Happy Birthday Mark McGwire!!!

Happy Birthday Mark McGwire!!!

Mark McGwire turns 51 years old today.

Simply stated, Mark McGwire is the greatest power hitter of my generation.  Of all of the players that have played the game in the last 25 years, I believe he is the best single-skill player of them all.  Not a good contact hitter,  no speed,  and not the most talented player with the glove, McGwire could do one thing better than anyone else – hit the ball out of the park!!!

McGwire retired from the game with 583 career home runs.  He collected those homers in 6,187 at bats which gives him a home run in every 10.6 at bats over the course of his 16- year career.  One has to wonder how many more dingers a healthy Mark McGwire could have crushed.  4 more years equals 160+ home runs which surpasses the 700 HR Club!!!

Happy Birthday Mr. McGwire!!!

1998 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Connects For His 70th Home Run Of The Season

1998 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Connects For His 70th Home Run Of The Season

On this day in 1998, Mark McGwire connected for the 70th home run of his baseball season.

A number that nobody thought was possible – 70 home runs in a single baseball season – Mark McGwire was on top of the world.

I cannot believe that this was 15 years ago – Happy Anniversary ‘Big Mac’!!!!

1998 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Tops Roger Maris With 62nd Home Run Of The Season

1998 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Tops Roger Maris With 62nd Home Run Of The Season

On this day in 1998, Mark McGwire broke one of the records in baseball that most fans thought would never fall.

At home, and playing in the historic Busch Stadium, ‘Big Mac’ hit the 62nd home runs of his 1998 baseball season, eclipsing the 61 round-trippers that Roger Maris hit during the 1961 season.

One of the game’s greatest sluggers, it was this home run that catapulted McGwire into the main-stream of America and made his name known in every household.  And while some were not too happy that Maris’ record had been snapped, it is very clear that McGwire did quite a bit in 1998 to rekindle life into a sport that needed it desperately!

Thank You and Happy Anniversary Mark McGwire!!!

1986 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Hits 1st Home Run Of Major League Career!!

1986 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Hits 1st Home Run Of Major League Career!!

Mark McGwire hit the first home run of his major league baseball career on this day back in 1986.

Before ‘The Bash Brothers’.  Before #71.  Before the steroid allegations.  Before all of this, Mark McGwire was an athleticly gifted player with an elite skill of hitting the long ball.

And on this day 27 years ago, home run #1 of 583 was smacked into the outfield seats of Tiger Stadium.    I doubt that the 20,000 fans in attendance thought much of this young kid from the opposing team.  To them he was the enemy.  And nobody knew that just 1 year later he would set the rookie record for home runs in a season with 49.  And nobody there thought for a second that this guy was going  to be the one to rescue the sport in 1998 when the game and it’s fan base were both spiraling downward…

But he did it.  Mark McGwire became ‘Big Mac’ right in front of our eyes.  And most of us enjoyed the thrilling ride that he took us on.

And it all started on this day back in 1986.

Happy Anniversary Mark McGwire!!!!

1998 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Becomes First Player In MLB History To Hit 50 HR’s in 3 Consecutive Seasons

1998 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Becomes First Player In MLB History To Hit 50 HR’s in 3 Consecutive Seasons

On this day in 1998, Mark McGwire became the first player in major league history to reach or surpass the 50-Home Run mark in three consecutive baseball seasons.

With strong numbers, ‘Big Mac’ solidified himself as one of the greatest sluggers in the game’s incredible history of power hitters.

The numbers:

1996 – 52; 1997 – 58; 1998 – 70.  And just for good measure, McGwire connected for 65 homers in 1999 extending the baseball record to 4 straight years.

Happy Anniversary ‘Big Mac’!!!

Happy Birthday Mark McGwire!!!

Happy Birthday Mark McGwire!!!

Mark McGwire turns 50 years old today.

Simply stated, Mark McGwire is the greatest power hitter of my generation.  Of all of the players that have played the game in the last 25 years, I believe he is the best single-skill player of them all.  Not a good contact hitter,  no speed,  and not the most talented player with the glove, McGwire could do one thing better than anyone else – hit the ball out of the park!!!

McGwire retired from the game with 583 career home runs.  He collected those homers in 6,187 at bats which gives him a home run in every 10.6 at bats over the course of his 16- year career.  One has to wonder how many more dingers a healthy Mark McGwire could have crushed.  4 more years equals 160+ home runs which surpasses the 700 HR Club!!!

Happy Birthday Mr. McGwire!!!

1998 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Connects For His 70th Home Run Of The Season

1998 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Connects For His 70th Home Run Of The Season

On this day in 1998, Mark McGwire connected for the 70th home run of his baseball season.

A number that nobody thought was possible – 70 home runs in a single baseball season – Mark McGwire was on top of the world.

I cannot believe that this was 15 years ago – Happy Anniversary ‘Big Mac’!!!!

1998 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Tops Roger Maris With 62nd Home Run Of The Season

1998 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Tops Roger Maris With 62nd Home Run Of The Season

On this day in 1998, Mark McGwire broke one of the records in baseball that most fans thought would never fall.

At home, and playing in the historic Busch Stadium, ‘Big Mac’ hit the 62nd home runs of his 1998 baseball season, eclipsing the 61 round-trippers that Roger Maris hit during the 1961 season.

One of the game’s greatest sluggers, it was this home run that catapulted McGwire into the main-stream of America and made his name known in every household.  And while some were not too happy that Maris’ record had been snapped, it is very clear that McGwire did quite a bit in 1998 to rekindle life into a sport that needed it desperately!

Thank You and Happy Anniversary Mark McGwire!!!

1986 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Hits 1st Home Run Of Major League Career!!

1986 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Hits 1st Home Run Of Major League Career!!

Mark McGwire hit the first home run of his major league baseball career on this day back in 1986.

Before ‘The Bash Brothers’.  Before #71.  Before the steroid allegations.  Before all of this, Mark McGwire was an athleticly gifted player with an elite skill of hitting the long ball.

And on this day 27 years ago, home run #1 of 583 was smacked into the outfield seats of Tiger Stadium.    I doubt that the 20,000 fans in attendance thought much of this young kid from the opposing team.  To them he was the enemy.  And nobody knew that just 1 year later he would set the rookie record for home runs in a season with 49.  And nobody there thought for a second that this guy was going  to be the one to rescue the sport in 1998 when the game and it’s fan base were both spiraling downward…

But he did it.  Mark McGwire became ‘Big Mac’ right in front of our eyes.  And most of us enjoyed the thrilling ride that he took us on.

And it all started on this day back in 1986.

Happy Anniversary Mark McGwire!!!!

1998 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Becomes First Player In MLB History To Hit 50 HR’s in 3 Consecutive Seasons

1998 HEADLINE: Mark McGwire Becomes First Player In MLB History To Hit 50 HR’s in 3 Consecutive Seasons

On this day in 1998, Mark McGwire became the first player in major league history to reach or surpass the 50-Home Run mark in three consecutive baseball seasons.

With strong numbers, ‘Big Mac’ solidified himself as one of the greatest sluggers in the game’s incredible history of power hitters.

The numbers:

1996 – 52; 1997 – 58; 1998 – 70.  And just for good measure, McGwire connected for 65 homers in 1999 extending the baseball record to 4 straight years.

Happy Anniversary ‘Big Mac’!!!