He’s 6’5, and roughly 250lbs, and for the most part he is about as average as you or me.
Almost except for one major thing, he is the record holder of the most prestigious record in all of pro sports. His name is Mark McGwire and the record is his 70 homeruns, shattering the old record held by the Minnesota native named Roger Maris. On the Major League Baseball’s final day of the season Mark McGwire hit two mammoth homeruns to give him 70 on the year, an astonishing 1 home run in every 7. 3 at bats. Mark started this quest for the record early in spring training, setting his mind on accomplishing this one goal to be the king of all homerun hitters. On the first day of the season Mark hit his first homerun of the season.
On a 1 ball no strike count in the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs and the basses loaded Mark hit a Grand slam off of The LA Dodgers pitcher Ramon Martinez. With that Grand Slam he became just the twenty-first player in Major League history to hit a grand slam in the season opener. Now the quest was on, he was now 61 homeruns from beating the record. Overall Mark hit eleven homeruns in the seasons first twenty-seven games, Mark really turned it on in the month of May. In his next twenty-five games in the month of May, Mark hit sixteen homeruns giving him twenty-seven homeruns so far.
With his sixteen homeruns in May, McGwire tied Mickey Mantle for the most homeruns in May. Then, out of nowhere a familiar enemy of Mark’s shows it’s ugly head, Mark misses three games with back spasms, injuries are something that has plagued him most of his career. On June 5th Mark is now healthy and ready to play, In the first inning Mark came to the plate with a runner at second and one out. Mark lines the 1 ball 2-strike pitch into the Centerfield Bleachers at Busch stadium. On June 18th Mark sets a Major league Record with his thirty-three homeruns, giving him the most homeruns before July 1st in any season. Mark was now becoming the biggest draw all around the majors, teams who normally couldn’t give tickets away were now selling out there stadiums when Mark came to town.
The Minnesota Twins couldn’t get 50,000 total people to show up for three games, and now for the three games Mark was in tow they drew over 150,000 people. Everyone was swarming to ballparks all around the league to get a chance to see Mark hit a homerun. Mark was on a tear but now he was not the only chasing the record. Sammy Sosa for the Chicago Cubs was on a tear hitting twenty homeruns in July to get him close to McGwire in the Homerun race. Now the race was on Sosa and McGwire were now playing a game of cat and mouse as Sosa tried desperately to catch McGwire.
On August 19th Sammy finally catches and passes McGwire hitting his forty-eighth homer of the year. However Sammy’s lead was short lived Mark not only tied Sammy in the eighth inning against the Cubs but he takes the lead in the tenth inning of the same game. Mark was back in control of the homerun race. This would go on for the next month or so, Sosa would take the lead and McGwire would come back on the same day and reclaim the lead.
On August 22nd Mark sets another record when he hits his 162nd homerun in the last three seasons beating Babe Ruth’s record of 161. On September 5th Mark finally hits his 60th homerun of the year joining Maris and Ruth as the only players in League history to hit sixty or more homeruns. Now the Stage was set the Cubs and Sammy Sosa came to town for a three game series with the Cardinals in St. Louis.
In the Stands there were some very important fans, Roger Maris’ family came to watch Mark beat their fathers’ record. On September 7th Mark stepped up to the plate in the first inning, Mike Morgan of the Chicago Cubs was on the mound he had retired the first two Cardinal hitters and now he had to pitch to McGwire. The first pitch Morgan throws to McGwire is in there for a strike; the next pitch was just outside for a ball. With the crowd on their feet cheering Morgan threw the 1-1 pitch, CRACK, Mark crushed the pitch into the centerfield stands hitting the ball 430′. Mark had now tied Roger Maris’ record and he still had eighteen games to hit just one more homerun to set the record.
On September eighth, in the forth inning facing Steve Trachsel of the Cubs; Mark came to the plate once more. Trachsel threw a pitch to McGwire; Mark hit a deep line drive into left field. The ball was hit deep but everyone including Mark thought the ball wasn’t going to leave the park, but then it was gone just clearing the wall. The fans went crazy yelling and cheering for Mark he had just broke the most unbreakable record in all of baseball. After all was said and done Mark hit 62 homeruns in 145 games, his homeruns traveled a total of 26394 feet or 4.
99 miles, for an average of 427. 7 feet per homerun. Even though Mark set the record with 70 homeruns Sammy also broke Maris’ record with 65 homeruns. That was truly the best season in along time, Mark and Sammy put Major League Baseball on their backs and resuscitated it.
Making baseball the talk of the town all over the country.Bibliography:
