Thoughts On The 1998 Home Run Race
As a note, it is a bit early to start trying to understand the true impact that Mark McGwire and the home run race have had - much of the necessary data still needs to be collected and analyzed. But here's my take on the entire situation:
1. In 1961, Yankee Roger Maris was chasing another Yankee's - Babe Ruth's - record of 60 home runs. This record was a landmark in professional baseball - after all, the Babe was an icon that could not be lightly challenged. But, the interesting thing about 1961 was that the eventual outcome - the setting of a new single season home run mark at 61 - was anticlimactic. Attendance at the final games of the season, in which Maris fled and broke Ruth's record, was sparse. Why? Baseball maverick Bill Veeck has his ideas. Ford Frick, the Commissioner of Baseball at the time, decreed that, if Maris did not break the record in 154 games, an asterisk must be attached to his record - for the baseball season was 154 games in Ruth's era, and 162 in Mans'. This built the enthusiasm to 154 games, after which it dimished; after all, it wouldn't be a "real" record if it wasn't done in 154 games, according to Frick. And, the Yankees did not challenge this decree. Veeck went on to state, "This was the single greatest promotional opportunity in the history of baseball and they blew it! It was blow-proof and they still blew it! One thing we will have to concede. The year 1961 may not have been much for baseball, but it was a vintage year for vocabulary. Frick taught the schoolchildren of the nation the meaning of the word asterisk, and the CIA taught them the meaning of flie word fiasco [a reference to the Bay of Pigs>operationj."
2. The record was not significantly challenged until this year - 1998 - when it became apparant that one of two men - St. Louis Cardinal Mark McGwire or Chicago Cub Sammy Sosa - would break Mans' record. This time, the atmosphere was much different. Commissioner Bud Selig dismissed any discussion of a 1998 asterisk, and the nation responded loudly to the home run chase. What are some of the implications of this ho me run chase?
3. Veeck was right - the chase toward breaking the home run record is one that could have great meaning for the game of baseball. After all, the home run is baseball's most exciting individual event, and one of the most difficult (as McGwire noted: 'hitting a round ball out of the park with a round bat is one of the most difficult feats in sports."). Babe Ruth brought excitement to the game as a home run hitter. And lie did it at the right time, too. The "Black Sox" scandal on 1919 had tarnished baseball, and Ruth was the exciting presence that helped to revitalize it. Baseball had lost some of its luster by 1998, as well. The recent past had seen a season - 1994 - without a World Series; not even the Great Depression, or World War II, or the civil strife of the 1960's, led to a cancelled world series. A dispute with the player's union did, though, and this turned some fans off. Other fans were dismayed with the 1997 World Series Champion {lorida Marlins, who had in essence purchased a World Series title through strategic (and expensive) free agent signings, and then dismantled the team through a post-season fire sale and through a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Baseball had also been suffering, in compari son to some of the other team sports. As Len Sherman notes in his history of the expansion team Arizona Diamondbacks: "Major League Baseball faced some problems. Attendan~e was lust now (1998) climbit'~
worrisome trends: (1) Though MLB trumpeted the fact ia over ~ ml ion people attended a game in 1997, more than pro football, baseketball, and hockey combined, the actual number of baseball gaines played roughly equaled the games played by all other major sports. though baseball took in only one-third the total ticket revenue; (2) That ver,' same MLB projected that approximately 10 million kids would attend a pro game in 1998, which sounded promising until one realized that that forecast meant that less than 15 percent of the fans in attendance would be nineteen years old or younger, not an encouraging comment of the ability of baseball to market itself to the sports-crazed youth of America." I would argue that McGwire and Sosa have done much to rekindle the interest in baseball. The Cardinals set a road attendance record. This means that fans turned out in large numbers in other national league ballparks. Whether or not they were just there to see McGwire, it did represent a revitalized interest in baseball. There is an economic dimension as well. Economic projections were that McGwire had a $60 million impact on the St. Louis economv. More informal evidence suggests that McGwire had helped bring fans
back to the game, resulting in direct and indirect economic impacts. How many testimonials did we hear on talk radio - "I wasn't a baseball fan until McGwire made me one." And how many customer-on-the-street interviews did we see, where an individual purchasing McGwire clothing said, "I wasn't a baseball fan until this year, and I wanted something to remember it by?" The only caveat to this seemingly good news would be a point raised by former Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog (Oct. 6 P-D): "And it's good for baseball - this year. People keep saying, 'Baseball's back. It's the national pastime again.' But how will they do next year without a home run race? Are the fans really back?" This, along with its economic implications, will remain to be seen. but will be an avenue for future data collection.
