Tribune News ServicesFormer Cubs ace Ferguson Jenkins says Mark McGwire owes an apology to all those pitchers who gave up his home runs.
The Hall of Fame ace sent an open letter to the Associated Press this week, telling the former home-run king: "You have not even begun to apologize to those you have harmed."
"How many pitchers do you think he ended their careers by hitting numbers of home runs off them?" Jenkins said during a telephone interview Wednesday.
Jenkins also maintained he would have known how to handle the bulked-up McGwire, who hit a then-record 70 homers in 1998 and followed with 65 the following year.
"It's tough to hit a home run off your back," Jenkins said. "In my era, Seaver, Gibson, Drysdale, Carlton, there were so many guys that would have probably knocked him on his butt. He wouldn't have hit home runs the way he did in that era."
Photo: Fergie Jenkins waves to the Wrigley Field crowd before throwing out the first pitch at Game 2 of the 2008 NLCS. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Tribune)
Thirty years ago, Jenkins himself became one of the first players
caught up in baseball's struggles with drug discipline. Commissioner
Bowie Kuhn suspended Jenkins following the pitcher's arrest in Canada
on charges of cocaine possession, but the penalty was overturned by an
arbitrator less than two weeks later -- the first time a baseball
commissioner's ruling was reversed. A judge gave Jenkins an absolute
discharge: no fine, no jail term and no record.
Hired in October by manager Tony La Russa as hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals. McGwire last week admitted he used steroids for a decade, including when he broke Roger Maris' season home-run record in 1998. Jenkins is one of several Hall of Famers to criticize McGwire, a group that includes Goose Gossage and Carlton Fisk.
Hank Aaron has said he's willing to forgive McGwire, tied for eighth with 583 home runs.
"You have yet to apologize to all the pitchers you faced while juiced," Jenkins wrote. "You altered pitchers' lives. You may have shortened pitchers careers because of the advantage you forced over them while juiced. Have you thought about what happened when they couldn't get you out and lost the confidence of their managers and general managers? You even managed to alter the place some athletes have achieved in record books by making your steroid-fueled run to the season home run record."
Fifty-one pitchers gave up a total of 57 homers to McGwire in what turned out to be their final major league seasons, according to STATS LLC, among them Bert Blyleven, Orel Hershiser, Dennis Martinez, Charlie Leibrandt and Donnie Moore.
Jenkins said in his letter that McGwire needs to apologize to several constituencies.
"You need to apologize to your family for depriving them of your presence as time goes on because you are likely going to die earlier than if you had never relied on andro to carry you to all your successes," he said.
McGwire admitted at the time of the home-run chase in 1998 that he used androstenedione, a steroid precursor that was made a controlled substance in 2004, when it also was banned by baseball.
Jenkins dismissed McGwire's assertion that he took steroids because of injuries and that they didn't help improve his performance. He also didn't think McGwire will make a very effective hitting coach.
"La Russa is his buddy," Jenkins said. "That's the only reason he got to be hitting coach. I'm not sure a home-run hitter can teach a good hitter, a contact hitter, how to play, how to hit. He swung for the fences most of the time. How you going to teach a guy that's a .240 hitter to put it in play?"
Jenkins, who plans to make appearances at spring training for the Chicago Cubs, was especially vocal about McGwire's scant Hall of Fame support: He doesn't expect it to increase. He also thinks the admission last week was directly related to McGwire re-entering baseball.
"He wasn't going to stay in hiding the rest of his life. Why did it take five years? Why didn't he come clean as soon as he quit?" Jenkins said. "They'll be a lot of pressure put on him by a lot more reporters come spring training. He really hasn't touched on what he ought to be saying to the public or to fellow ballplayers. If you're going to hold a press conference, hold a press conference."
Hired in October by manager Tony La Russa as hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals. McGwire last week admitted he used steroids for a decade, including when he broke Roger Maris' season home-run record in 1998. Jenkins is one of several Hall of Famers to criticize McGwire, a group that includes Goose Gossage and Carlton Fisk.
Hank Aaron has said he's willing to forgive McGwire, tied for eighth with 583 home runs.
"You have yet to apologize to all the pitchers you faced while juiced," Jenkins wrote. "You altered pitchers' lives. You may have shortened pitchers careers because of the advantage you forced over them while juiced. Have you thought about what happened when they couldn't get you out and lost the confidence of their managers and general managers? You even managed to alter the place some athletes have achieved in record books by making your steroid-fueled run to the season home run record."
