Mark McGwire might have taken a baby step toward the Hall of Fame by returning to the public eye as the St. Louis Cardinals' hitting coach. He might take a bigger step if he acknowledges he used performance-enhancing drugs (beyond androstenedione) to further his career and break Roger Maris' record.
Full disclosure -- What type? How much? When? -- might be too much to ask, but it's amazing what a partial admission gets you.
It got Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi and some Mitchell Report names breathing room even though none publicly came clean before he was outed. In contrast, those who resisted dug themselves deeper holes: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro and McGwire's old pal, Sammy Sosa.
A 583-homer career normally prompts an automatic Hall of Fame induction, but McGwire has received less than 25 percent of the votes (75 percent is needed) three straight years largely because of the widespread belief he cheated, like many others in his era, and refused to directly address it.
He has another chance now. He either can follow his "I'm not here to talk about the past" routine, which will turn the Cardinals into a circus and make his presence a distraction, or he finally can be open. The Cardinals say they'll make McGwire available "sooner rather than later," but not in a news conference, merely a conference call.
Either way, it's an opportunity. By all accounts, including his, A-Rod is more at ease after his forced confession in spring training. Pettitte and Giambi probably have similar views about their predicaments.
For now, McGwire gets credit for coming out of seclusion for the first time since his 2005 St. Patrick's Day appearance on Capitol Hill, where his non-answers cost him dearly in the court of public opinion.
Manager Tony La Russa anticipates McGwire as a valuable coach, and it'll be intriguing following him in his new role and watching him interact with Albert Pujols at the batting cage. But if he doesn't address the obvious in a hurry, he'll be scrutinized in spring training and in every city the Cardinals visit.
The more truths he tells the better. For himself, the Cardinals and the fans. And maybe his Hall of Fame candidacy.
(E-mail John Shea at jshea(at)sfchronicle.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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