4. The history of baseball is the history of America. I mean that in the sense that there are many parallels between the two histories - America has a history of labor relations, which parallels baseball's; America has a history of problematic race relations, which parallels baseball's; and so on. A new trend is globalization. As Sherman writes, "Globalization. The new name of the game, for baseball and business, and culture and commerce, ideas and ideologies.. the breaking down of borders [liasi its immediate, undoubted benefits - increasing understanding, tolerance, and cooperation, decreasing confusion, tension, and conflict.. we can regard modern professional sports as a coin ponent of the entertainment industry, which in turn is a component of the media. The sports industry is a project with a definable time scheme, nonstop action, and recognizable personalities, which permits it to be easily.. showcased on global communications outlets." I think that the home run race has a global aspect to it. At a news conference with McGwire and Sosa, a reporter asked the question, "who's the man?" Sosa's reply was, "Mark is 'The Man' in the United States, and I am 'The Man' iii the Dominican Republic." Not only was there international media attention to the chase (so far as some gaines being broadcast to destinations in Europe and Japan), but Sosa has not forgotten his Dominican Republic heritage. Sosa will spend tune in the off-season helping the hurricane ravaged island. More about this later.
5. It was a dark time for baseball. It is a dark tune for the nation, as well. For the first time since 1974, impeachment is being discussed as a serious alternative for dealing with the President's indiscretions. The media told us the whole story, and sometimes more than we wanted to know - the story of Monica Lewinshy, the possibility of peijur,', the emergence of impeachment proceedings, as the President was publicly denounced. It was encouraging to have another item that consistently made front page news, and which was more positive. This, of course. was the story ofMcGwire, and his most recent home runs. McGwire gave people something positive and encouraging to gather round, so the President's exploits - a negative story - were_not all that we, the people, had to face.
6. Don't think for a minute that other politicians did not notice what McGwire was doing, and what kind of a furor lie was causing. Of course, the President made the obligatory congratulatory telephone call, but others got in on the fun, as well. Ted Kennedy tried, but only caused laughter witli his mis-naming of "Mike McGwire" and "Sammy Susa." Others were more successful - for instance, two Missouri politicians. It is an election year for both Democrat Jay Nixon and Republican Kit Bond, both of whom are competing for the Senate seat that Bond cli rrently holds. Both have made use of the McGwire. During the season, Jay Nixon, in his role as attorney general, set out to prosecute individuals who passed offfake McGwire autographs (his autograph being a highly demanded commodity, and one that was
-~ difficult to authenticate. because McGwire does not do autograph shows or sign for money). Nixon
commented. "We believe these businesses are exploiting the immense popularity ofMark McGwire by peddling caps, bats, balls and other baseball merchandise purportedly signed by him. but which actually were not.. Not only did these actions defraud the fans and businesses that purchased the items, they also try to take advantage of Mr. McGwire. who does not sell his autograph or items with his autograph...Mark McGwire has taken a well-known and well-respected position on his autographs. He will sign items for
kids at gaines and to help support the charitable efforts of Cardinals Care and his own foundation for children.. The bottom line is that he doesn't hawk his autograph for personal gail', and that's very admirable in this day and age." Note the language used here. Nixon instantlv is portrayed as being on the side of the right and the just, helping saleL~ard our hero's right to sign...for the kids. Plus, it's a heck of a photo-op for Nixon. Not that this o~'erturC was well received by all parties.. just ask baseball card shop owners, who had a new cause for headaches - ti',,'ing to make sure that all items for sale in their store
(items which can come from a variety of sources) are authentic, so as not to risk legal action being taken against them. After the season ended, Bond climbed aboard the McGwire bandwagon, his proposal being a more symbolic than substantive one (after all, symbolic policies are often easier to pass and create consensus). He proposed a measure which passed the U.S. Senate, which would rename the portion of Interstate 70 that runs through St. Louis city and county (previously named the Mark Twain Interstate 70) the "Mark McGwire Interstate 70." Exchanging one Mark for another - are these competing politicians doing these things because they are 'the right thing to do?" Well, they are the politically right thing. Perhaps columnist Bill McClellan (10/2/98) best captures the dynamic at work here. Naturally, this drive against phony memorbilia required the attorney general to pose for pictures while standing next to the Cardinal slugger. McGwire and Nixon. Kit Bond could not let that relationship go unchallenged." When McClellan suggested to Nixon that he oppose the renaming: "'It's 30 days before the election, and you want me to come out against McGwire?' [Nixon] asked incredulously. Not against McGwire, I said. For Twain. 'I can't do it.' lie said." Politics. Plain and simple.
