McGwire Regains Lead With Pinch-Hit Blast

Mark McGwire took the lead once again in the home run chase Tuesday. (AP File Photo)

By Ric Bucher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 16, 1998; Page B1

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 15 – After lounging for eight innings in the St. Louis Cardinals' dugout, Mark McGwire strode to the plate tonight in the ninth inning and, with one pinch-hit swing, regained the major league home run lead with a record 63rd of the season.

The solo home run on a 1-0 fastball from Jason Christiansen did nothing to stop the Pittsburgh Pirates from taking the first game of the doubleheader, 8-6, but it ended a streak of 18 at-bats without a home run for McGwire. The 385-foot shot into the left-center field stands at Busch Stadium was McGwire's first since he broke Roger Maris's 37-year-old record of 61 on Sept. 8. Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa had tied McGwire on Sunday but is still at 62 after going 1 for 5 with a single in tonight's game at San Diego.

In the second game, McGwire doubled in three at-bats and walked twice.

Pirates Manager Gene Lamont opened the door for McGwire to hit, replacing right-hander Mike Williams with left-hander Christiansen, who had allowed only one home run in 62 2/3 previous innings pitched. Lamont knew McGwire lurked on the Cardinals' bench but figured his St. Louis counterpart, Tony LaRussa, wouldn't bring in his slugger unless he could drive in the winning runs.

"I think it was a good move by Tony," Lamont said. "He's trying to help Mark win the home run title. I don't think Tony would do that under normal circumstances. You usually think about what they have in the dugout but when McGwire is sitting over there, it's hard to forget about it."

Lamont also noted that McGwire had homered in the Pirates' three previous wins over the Cardinals this season.

"I was glad he hit it," Lamont said. "You watch it happen, it's kind of electrifying, all the [camera] light bulbs going off. I don't see how you can see the ball as an outfielder."

John Grass, head groundskeeper for a local school district, saw it just fine, snaring it on the fly from his eighth-row bleacher seat. Grass, who watched the second game from the press box, initially considered going home with the ball but decided to give it to "Mr. McGwire" – for a price.

"I'm going to get what I think it's worth," Grass said. "I know I won't get money. But if we get enough things signed from him, it would be worth the memories and a whole lot of money. ... I know the guy who caught No. 61. He got two signed balls, two signed bats, two signed jerseys and two season tickets. I'm going to get more. He's going to give me what I think it's worth. I'm sure we can work something out."

Then Grass came up with another idea.

"Oh, and I want my son to throw out the first pitch for one of the remaining games," he added, referring to 20-year-old John Jr.

Grass and the rest of the 41,271 fans came to their feet and began rhythmically clapping when McGwire stepped into the batter's box to pinch-hit for leadoff hitter Delino DeShields. After taking a ball off the outside of the plate, McGwire launched a towering drive that landed in the 46-year-old Grass's glove.

"I caught the ball and then I caught a few shots to the head," Grass said.

Before the game McGwire talked about receiving a pile of telegrams, including one from the prime minister of Japan, that have driven home the impact of his exploits this season. More than simply having rewritten one of the more hallowed pages in the baseball record book, McGwire said he realizes how he and Sosa have changed people's view of the world in which they live.

"I'm slowly realizing how much impact I've had and Sosa has had," McGwire said in an impromptu interview by his locker before tonight's doubleheader. "I probably won't realize it completely until after the season. All the telegrams I've gotten, it's unbelievable."

Focusing on home run totals, though, misses the real accomplishment, he said.

"I think people have seen that there can be excellence and sportsmanship in the game," McGwire said. "So much has been said about guys being stuck on themselves and all they think about is their stats and how much money they make. Now all of a sudden the country is looking at two guys from different countries coming together with total respect, two guys that like each other. You'd heard people say, 'This doesn't really happen.' Well, we've shown, it does happen."

In keeping with that attitude, McGwire insisted he will not be disappointed if Sosa wins the overall home run race, which, in baseball annals, could cast a shadow over the fact McGwire tied and broke Maris's record first.

"All I can do is control what I can do," McGwire said. "Whatever I end up with, I end up with. I've done what I've done, does it make that any less if I don't lead? No."

LaRussa has resisted doing anything extraordinary to help McGwire, such as start him in both games tonight after McGwire suffered from back spasms on Sunday.

"You know what I would feel like the next day if I played him 18 innings and he was out for the rest of the season?" LaRussa said. "I'd have a tough time leaving this town. If we were fighting for the wild-card spot, he'd play both games."

McGwire described his back as "outstanding" before the game and had no qualms about LaRussa's plan, even though he is well aware that the world grows anxious with every game and at-bat that goes by without another home run.

"Instead of sitting back and enjoying this, everybody is worried about when the next one will come," he said. "I didn't hit a home run for 20-some at-bats earlier in the season and the whole country was worried about it. To me, I don't look at things that way. I said from the beginning I needed to average 10 home runs a month to have a chance, so. ...?"

So he has eight in September. And counting.