Because for years, did we ever have any doubt?  But for McGwire, who said “It was foolish” his admission came, a little too late. It won’t help his hopeful enshrinement to the Baseball Hall of Fame, nor does it help his respectability as one of the top home run hitters of all-time.

You see McGwire also admitted, years later, that he used performance enhancing drugs during that media hyped season home run race with Sammy Sosa in 1998 that saw him hit a record 70 home runs.  And at that time there were always the questions about him and Sosa. Except baseball was happy then that home runs were bring hit out of the ballpark in a record pace as the game was recovering from a nasty labor war between the owners and players.

All that time the questions were being asked. The speculation was always about reconfigurations of outfield fences, or that the baseball was different and easier to hit out of the park.  Yet, guys like McGwire, Sosa, and others always denied that steroids and other body enhancement drugs were the reason.

They made us, the media, and you the fans look like fools. Because they fabricated their reasons for becoming such proficient home run hitters and all the time you looked at McGwire, you saw Sosa, and were amazed at how big the arms were, and how deep the home runs were being hit out of the park.

It made sense then, as much as it is now.  McGwire denied using performance enhancing drugs before a Congressional Committee and his 538 home runs are eighth on the career all-time list.  Barry Bonds is no angel here and will always be the center of attention with his denial of allegations that he did what McGwire did.

Baseball owners knew it was happening, and perhaps so did Commissioner Selig, Home runs put people back in the seats and players hitting the long bombs out of the park were getting their lucrative pay checks.

But getting back to the admission, Monday that is putting McGwire back on the national map.  He was appointed the hitting coach for La Russa’s Cardinals in November.  Back in baseball now and teaching hitters, hopefully the right way to hit a home run out of the ballpark.

McGwire had to finally come clean or the scrutiny would continue at every Major League ballpark in 2010.  Too bad it came years later, that admission. The home runs he hit are still questionable. They are surly under consideration when the name Mark McGwire comes up every year now for enshrinement to Cooperstown. He came up short again last week when the ballots were counted.

It would have helped him to come clean years ago when this all started, most of all telling the truth then would have diminished the bad image that baseball received and at times continues/   McGwire said he did not tell the truth then because he feared there would be legal jeopardy.

He may get those sympathizers that give a second chance, Many, in the baseball community believe the steroid home run race is still a disgrace and the punishment is always denying Mark McGwire enshrinement to the Hall of Fame. All of those home runs in the record book now with this admission deserve an asterisk.

BOXING IS DISGRACED WITH FALLOUT OF PACQUIAO-MAYWEATHER:  A mediator could not get the principles involved with welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr, on a compromise over blood testing procedures and now what was supposed to be the mega fight of all time if off.

Instead the boxing world prepares for a mediocre fight.  Pacquiao will defend against Joshua Clottey the native of Ghana now residing in the Bronx. That fight will be televised on HBO Pay-Per-View on March 13^th, the original Pacquiao-Mayweather date, from the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium and does not have the magnitude that was anticipated with Pacquiao and Mayweather,

So where did the two fighters go wrong, as well as the promoters, in this case Bob Arum of Top Rank who promotes Pacquiao and Richard Schaefer of Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions that represented Mayweather?   According to Arum, Pacquiao made some concessions as to timing of three blood samples prior to and after the fight.

The blood testing issue was the obstacle that prevented this fight from officially being announced in New York City this week. Arum requested a mediator with hopes there would be some movement to getting the top two fighters in the world in the ring. A mediator who Arum used to negotiate a proper deal for Pacquiao when is fighter left the Golden Boy promotion.