7. What of McGwire? A letter to the editor in Baseball A,iienca read, "How hypocritical the media and fans are.. .McGwire is a nice guy.. But if Albert Belle were doing this, the media and fans would be calling for his banishment from baseball. I think McGwire should have an asterisk by his name for his accomplishments this season." Well, this is true. Fans like McGwire. And they like Sosa. If this had been a race between, say, Albert Belle and Barry Bonds, two of baseball's favorite bad guys, the dynamics would have been different. And that's part of the game, folks.
7, continued. McGwire is a nice guy. And that does make all the difference, especially in a society where "values" is a catch-teriri that is tossed around by many individuals and groups. Both major political parties have alluded to "family values." Many of the President's critics decry his lack of "values." We expect our politicians to have "values," and we want our kids to learn the "right values." Enter the role of the hero. California State University professor Nick Trujillo writes of sports heroes in an essay entitled, "The Meaning of Nolan Ryan." He states, "most scholars agree that heroes are individuals who symbolize the highest ideals of society's mainstream and who are used by society to socialize members into the social structure." In other words, heroes can teach values. Think about the key players in this year's home run chase. First, McGwire. Here's a guy who's a real team player, who doesn't want to talk about his personal accomplishments as much as those of his team. He's a wealthy and famous man, but has a humble quality. He makes $10 million a year, but gives $1 million to a charity to help abused kids. He spends a valuable off-day not relaxing, but at a commercial shoot for his charity, which lasts many hours. What a guy. Then, Sosa. The Post-Dispatch says it most eloquently: "A hero is not a man who hits 66 home runs and takes curtain calls every day. A hero is someone who reaches down to help the less fortunate, without a phalanx of mini-cams following him to ensure that everyone knows about his generosity. A hero lends a hand when no one is watching, because it's the right thing to do for himself, not for his image." This is said of Sosa, who is giving his time and money to the Dominican Republic, as his boyhood hero, Roberto Clemente, did for Nicaragua. There is a concern that "the celebrity is replacing the hero" in American culture. As Daniel Boorstin distinguishes them, "the hero was distinguished by his achievement; the celebrity by his image or trademark.. .the hero was a big marf the celebrity is a big name." McGwire and Sosa are the genuine article - and they just go to show, baseball manager Leo Durocher wasn't always right, when he quipped, 'nice guys finish last." America, and its youth, have a hero in Mark McGwire - lie's a guy we can all look up to, and that definitely influences how the home run chase played out. No, reader OfBasebailA,?lerjca, it wouldn't have been the same with Albert Belle. And it shouldn't be. A man is bigger than his accomplishinents, which McGwire shows.
