Let’s not forget, pitchers also dabbled in steroids

So now it’s open season on Mark McGwire. Can’t say I have much sympathy for the guy. He can’t even cry convincingly. But now we’ve got ex-pitcher Ferguson Jenkins — whose own journey to the Hall of Fame was temporarily sidetracked by a cocaine charge in Canada — saying Big Mac needs to apologize to all the pitchers off whom he belted steroid-aided home runs.

Fergie must not have been keeping up with the news. Maybe he didn’t hear about all the pitchers (Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, etc.) who have either copped to taking steroids or lied about it or, in Pettitte’s case, tried to minimize the public outcry by insisting he only did it to rebound from injury. Maybe all the pitchers in the Mitchell Report should apologize to their strikeout victims.

Sure, McGwire’s blanket mea culpa came years too late and wasn’t sincere, but what’s he supposed to do, write letters?

Earlier in the week it was Carlton Fisk’s turn to flog McGwire. Fisk is famous for not minding his own business. I was there the night he took it upon himself to reprimand Deion Sanders, an opposing player, for not running hard. Sanders took exception and a scuffle ensued. Rightfully so.

The funny part is that some of these McGwire critics forget they played in an era when amphetamines were gobbled like candy from a big bowl in the clubhouse. One Hall of Famer, Dayton-born Mike Schmidt, has admitted to taking “greenies” to gain an edge. So spare us the outrage.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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