Mac's not a sensitive guy. We've all seen him cry.
He was proud to win that amazing home run race between himself and Sammy Sosa. We know it meant a lot to him, and that's part of what makes him great. That's why people really love him.
I just think that after witnessing the overdone drama of Cal Ripken's final games, it makes sense to me that McGwire would try to go out quietly, without all that fuss.
I know that Cal means a lot to the city of Baltimore, and he's done plenty of great things for this place, but his retirement did not mean all that much to me.
Baseball can survive without him. I'm not discounting any of Cal's great accomplishments, this guy will be in the Hall of Fame in a matter of minutes. I just couldn't take any more "Thanks, Cal" billboards or limited-time-only memorabilia or pandering commercials with his daughter or any other aspect of the continuous countdown.
It got to the point where the coverage of Cal's farewell tour was about as fresh a story as Carl Everett having another violent hissy-fit. It's not that Cal didn't deserve(most of) the attention. McGwire just never struck me as the kind of guy who would ever want to go out like that. He's too cool, too laid back for all that hyped-up nonsense.
In my sporadic following of McGwire's career, I could always tell that injuries would cost him a fair amount of home runs. Every year he missed some time, which certainly served to hinder his ability to hit the long ball. I never would have guessed that he would have retired after a year in which he hit .187 and struck out 118 times.
Despite quite literally barely being able to walk, he still hit an improbable 26 homers in his 299 at bats. You have to give
Big Mac a whole lot of credit for choosing to hang it up after a year like that and understanding that this would not detract from his otherwise stellar career. He realized that he was not going to become any less injury-prone next year and that his 38-year-old back would not get more flexible or less permanently damaged with age.
Taking everything into consideration, I think Mark McGwire reminds me a bit of Mickey Mantle. Mick was undoubtedly one of the greatest ever, but was he ever quite the same after that horrendous injury when he got his foot caught in the drain in center field.
His career could have been even more spectacular if he hadn't gotten hurt like that. Laying off the booze wouldn't have been a bad idea, either, but that's another story.
Anyway, all I'm saying is that McGwire would have passed 600 home runs long ago if he hadn't gone through setback after setback with his nagging injuries.
Imagine the kind of numbers he could have really put up. However, there's no room for what-ifs in sports, or anywhere else really.
McGwire, I'm sure, is perfectly content with his outstanding career, and for that I applaud him.
He made the call when he felt he was ready, and not when it was too late. His difficult decision is one I will remember for its perfect timing and execution. Just like his home run swing.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The News-Letter.