Mark McGwire was born on October 1^st 1963 in Pomona, California. It’s somewhat ironic that his birthday is October, the month baseball is known for – the month of the playoffs.

In 1981, McGwire turned down an MLB career to accept a scholarship at the University of Southern California, where McGwire made a name for himself.

After 3 years at USC, McGwire was offered a spot on the 1984 Olympic team. That same year, McGwire was drafted by the Oakland Athletics. In 1987, McGwire went on to break the all time single-season rookie home run record with 49 runs. McGwire had 33 runs after his all-star break.

This is one of the 49 home runs that McGwire hit in his first season to set a new rookie milestone. Photo by Anthony Onchak from Forbes.com

Then in 1998, the season that McGwire will always be remembered for, the star player the single-season home run record. Sammy Sosa and McGwire received national attention as they battled it out against each other for one goal: Roger Maris’s long- standing record of 61 home runs. Though they would both go onto pass that number, McGwire broke the record with 70; Sosa fell into second place with four fewer runs.

1998 a season that all true baseball fans will never forget: under the national spotlight, McGwire and Sosa battled for the all-time home run record. This photo is the cover of the book "Home Run Heroes: Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and a Season for the Ages", by Sports Illustrated.

That record was broken in 2001 by Barry Bonds. Barry Bonds also holds the career home run record with 762 runs – a record previously held by the great Hank Aaron.

McGwire retired in 2001. Shortly thereafter, his legendary career and image went downhill. McGwire, Sosa and Bonds, among many others, were accused of using steroids by Jose Canseco, McGwire’s former teammate.

Canseco compiled a list consisting of around 100 names. He also wrote a book about steroids in baseball and about his own steroid use: “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big”.

On January 11, McGwire came clean about his long-term steroid use.

“I apologize to everybody in major-league baseball. My family, the Marises, Bud Selig. Today was the hardest day of my life,” McGwire said, choking back his tears in an inteview with NBC sportscaster Bob Costas.

McGwire denied that the steroids boosted his performance. He claimed that he did it for health purposes.

“I wish it never came into my life,” said McGwire.

McGwire was really coming clean – he even apologized to Roger Maris’s widow, Pat.

“I think she was shocked I called her,” McGwire said to Costas. “I felt good. I felt I needed to do that. They’ve been great supporters of mine. She was disappointed and she has every right to be. I couldn’t tell her how so sorry I was.”

Was McGwire apologizing because he will make his return to the St. Louis Cardinals at their hitting coach? Or was he doing it for the Hall of Fame?

McGwire insists that he is telling the truth for the sake of honesty.

“First of all, I’m not here doing this for the HOF. I’m doing this for me, to get this off my chest. I played this game of baseball because I was given an ability to play. If I’m lucky enough to get in there, it’s just icing on the cake. But I played this game because I loved it.”

This sports blog does not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Lifeguard staff or Liverpool High School faculty.