When BALCO founder Victor Conte challenged Mark McGwire's remarks of not needing PEDs for hitting record-breaking HRs
St. Louis Cardinals' slugger Mark McGwire mesmerized the world by smashing an astounding 70 home runs, shattering the previous record held by Roger Maris in 1998.
However, doubts have been raised about the legitimacy of McGwire's feat, as he openly admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) during his playing career. Nonetheless, McGwire boldly claimed that he would have achieved the same milestone even without PEDs.
Victor Conte, the mastermind behind the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO), rocked the sports world in the early 2000s when his operation was exposed as a hub for distributing PEDs to high-profile athletes across various disciplines, including baseball.
Conte's insider knowledge and experience put him in a unique position to shed light on the true impact of PEDs on performance. In an interview in 2018, Conte dismissed McGwire's claim about achieving 70 home runs without PED use.
"I think Mark McGwire is deluded if he thinks he would have hit 70 home runs without using PEDs in 1998. I don't think he would have achieved 50 home runs without PEDs.'' - Victor Conte said in an interview.
According to Conte, PEDs provide significant benefits in terms of increased muscle mass, enhanced endurance, and faster recovery from injuries. He emphasized that the use of PEDs offers a substantial advantage to athletes, enabling them to hit the ball with greater power and drive it beyond the confines of the outfield. Hence Conte dismissed McGwire's claims as deluded and stated that hitting 70 home runs without PEDs was an unimaginable feat.
Which team did Mark McGwire play for?
Mark McGwire, a former first baseman, had a remarkable career spanning 16 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1986 to 2001. He had a . 263 batting average, 1,626 hits, 583 home runs, 1,414 RBIs and scored 1,167 runs.
McGwire played for the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He went on to win two World Series Championships - one as a player with Oakland in 1989 and another as a coach with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011.
Mark McGwire's achievements on the baseball field are undeniably impressive. He was a formidable power hitter and played a pivotal role in revitalizing the sport after the 1994 strike.
However, his association with PEDs and subsequent admission has cast a shadow over his career, leaving a stain on his legacy.