On Mark McGwire
CARDINALS MANAGER TONY La RUSSA
“No one on the teams I managed worked harder or better than Mark. And now, his willingness to admit mistakes, express his regret, and explain the circumstances that led him to use steroids add to my respect for him. I’ve defended Mark because I observed him develop his unique power hitting skill through a rigorous physical and fundamental workout program. He has a lot to offer our team as our hitting coach. We look forward to his being part of the 2010 Cardinals.”
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CARDINALS CHAIRMAN BILL DEWITT, Jr.
“On behalf of the entire Cardinals organization, I believe Mark McGwire today did the right thing by telling the truth and openly acknowledging his past mistakes. No one condones what Mark did more than 10 years ago, but we hired him as our hitting coach because we know there are many contributions that Mark can and will make to our team and to this game. Because of the efforts of Commissioner Bud Selig, who implemented the toughest drug testing program in professional sports, the Major League Baseball culture as it relates to use of performance-enhancing substances has vastly improved over the last decade. I’m glad Mark has gone public and the Cardinals welcome him back as our hitting coach.”
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CARDINALS GM JOHN MOZELIAK
“Mark is going to make an outstanding hitting coach. He’s a smart student of the game and he has a lot of valuable lessons he can teach our ballplayers. I’m glad Mark has gotten this off his chest and he can proudly begin the next chapter of his life. I can’t wait to see him back in uniform.”