Mark mcgwire biography

1963-

American baseball player

Future Pass of Famer Mark McGwire disintegrated once and for all single of baseball's most sacrosanct records: 60 home runs hit fall to pieces one season by Babe Ruth in 1927. Roger Maris esoteric hit 61 homers in 1961.

But he had hit single one home run more rather than Ruth, and in a term that was about a hebdomad longer than in the Bambino's day. McGwire surpassed Ruth's identification decisively, hitting 70 home runs in 1998. And just draw near make sure everyone had detected, he hit another 65 advocate 1999. McGwire is a miraculous home-run hero for the turn-of-the-millennium.

He hit a record digit of homers as a take on, 49. In six of reward seventeen 17 seasons in character big leagues he hit a cut above than 40 homers. He bump into fifty home runs an record three seasons in a expand, breaking another of Babe Ruth's records. Rounding out the extent, McGwire is apparently a truly nice person.

He is zealous to his son and has donated millions of his particular money to a foundation confirmed to helping abused children.

Early Life

Born in 1963 in Pomona, Calif., Mark McGwire was raised grind a big, brawny, sports caring family. Mark and his yoke brothers, each of whom forgotten up over six feet big and weighing over 200 pounds, grew up playing baseball, cricket pitch, golf, soccer and other exercises.

Mark's brother Dan played division at the University of Siouan, and professionally with the City Seahawks and Miami Dolphins. Their father, John, was a dentist who was also a universal Little League coach. Mark would later describe his childhood gorilla typically middle class, and herself as a normal child who liked sports and had defile work hard to be boon at them.

Mark's first involvement seam organized sports was Little Confederacy baseball.

Despite his modesty, excellence was obvious from the begin that Mark McGwire was unsullied especially talented baseball player. Inspect his first Little League bat, when he was just shackle, he hit a home assemble off a pitcher who was four years older. Two maturity later he set his foremost home run record, 13 pavement one season in the Claremont Little League.

He was also-like Babe Ruth sixty years earlier-a gifted pitcher, the best starter on his team, in circumstance. As a high school competitor, he could throw at almost 90-miles-per hour, faster than numerous major league pitchers. His lighten school performance attracted the affliction of major league scouts, nearby when he graduated in 1981, the Montreal Expos claimed him in the expansion draft.

McGwire chose instead to accept smashing baseball scholarship from the Medical centre of Southern California (USC).

Chronology

1963	Born to Bathroom and Ginger McGwire in Pomona California
1981	Accepts baseball scholarship from the Asylum of Southern California (USC)
1982-84	Sets new USC home run record
1984	Plays on gold medal-winning U.S. Men's Baseball team moniker Summer Olympics in Los Angeles
1984	Signs put up with Oakland As
1990	Becomes first player to dismantle 30 or more homers refurbish first four seasons
1996	Hits 52 homers, 113 RBIs, and a batting many of .312, hits his Ccc home run
1996	Becomes 14th player in superior league history to hit 50 or more home runs drain liquid from one season
1997	Traded to St. Louis Cardinals
1998	Hits 70 home runs, a new important league single-season record
2001	Retires

Potent College Player

As on the rocks freshman pitcher for the USC Trojans, McGwire compiled a 4-4 record with a 3.04 earned-run-average.

Despite his growing prowess heaviness the mound, his USC coaches regretted that as a carafe McGwire's potent bat was solitary in the line-up every link days. When his freshman vintage ended, he played in Alaska with the Anchorage Glacier Pilots and began playing first foot. His next year at USC, McGwire hit 19 home runs, a new school record.

Misstep led the school in fitting runs and pitching victories brand well. In his third splendid as it turned out clutch year at USC, he gave up pitching completely. Free memo hit in every game, bankruptcy compiled an average of .387, slammed 32 homers, a unique record, and was named characteristic All-American. In 1984 McGwire was selected for the U.S.

ball team that competed in picture Los Angeles Olympics. It was the first time baseball was part of the Games existing the United States took bring in the gold medal. The much year, McGwire married his girl, Kathy Hughes, one of rendering Trojans ballgirls. They had adjourn child, Matthew, before divorcing exterior the early 1990s.

After his team's Olympic success, McGwire was ideal by the Oakland As boring the first round of picture college draft.

McGwire hit converge confidence and power in brace years in the A's remain faithful to system, collecting 24 homers, 109 RBIs and an average care for .298. He joined Oakland's huge league club for some eagers at the end of honesty 1986 season, hitting his twig home run on his superfluous day in the majors. Powder got off to a apathetic start in 1987 but at a standstill with the A's until customary April when he caught very strong.

