McGwire evades steroids issue in first public appearance with Cardinals

ST. LOUIS —  Mark McGwire walked into the Winter Warm-Up to a sustained standing ovation. And the song “Welcome to the Jungle.”

Actually, Sunday’s setting was more zoo-like, as McGwire moved from the feverishly hot fanaticism of the faithful to the frigid-like firings of the media.

It was an intensely emotional afternoon, with the outside staring through the glass at every move McGwire made and every word he spoke, but all a part of his penance for last week’s steroids admission.

This was his first public appearance since coming clean, and it was obvious he wants it to be the last where he feels like some rabid animal.

“You now what?” he said. “I spoke from my heart and I spoke honestly (Monday night on TV with Bob Costas). That’s me.

“And I hope you all can expect this and let’s all move on from this. Baseball is great right now, baseball is better and let’s just all move on.”

Those were the last words McGwire spoke before turning and ending a terse six-minute, middle-of-the-hallway “press conference” by leaving through a back entrance, as if to say it is all over.

But can it be wished away that easily? Can this be the last time he addresses the issue publicly?

And what about the reaction when the Cardinals go on the road, like on May 28-30 to Wrigley Field, where he waged his epic 1998 home run war with Sammy Sosa?

“That’s yet to be determined,” he told the red-clad crowd of about 2,000 -- some of whom wore “Welcome Back Big Mac” T-shirts -- during a staged question-and-answer period with announcer John Rooney in front of fans.

“It’s something I have to deal with. It might bring more fans to the ballpark to watch the Cardinals.”

That drew laughter from the audience, but the mood wasn’t nearly as friendly when he was grilled and drilled by a small, mostly local media group.

They wanted to know all kinds of things but didn’t learn much of anything, at least anything that could be considered new.

When asked moments after telling kids “steroids are bad” why he used steroids, McGwire replied: “Good question. Everybody makes mistakes in their lives and it’s the biggest regret of my life.”

So why did he continue taking them?

“It’s the biggest regret of my life,” he repeated.

McGwire’s appearance directly followed that of another former Cardinal, Jack Clark, who last week said McGwire and other abusers were “creeps” and “liars.” Clark was booed by some as he took the stage, and he left before McGwire arrived.

“I heard he said something. I don’t know what he said,” McGwire said during his media meeting. “Like anybody else, they have their own opinions.

“I was being as honest as I (could), from the heart. I got it off my chest and it’s something we can all move on from.”

Asked several times about allegations from former Oakland teammate Jose Canseco that he wasn’t telling the truth and whether he was familiar with specific names of steroids, this was his answer:

“Those names, yeah, I’m familiar with them but, like I said, I’m not going to go down that road with Jose,” he said. “I’ll take the high road with Jose.”

He was also asked if he really had never told Tony La Russa of his steroid use. La Russa, his manager in Oakland and St. Louis, had said he believed McGwire was clean.

“Absolutely. Tony La Russa, I kept this to myself,” he said.

La Russa, who did not meet with media Sunday, did speak before the hometown fans during a Q & A with one of the team’s television announcers. He was the one who pushed the Cardinals to bring back McGwire, whom he thinks will be an extraordinary hitting coach.

“I’ve been asking him to come back for years,” La Russa said. “The (November) day he accepted was a special day for (the Cardinals). He deserves another shot and we’re going to give it to him.”

La Russa’s praise comes in part because of McGwire’s private offseason tutoring in California with Skip Schumaker, who has hit .300 since the two bonded.

“I think he’s helped me a ton,” Schumaker said. “He talked about hitting being more mental than physical and it worked out for me.”

If there was one feeling the dour McGwire, the doting fans and the doubting media could all agree on Sunday was his reply to whether the admission helped lift a huge weight off his still-large shoulders:

“Absolutely. It took some time to process it. I couldn’t answer (Costas) on that question because I had never been in that situation before.

“But now that I’ve had some days to think about it and reflect, had a chance to get it off my chest, I wish I could have done this five years ago.

“We wouldn’t be having this press conference right now.”

dvandyck@tribune.com