8. Finally, don't forget about the impact on the city of St. Louis. I won't speak to economics, reserving that for my colleague. But what an impact McGwire's had on the city! Up to this point, an argument could be made that St. Louis was placed upon the national stage three times within this century. First, the 1904 World's Fair brought the world to St. Louis. Second, the gateway arch is a landmark that has, since its construction, continually been identified as a St. Louis trade mark. Third, especially among urban scholars, the failure and destruction of the Pruitt-Iago housing complex brought 50lflC reknown to the city. Of course, St. Louis sports - particularly baseball - had brought fame to the city. There were the great Cardinal's teams of the 1960's, with Stan Musial and Bob Gibson, and the three-time pennant winners and one-time World Series winner teams of the 1980's. But the attention McGwire brought to St. Louis in this season is unparalleled in St. Louis sports history. The coverage of McGwire's feat, especially toward the end of the season, was much larger than the coverage accorded to a World Series. Of course, this might be a once-in-a-lifetime event - and it is one of the largest events in the sporting world. It's the most significant individual accomplishment in the sport we call "America's game." ~ addition to bringing attention to the city, McGwire helped unify the city's population. Of course. all of the evidence to support this idea is anecdotal, but, especially if you're a baseball fan. think about how many times this season you found yourself in a conversation with a complete stranger. on the subject of baseball and Mark McGwire? In his study of sports and city politics. Michael Danielson suggests that "Rooting for the home team is both an individual and collective experience. The individual fan is part of a group with similar interests; Allen Guttinann terms this shared experience 'representational sport' in which 'individual identification with the athletes and collective membership in the community combine.' Because supporting the local team is a collective experience shared by substantial numbers of people. professional sports teams are an instrument of social and political integration. Sport. as Janet Lever notes. provides people with common symbols, a collective identity, and a reason for solidarity,' not to mention something to talk about." This communal element. from the anecdotal evidence, does seem to have created a stronger bond and feeling of group solidarity. as a result ofMcGwire. Finally, relevant to St. Louis, is the issue of civic pride. Urban scholars Michael Pagano and Ann Bowman tell us that cities have aspirations. There is an idea that sports are a kQv to urban development. "San Antonio Mayor Henry
Cisneros~s last hurrah as he left office was to convince ~ majonty of citizens that. without a major league ballpark. San Antonio could ne\er be a m~ijor lea(,,'ue eitv.~' St. Louis already had the Cardinals (not to mention the Blues. aud not to mention the Rams. which is probably for the best). so it already is a major league city. But I would argue that there are different kinds of major league cities. Pittsburgh is a major-league city. just like Denver. Onty one is more successful than the other. Pagano and Bowman go on to suggest. 'In ininsforming ~spirations and visions into realit~. local officials attempt to project ~ favorable and distinct image of the city. One approach to image projection is the creation of a unique place identitv. a symbol so prominent that it is the citv." kn't it nice, for St. Louis to be able to lav claim to the very unique symbol of Mark McGwire? Danielson notes that "The svinbolie role of professional tea iiis distinguishes them from most other enterprises that bear the city's name. People connect with places through their identification with teams." It is good for the eitv of St. Louis. despite its problems. to be connected. as a place. to Mark McGwire. McGwire has been a real boost to the cm's self-esteem. as a reader wrote to Greg Freeman of the Post-Dispatch. "Dear Greg Freeman. Thanks for vour column on Mark McGwire and the spirit lie's brought to us as St. Lonisians. Yoti're right. for years we've been down on ourselves.. .Mavbe it's taken Mark McGwire to help tis realize what we should have known alreadv: that St. Louis reallv is a good city. Not onlv is Mark McGwire No. I. we're No. I too." And McGwire would be one of the first to acknowledge this. After all. we showed him that we're the best<baseball fans in America. Let's hope. for St. Louis' sake. that St. Louis can take this positi~~e momentum and show the country that St. Louis reallv is a good place. Of course. it's interesting to note that Mayor Clarence Harmon has been conspicuouslv absent from the Mark MeGwire-inaiiia. Unlike Bond and Nixon, lie has not appropriated McGwire for his purposes. political or otlienvise. ~ short. though. as St. Louis progresses toward the 21.1 eentun,~. it faces many challenges. and some dark spots. MeOwire has been a tremendous asset to the city. Right iiow. St. Lotus is at an emotional high point. It would be nice if civic leaders could create a similar high point. in terms of economic de\~elopiuent and city revitalization.
9. So, by wav of a summan'. MeGwire is a true sports hero who has accomplished a tremendous feat. He has made the summer of 1998 one that will iiot soon be forgotten. especiallv iii the St. Louis area. He helped bring baseball out of a troubled time. and gave the nation a positive news item during a troubled time. He brought an aura of well-being. which was appropriated by politicians seeking to win elections. He brought some civic pride back to St. Lotus. 1'ind helped ptit St. Louis back on the map of happening places. He also gave residents a ilirill. and a collective boud. eveli if it is a teinporan,~ one. Whether or not he can bring St. Louis out of its troubled times. thotigli remains to be seen. Unfortunatelv. a hero can only go so far. unless others follow his lead..