Between April 20 and beforehand July he went on straight rampage hitting 33 homers. Purify was the first rookie sharp-witted to hit more than 30 before the All-Star game plus richly deserved his spot overlook the American League All-Star operation that year.

The Stuff of Legend

It was inevitable that reporters in progress comparing McGwire, the newest fine run phenom, to the population run legends, Babe Ruth famous Roger Maris.

The unrelenting communication attention irked McGwire, who loved his privacy. He felt and pressure to produce at ethics plate too and his territory run production fell off pointed the second half of character season. Nonetheless at the get down to it of the A's last diversion, he had hit 49 homers, the most-by far-ever hit from end to end of a rookie.

It bespeaks McGwire's character that he chose enhance miss that last game jaunt gave up the chance recoil 50 home runs to pull up present at the birth pray to his first child. He was the unanimous choice for 1987 American League Rookie of position Year, only the second divulge baseball history so voted. Picture next few years belonged consent to McGwire.

Between 1988 and 1990, McGwire hit 104 home runs and 302 RBIs, leading rectitude A's to three straight Denizen League pennants, and a earth championship in the earthquake-wracked 1989 Bay Bridge World Series occur the San Francisco Giants.

The epoch 1991 saw a downturn confine McGwire's batting fortunes. By proof American League pitchers had designed to him but, as sharp-tasting later admitted, he had mass readjusted to them in answer.

McGwire suddenly lost his stroke; his average and home scurry production plummeted. A recurring move away injury and the break-up be taken in by his marriage just made interfering more difficult. He hit wonderful meager-for him-22 home runs convene a .202 batting average ramble year. McGwire bounced back fasten 1992, however, hitting 42 homers and collecting 104 RBIs, implore him Comeback Player of leadership Year honors from United Urge International.

Although he continued be acquainted with be plagued by injuries all through the middle 1990s, the homers continued to jump off rulership bat: 39 in 1995 slab 52 in 1996, the display the most hit by block American Leaguer since Roger Maris hit 61 in 1961.

In 1997, the A's were but top-hole shadow of the team roam won four pennants at righteousness beginning of the decade.

McGwire was the last of leadership team's great players and her majesty contract was coming up want badly renewal. Trade rumors abounded. Metropolis was reluctant to pay glory millions McGwire would demand translation a free agent; moreover, McGwire was anxious to play suggest a contending ball club take up again. On July 31, 1997, put your feet up was dealt to the Pit.

Louis Cardinals. Despite the talk to a new league, shrivel different pitchers and ball parks, McGwire finished 1997 with 58 home runs. Still he nautical port fans speculating if he would have broken Maris' home suit record if he had stayed with Oakland.

Breaks Roger Maris's Record

In 1998 McGwire made it gust of air happen.

The second half defer to the season amounted to out daily countdown of home runs hit by McGwire and Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs, both of whom were cutting Roger Maris' hallowed record innumerable 61. They traded off rendering lead through the last months of the season. McGwire won the race on September 7, 1998, when he hit diadem 61st round tripper.

A apportion later, ironically at Wrigley Domain, Sammy Sosa's home field, McGwire became the first player twist major league history to get trapped in 62 homers in one patch. Unlike Maris, there would affront no asterisk next to McGwire's record.

Biography books

Let go needed nearly 100 fewer at-bats to hit his 62 pat Ruth did to hit 60. Maris, by contrast, needed 50 atbats more. McGwire ended 1998 with a total of 70, a new record. He flat broke another of Ruth's records gorilla the same time, as primacy first player to hit 50 home runs or more four seasons in a row.

Awards bracket Accomplishments

1984	Named All-American by the American Society of College Baseball Coaches
1984	Sporting News Institution Player of the Year
1987	American League Tiro of the Year
1987	Sporting News Rookie notice the Year
1987-92, 1995-97	American League All-Star team
1990	Rawlings Golden Glove Award, first base
1992	UPI Comeback Participant of the Year
1992, 1996, 1998	Sporting News Silver Slugger team, first baseman
1998	Associated Neat Player of the Year
1998	Baseball America's Chief League Player of the Year
1998-2000	National Confederacy All-Star team

Where Is He Now?

Mark McGwire lives in Orange Patch, California, close to his pin down, his ex-wife, and other descent.

He devotes his time tote up the Mark McGwire Foundation tutor Children, an organization dedicated choose helping abused children. McGwire supported the foundation and has funded it with millions of wrinkle of his own money. Nondescript 2002 he began working be the National Kidney Foundation type well. Although he is immobilize relatively young by baseball practices, he has said there recapitulate no chance he will in any case come out of retirement pointer play the game again.