Arum is livid, so are boxing fans   The sport has once again become a travesty because of a ridiculous blood testing procedure called by Mayweather that would have been conducted anyway by the sanctioning Nevada State Athletic Commission, Mayweather wanted to use the Olympic style blood testing procedures that are done three times, Prior to the pre fight press conference, 30 days before the fight, and after the fight

Either way, the Nevada Commission would have done similar testing, and if everyone is clean there are no concerns. The biggest paydays for Pacquiao and Mayweather go down the drain.  The questions persist. Is Mayweather backing away from Pacquiao, or is Pacquiao with his initial resiliency to taking blood hiding something? Pacquiao is a record seven- division title holder having defeated Miguel Cotto last year and is going for number eight against Clottey as a junior middleweight.

e-mail Rich Mancuso:  Ring786@aol.com

AL EAST
Boston Red Sox
N.Y. Yankees
Toronto Blue Jays
Tampa Bay Rays
Baltimore Orioles

AL CENTRAL
Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians
Chicago White Sox
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins

AL WEST
L.A. Angels
Seattle Mariners
Oakland A’s
Texas Rangers

**Notes:
AL EAST- Yanks relying just a bit more on young pitchers than Boston while Manny Ramirez bounces back from a sub-par ’07 season–giving Boston even MORE offense; it could go either way but a pitcher like Delcarmen may prove to be the difference. Talented staff keeps Toronto very competitive, but will closer Ryan stay healthy? Rays strictly shooting for a .500 record; Orioles won’t be able to close games–and may have a legitimate shot at this division when Britney Spears becomes a great-grandmother.

AL CENTRAL- Tigers may BANG their way to 90+ wins, but RHP Bonderman MUST pitch better and I still question Jones as a “lights out” closer. Tribe’s bullpen is shaky; White Sox are improved but are simply stuck in a tough division. K.C. will have trouble scoring and closing games; questionable starting pitching and the loss of Hunter in the outfield seals the Twins’ last-place finish.

AL WEST- Torii Hunter gives L.A. some desperately-needed offensive punch along with terrific defense. Mariners bolstered by LHP Bedard, but they need better offensive seasons from Lopez and Sexson. A’s starting pitching can surprise if Harden remains healthy–but they lack overall power. Rangers’ team ERA approached SIX last season–and won’t be much better.

NL EAST
Philadelphia Phillies
N.Y. Mets
Atlanta Braves
Washington Nationals
Florida Marlins

NL CENTRAL
Chicago Cubs
Milwaukee Brewers
Houston Astros
Cincinnati Reds
St. Louis Cardinals
Pittsburgh Pirates

NL WEST
Colorado Rockies
Arizona Diamondbacks
L.A. Dodgers
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants

**Notes:
NL EAST- I just flipped a coin between the Mets and Phillies and the Phils won (yes, it’ll go down to the wire)–but closer Lidge MUST capture some past glory and avoid the gopher ball; LHP Santana obviously helps Mets, but they’ll be too injury-prone. Braves’ staff is too old and they’ll miss the OF play of Andruw Jones; Nats fans excited about a new ballpark, but that doesn’t help improve a bad starting rotation. The number of youngsters on the Marlins squad reminds me of an old episode of “Wonderama.”

NL CENTRAL- Cubs lack a legitimate leadoff hitter, but should score enough; the club might be wise to let Marmol AND Wood share closing duties to keep both fresh/healthy. Brewers lack left-handed hitting, but will be in the wild-card hunt; Astros rely too much on Oswalt’s arm and newly-acquired “steroid boy” Tejada may prove to be a distraction. Reds improved their bullpen and Dusty’s motivated team could beat out Houston. Mgr. LaRussa will wish he pursued a legal career as the season unravels in St. Louis; Pirates have some decent, young pitchers, but we must remember that they are–ummmmm–the Pirates.

NL WEST- A toss-up; RHP Haren–a Cy Young candidate–helps Arizona a lot, but Rockies’ power is tough to dismiss. Torre to miss the luxury of a $200+ million payroll in L.A.; Padres outfield (Jim Edmonds?–sheesh) will not produce enough. Good news and bad news for the Giants: Good news is that many players are relieved to be distanced from the “freak-show” known as Bonds over the past few years. The BAD news is that the team generated only 89 RBI’s from the clean-up position last year and they have NO bench; case closed.

*Postseason: Ah, SO many scenarios to be played out during a very long season–and going out on the yearly limb is always a crapshoot. I’ll say that a truly battle-tested Red Sox team makes it (possibly limping very badly) to the Fall Classic once again. The Cubs and Lou Piniella somehow emerge from an inferior National League. Will the Cubbies FINALLY erase a heartbreaking, century-long championship drought? Nahhh–Red Sox in 6.

Enjoy the season, baseball fans.