Rare McGwire "Sighting"

[Migrant Redbird]

ESPN: McGwire talks about teaching hitting

... McGwire, in an interview with The New York Times, discussed his recent work as a hitting instructor with four current major league players -- Matt Holliday and Bobby Crosby of the Oakland Athletics, and Chris Duncan and Skip Schumaker of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Times said McGwire agreed to the interview "with the understanding that it would focus on his work as a hitting tutor, and not on other issues."

McGwire did briefly address criticism he has received for being linked to performance-enhancing drugs. "I'm such an easygoing guy," he said, according to the Times. "I don't need to sweep away any bitterness."

.... Duncan was the first person McGwire worked with in 2007. Schumaker, who hit .302 last season, credits McGwire for his success at the plate. This year, Holliday joined in the offseason workouts and brought along Crosby, his new Oakland teammate. "I just texted Mark and asked him if he wanted to hit," Holliday said, according to the report. "That's how it started."

NY Times: Mark McGwire Discusses Hitting Instructor Role

... Schumaker said last week. “You think he’s just so big and strong and that’s why he hit home runs. But he really knew what he was doing at the plate.”

.... The exalted seldom make excellent teachers. Their gifts, a language indigenous only to them, are not easily translated. But McGwire may be an exception, perhaps, as he suggested, because he was self-taught. “The evolution of my swing, from college to the major leagues to the last day I played, was all done by myself,” he said.

.... [Crosby said] “I jumped at the chance.” He said hitting with McGwire was “instant change,” all for the good.

It will be interesting to see if McGwire's tutoring helps Crosby revitalize his career. Just out of curiosity, I pulled the spring training stats to date for McGwire's pupils.

 Player    TEAM  G AB R  H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO  OBP  SLG  AVG    S Schumaker STL 12 36 9 11  4  1  0   3  3  0 .359 .472 .306C Duncan    STL 12 30 7 10  0  1  2  10  4  8 .400 .600 .333M Holliday  OAK  9 25 2 10  2  0  0   5  0  2 .423 .480 .400B Crosby    OAK  8 20 2  5  0  0  1   1  0  4 .250 .400 .250

Looks like Crosby still needs to apply some of his training!

Not much new in the St. Louis Post Dispatch article

(STLtoday.com editor's note: It may have been a "Garbo moment" for the New York Times, but McGwire gave an in-depth interview to Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch last summer, related to the 10th anniversary of his record-breaking 1998 season.)

Hummel Article: 10 years later: McGwire on No. 62

"On those things [steroids], I just keep my opinions to myself," he said. "People have their opinions, and I have my opinions. People can think what they want."

.... "I’m living my life the way I want to live it. I couldn’t be happier."

He did say, though, an election to the Hall of Fame "would be like icing on the cake."

On a humorous note: Feschuk on the Famous: Your Friday update on disgraced figures from the world of sport