McGwire wouldn't cast Hall vote for himself
Mark McGwire is one of the most prolific power hitters in baseball history, but the former slugger wouldn't vote himself into the Baseball Hall of Fame and says he has no beef with keeping him out.
"No, not by the guidelines that they have now," McGwire said Friday on the Dan Patrick Show. "I'll never fight it. I totally respect the Hall of Fame. I have never fought. They have rules and restrictions, I totally abide by them."
McGwire, who was named the Los Angeles Dodgers' batting coach Thursday, ranks 10th on baseball's career home-run list with 583 and set a then-record in 1998 with 70 homers in a season while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.
He also admitted in 2010 that he took steroids at various times during a playing career that ended in 2001.
McGwire's name has been included on the Hall of Fame ballot since 2007, but he hasn't come close to getting the 75 percent required for election. He most recently received 19.5 percent in balloting.
"It's a mistake I have to live with for the rest of my life," McGwire said Thursday on Fox Radio. "I have to deal with never, ever getting into the Hall of Fame."