Fifty-one pitchers gave up a total of 57 homers to McGwire in what turned out to be their final major league seasons, according to STATS LLC, among them Bert Blyleven, Orel Hershiser, Dennis Martinez, Charlie Leibrandt and Donnie Moore.
Jenkins said in his letter that McGwire needs to apologize to several constituencies.
"You need to apologize to your family for depriving them of your presence as time goes on because you are likely going to die earlier than if you had never relied on andro to carry you to all your successes," he said.
McGwire admitted at the time of the home-run chase in 1998 that he used androstenedione, a steroid precursor that was made a controlled substance in 2004, when it also was banned by baseball.
Jenkins dismissed McGwire's assertion that he took steroids because of injuries and that they didn't help improve his performance. He also didn't think McGwire will make a very effective hitting coach.
"La Russa is his buddy," Jenkins said. "That's the only reason he got to be hitting coach. I'm not sure a home-run hitter can teach a good hitter, a contact hitter, how to play, how to hit. He swung for the fences most of the time. How you going to teach a guy that's a .240 hitter to put it in play?"
Jenkins, who plans to make appearances at spring training for the Chicago Cubs, was especially vocal about McGwire's scant Hall of Fame support: He doesn't expect it to increase. He also thinks the admission last week was directly related to McGwire re-entering baseball.
"He wasn't going to stay in hiding the rest of his life. Why did it take five years? Why didn't he come clean as soon as he quit?" Jenkins said. "They'll be a lot of pressure put on him by a lot more reporters come spring training. He really hasn't touched on what he ought to be saying to the public or to fellow ballplayers. If you're going to hold a press conference, hold a press conference."
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With all the alcohol and drug abuse, spousal abuse, adultery, etc. that's been going on since forever within the entire pro sports world from team owners to rookies to minor league players and even to fans, why is everyone still shocked and suprised about athletes taking PEDs? None of the guilty people had ever apologized to anyone about any of it. Fergie himself was no boy scout either. He should not say anything about anyone.
Look we all knew he was doing it just like we knew Sammy was...they were not fooling anyone but themselves...that being said he appologized get over it and move on...put an asterick by his career and the same with anyone who was caught...then let it go...it serves no purpose to have these guys crawling around on thier knees for the rest of thier lives...And Fergie are you telling me you never scuffed a baseball or added a forieghn substance to gain an advantage...search your sould and I am sure you will find the answer....Just My .02
Jenkins achieved his 250th win against the Oakland Athletics on May 23, 1980. Later that year, during a customs search in Toronto, Jenkins was found possessing 3.0 grams cocaine, 2.2 grams hashish, and 1.75 grams marijuana. In response, on September 8, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspended him indefinitely. However, Jenkins' suspension lasted only two weeks before, in an unprecedented action, an independent arbiter reinstated him and he returned to the league.[7] Jenkins was not further punished by MLB for the incident, as he remained active until his retirement following the 1983 season.
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I'm a Cub Fan, and you gave me an MVP of the Babe Ruth league trophy here in Antioch Il. 1978 and I was proud of that trophy until you got busted. Fergie you shouldn't be talking about anyone with what happened to you. BTW I'm sure you had been doing it for years. It's not like you could really get anyone to believe that was your first and only time. What you're saying about McGwire is hypocritical.
I realize that McGwire and his new/old boss, baseball's great enabler, are complete and total scumbags, but these daily whinings of old timers is getting stale.
Let's just have all the retired, supposed clean, players have a convention so they can get all their bitching done in one place at one time. And we can all be through with it.
Another apology is nothing but over kill on a subject that we all knew the answer to anyway. All the super stars that got caught are not getting in to the Hall so who cares. Lets let this go and move on. I'm tired of reading about has beens and their steroid use.
I don't condone what McGuire did but can we get off this subject?!? He will pay the ulitimate price and never get into the Hall of Fame. Let the man coach and be done with it. He finally came out and admitted using PED's. Can't say as much with Sammy, Barry, Roger, etc. No, he didn't give the kind of apology that many are looking for but enough already!
I don't condone what McGuire did but can we get off this subject?!? He will pay the ulitimate price and never get into the Hall of Fame. Let the man coach and be done with it. He finally came out and admitted using PED's. Can't say as much with Sammy, Barry, Roger, etc. No, he didn't give the kind of apology that many are looking for but enough already!