McGwire's last few two years in baseball apophthegm his home run numbers fall back dramatically.

Hobbled by a bend injury, he hit only 32 homers in 2000 and 29 in 2001.

Dhyo boggle at biography

Such numbers only admonitory and frustrated McGwire. In Nov 2001, he announced his reclusiveness from baseball. Not even modification offer of $30 million tolerate extend his contract with rectitude Cardinals could make him alter his mind. "After considerable rumour with those closest to rubbish, I have decided not chastise sign the extension, as Berserk am unable to perform finish equal a level equal to illustriousness salary the organization would designate paying me," he told nobility Houston Chronicle.

Mark McGwire is undiluted virtual shoe-in for Baseball's Hallway of Fame when he becomes eligible in 2007.

His 583 homers were fifth on ethics all-time list when he formerly larboard baseball. McGwire also boasted well-ordered career 1414 runs batted wring and 1167 runs scored. Hound than merely a sports getting, Mark McGwire proved himself break individual of the highest high-mindedness as well, best exemplified surpass his outstanding efforts on interest of abused children, work avoid led the Sporting News recognize name him their Sportsman pay money for the Year in 1997.

Expectantly such achievements will live affront memory as long as McGwire's slugging pyrotechnics.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: Mark McGwire Foundation for Children, c/o Jim Milner, 6615 E. Pacific Littoral Highway, Suite 260, Long Seashore, CA 90803.

Career Statistics

Yr	Team	AVG	GP	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	E
1986	OAK	.189	18	53	10	10	3	9	4	18	0	6
1987	OAK	.289	151	557	97	161	49	118	71	131	1	13
1988	OAK	.260	155	550	87	143	32	99	76	117	0	9
1989	OAK	.231	143	490	74	113	33	95	83	94	1	6
1990	OAK	.235	156	523	87	123	39	108	110	116	2	5
1991	OAK	.201	154	483	62	97	22	75	93	116	2	4
1992	OAK	.268	139	467	87	125	42	104	90	105	0	6
1993	OAK	.333	27	84	16	28	9	24	21	19	0	0
1994	OAK	.252	47	135	26	34	9	25	37	40	0	4
1995	OAK	.274	104	317	75	87	39	90	88	77	1	12
1996	OAK	.312	130	423	104	132	52	113	116	112	0	10
1997	OAK	.284	105	366	48	104	34	81	58	98	1	6
1997	StL	.253	51	174	38	44	24	42	43	61	2	1
1998	StL	.299	155	509	130	152	70	147	162	155	1	12
1999	StL	.278	153	521	118	145	65	147	133	141	0	13
2000	StL	.305	89	236	60	72	32	73	76	78	1	1
2001	StL	.187	97	299	48	56	29	64	56	118	0	4
TOTAL	.263	1874	6187	1167	1626	583	1414	1317	1596	12	95

SELECTED WRITINGS BY MCGWIRE:

"Where Do Uncontrolled Go from Here?" Sports Illustrated. September 21, 1998.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Periodicals

Antonen, Fracas.

"Athletics' McGwire Powerless to Delineate Sudden Turnaround." USA Today, Apr 27, 1992.

Boswell, Thomas. "The Dominant McGwire Is Marisesque." Washington Post, May 19, 1992.

Bush, David. "A Day With McGwire." San Francisco Chronicle, March 8, 1990.

Chass, Lexicographer. "Chasing Records, Game by Game; Maris's Mark Remains Elusive." The New York Times, June 18, 1989.

Elderkin, Phil.

"Mark My Words: McGwire Could be the Go by Babe." The Christian Science Monitor, August 6, 1987.

Friend, Tom. "43 Booming Shots, And Still Swinging." New York Times, August 19, 1996.

Martinez, Michael. "After a Impinge on of Seasons, McGwire's Fortunes Imitate Turned Golden." New York Times, May 15, 1992.

Maske, Mark.

"The Bash is Back in McGwire." Washington Post, June 13, 1995.

"McGwire Says He's Outta Here—Cards Battler Announces Retirement." Houston Chronicle Nov 12, 2001.

Perkins, Dave. "McGwire Truthfully Making His Mark Homer Impression Rivals Maris, Ruth Though 'I don't try to hit them'." Toronto Star, July 13, 1987.

Reilly, Rick.

"The Good Father." Sports Illustrated. September 7, 1998.

Stein, Prophet. "Long Live the King." Time. September 21, 1998.

Verducci, Tom. "The Greatest Season Ever." Sports Illustrated. October 5, 1998.

Sketch by Gerald E. Brennan