La Russa returns -- with McGwire

tool name

tool name

McGwire admits he used steroids during record year

Mark McGwire finally came clean, admitting he used steroids when he broke baseball's home run record in 1998.

McGwire said in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Monday that he used steroids on and off for nearly a decade.

"It's very emotional, it's telling family members, friends and coaches, you know, it's former teammates to try to get ahold of, you know, that I'm coming clean and being honest," he said during a 20-minute telephone interview, his voice repeatedly cracking. "It's the first time they've ever heard me, you know, talk about this. I hid it from everybody."

Report: McGwire to be hired as Cardinals' hitting coach

St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - The St. Louis Cardinals will hold a press conference on Monday to reportedly announce that former slugger Mark McGwire will become the team's hitting coach.

In addition, the team will also reportedly announce that manager Tony La Russa will return for a 15th season with the club.

According to a report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Hal McRae was informed on Friday that his contract would not be renewed and he would be replaced by McGwire as the hitting coach.

La Russa back as Cardinals' manager; McGwire named hitting coach

St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Monday Tony La Russa will come back for a 15th season as the team's manager.

La Russa, who guided the Cardinals to the NL Central title this season, agreed to a one-year contract.

"It's a great place to manage," La Russa said at Monday's press conference. "Selfishly, I wanted to be the guy that enjoys it again in 2010."

Commentary: Mark McGwire's convenient confession

Confession is good. It is good for the soul. It is good for future book sales. It is good for any number of things. It is good for helping alleviate the distraction if, just to use a totally random example, you are about to start your new job as, say, hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Confession is good even when it is thoroughly self-serving, as it was Monday for Mark McGwire, who probably would remain in self-exile and "not here to talk about the past" if loyal Cards manager Tony LaRussa hadn't hauled him out of purgatory.

Heck, confession might even be good for a man's Hall of Fame chances. Who knows? When one has been made to sit in the corner with barely one-third the needed votes for four straight years, why not roll dice that the truth might woo a voter or three?

McGwire admits to using steroids

St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - Mark McGwire has admitted to using steroids.

The slugger who first broke the hallowed home run record of 61 with 70 in 1998 has finally admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs.

McGwire had been out of the public eye since his March 2005 appearance before a Congressional hearing on steroids in baseball when he said he wasn't going to talk about the past. He was hired as the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals last October and on Monday released a statement through the team, detailing years of steroid use during his playing career.