Matt on January 21, 2010 9:26 PM
What about all those pitchers who scuffed balls? Who spit on them? Who used vaseline? In any way doctored a ball to make it spin funny or come off the bat poorly? Should they apologize to every player they face because maybe that game where they couldn't hit a doctored ball got them sent to the minors where they retired?
Let's be honest, one player did not end any pitcher's careers by hitting a couple of homeruns the one time they faced them. If that pitcher's career was coming to an end, it was because they were getting hit by everyone, not just McGwire. What McGwire did was terrible, but to act like he's the only player to have ever cheated is just ignorant. To act like he needs to apologize to everyone while ignoring all the other cheaters is just plain stupid. Hey Jenkins, why don't you try calling out all the other cheaters, pitchers included, instead of just one? Like I don't know, Bonds? Clemens? Where were these comments when Arod said he used roids?
This is just a pathetic excuse to get back into the headlines with no real substance. Ok, you don't like cheaters, call them all out, not just one.
Your entire letter is pathetic. If you have proof of every pitcher cheating or heard some type of admission, let's hear the evidence. Furthermore, no one said he was the only one cheating- have you been living in a cave? The thing I find funny about the article is that I wonder how much help Jenkins got from his drugs.
Right, like the pitchers weren't juiced up back then too.
What about all those pitchers who scuffed balls? Who spit on them? Who used vaseline? In any way doctored a ball to make it spin funny or come off the bat poorly? Should they apologize to every player they face because maybe that game where they couldn't hit a doctored ball got them sent to the minors where they retired?
Let's be honest, one player did not end any pitcher's careers by hitting a couple of homeruns the one time they faced them. If that pitcher's career was coming to an end, it was because they were getting hit by everyone, not just McGwire. What McGwire did was terrible, but to act like he's the only player to have ever cheated is just ignorant. To act like he needs to apologize to everyone while ignoring all the other cheaters is just plain stupid. Hey Jenkins, why don't you try calling out all the other cheaters, pitchers included, instead of just one? Like I don't know, Bonds? Clemens? Where were these comments when Arod said he used roids?
This is just a pathetic excuse to get back into the headlines with no real substance. Ok, you don't like cheaters, call them all out, not just one.
I have very little respect for McGwire, but if the Cards want to hire him, I don't care. But why do the steroid cheaters get to stay in baseball and Pete Rose is beyond redemption and banned for life? That ain't right.
Who cares what Jenkins says?! I don't. As if nobody cheated in the game before steroids. I am not saying the steroid era was good, it wasn't. But seriously.... their has been cheating in baseball for DECADES!! Spitballs, scuffing the ball, corking bats. Tell me Ty Cobb didn't cheat? He was a nasty, dirty ballplayer! McGwire should apologize to every pitcher? Yeah... whatever!!!
Fergie didn't cheat. Bob Gibson didn't cheat. Greg Maddux didn't cheat. Tom Seaver didn't cheat.
Forget that Fergie is sticking up for pitchers.
Celebrate those that are truely Hall of Famers.
Decry, slander, bemoan all those steriod users like BigMac and Sosa and all of those ENABLERS like Tony "I didn't see anything" LaRussa, Bud Selig, Donald Fehr, the Union.
People care. You teach your kids to act legally and morally. And you wonder why our society is getting worse. Take steriods, make 20 million, don't care about your reputation or what you've done to others, the GAME, and the fans like me who love it.
Get a pair. Act like a man. Boo the heck out of Tony Big Mac La Russa.
"get a life on January 21, 2010 6:57 PM
Get a life. All these retired players just want to chime in to get their names out there again"
yeah, like Fergie really needs to get his name out there again. right. Fergie needs to get a life? Whatever dork.
Get a life. All these retired players just want to chime in to get their names out there again. I highly doubt any picthers were so hurt they gave up a home run they ended their careers. Steroids is old news. And if you leave admitted users out of the hof, then we should never put anyone ever again because no one will ever know everyone who used and who didn't.
Certainly a pitcher should apologize if he took steroids. That does not relieve McGwire of his guilt and responsibility. I am really happy to hear Jenkins speak up. We need more of that from the baseball HoF'ers!!! We don't want cheaters in the Hall.
Thanks Fergie...
I know that "chicks dig the long ball" but I prefer a 2-1 Cubs/Ferguson Jenkins victory over Bob Gibson and the Cardinals. Baseball should do away with the DH and raise the mound close to where it was in the 60's and 70's; and they should do routine testing of all players for steroids; and blood testing for HGH for all players. Let's get baseball back to where it was prior to the 1990's...