最新杏吧原创

鈥淲hen he got to campus for the visit, I was taken aback,鈥� 最新杏吧原创 University baseball coach Darin Hendrickson said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 kind of the spitting image of his dad.鈥�

McGwire plays first base for 最新杏吧原创.

That鈥檚 Max McGwire, 22, the son of the legendary Cardinal Mark McGwire.

No, Max isn鈥檛 the son Mark lifted at home plate during the 鈥�98 home run race. That鈥檚 Matthew, who is now 37. Max is one of five children Mark has with his wife, Stephanie, who hails from the Glen Carbon/Edwardsville area.

Max was raised in Southern California but spent key periods of his childhood in 最新杏吧原创 鈥� because Mark was the Cards鈥� hitting coach in 2010-12. Max graduated from California鈥檚 Capistrano Valley High in 2021.

鈥淵ou know, everybody has a different path to their dreams of trying to be a professional player, and his path has had a bunch of roadblocks with a couple of different universities,鈥� said Mark of Max, who previous played, albeit sparingly, for Oklahoma and San Diego.

鈥淣ow he鈥檚 getting an opportunity to play pretty much every day 鈥� DH, first base or right field. He has a cannon for an arm. So he鈥檚 getting a true test of what it鈥檚 like. And I鈥檓 really happy for him. 鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 so awesome. And 最新杏吧原创 means so much to us.鈥�

McGwire. The name stirs emotions in this city the way few other names do. The 1998 season was a ride. An experience. The Cardinals slugger broke the seemingly unbreakable record of 61 homers in a season 鈥� and did so with a Chicago Cub right on his tail. McGwire got to 62 first 鈥� 鈥淭ouch first, Mark, you are the new single-season home run king,鈥� Joe Buck said on the FOX broadcast on Sept. 8, 1998 鈥� and shortly after, Chicago鈥檚 Sammy Sosa soon hit No. 62, too. And when it was over, McGwire finished 1998 with an impossible total of 70 home runs (Sosa had 66).

It rejuvenated Redbird fans and, many say, resuscitated the sport.

After his career ended 鈥� he hit 583 homers and from 1986-2001 鈥� McGwire admitted he used steroids to help recover from injuries. He was later inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame, though not Cooperstown.

鈥淚 watch those (1998) highlights all the time,鈥� said Max, who is a baseball superfan, quoting specific seasons and old players during our conversation. 鈥淚 wish I was alive to watch them in person, because that鈥檚 all I hear all the time: 鈥業f you were there watching during 鈥�98, the chase, and how crazy that was 鈥� I mean, the videos don鈥檛 do it justice.鈥� But that鈥檚 all I got. And, yeah, it鈥檚 very special.鈥�

Sure enough, guess who one of the Cardinals鈥� batting practice pitchers was in 1998?

The current SLU coach Hendrickson.

The ties that bind, in this case, are red laces from a Rawlings.

And so, it was last summer Max batted well in the summertime Northwoods League 鈥� and SLU coaches searched for a diamond in the rough on the diamonds. There was 6-foot-3 Max McGwire, who soon took a visit to the town near where his mom was raised (and his dad used to work).

鈥淚t was a perfect fit,鈥� Mark said.

What鈥檚 cool about Max is his mentality. Sure seemed to be raised right. And I鈥檓 not just saying because he hits well or throws well. I mean by how he carries himself. Hendrickson praised the 鈥渘ormal鈥� way Max goes about his days.

鈥淲e were always raised that we鈥檙e going to be our own players, and so that whole aspect (of being Mark鈥檚 son) never really bothered me,鈥� Max said. 鈥淚鈥檓 comfortable in my own skin being my own player. So I mean, obviously I鈥檒l have the name on my back, but comfortable being who I am. 鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 so lucky to have him as my dad, so grateful for everything that he鈥檚 done for us. He鈥檚 so supportive and always positive with us. And then having that his experience going to him with anything in life, just baseball or off the field, and being around him in the clubhouse, learning from him. I鈥檓 extremely grateful for it, and even coming out here (to 最新杏吧原创), it鈥檚 just even more.鈥�

Max was born in October of 2002, so he was around ages 8-10 when 鈥淏ig Mac鈥� was the hitting coach. Max would hang out with his brother, Mason (who鈥檚 in the Cubs minor-league system), and some of the other Cardinals kids, such as Jackson and Ethan Holliday 鈥� Jackson is on the Baltimore Orioles and Ethan is expected to be a top-10 pick in this upcoming draft.

With a smile like Mark鈥檚, Max told a story of Albert Pujols.

Before a game at the Marlins, Pujols told the McGwire kids: 鈥淗ey, I鈥檓 going to hit a homer for you guys today.鈥�

Sure enough, Pujols hit a homer.

The legendary Pujols then sought out the kids in the clubhouse and gave them big bear hugs.

鈥淚t鈥檚 unbelievable what he did,鈥� Max said. 鈥淪o many memories. My brother and I, we talk about them all the time to this day. I mean, we were there with the 2011 World Series run. Going to all those World Series games, Game 6. I mean, unbelievable.

鈥淭hese memories, I mean, they鈥檙e just stuck in there. I鈥檒l never forget them. 鈥� St Louis has always been like his second home in me. My mom鈥檚 whole side of the town is from here. Basically just grew up in this clubhouse. So this is just like second home to me. Very comfortable. I love it here, and it鈥檚 been great so far. 鈥� SLU is like a breath of fresh air.鈥�

Offensively, Max got off to a slow start this spring. But he went 5-for-12 in a series in the L.A. area against Loyola Marymount 鈥� where his family attended the games.

鈥淎fterwards, I got to talk to Mark for a while,鈥� Hendrickson shared. 鈥淎nd he said, I鈥檓 more nervous there than I was hitting, watching Max hit.鈥�

This is Max鈥檚 first college season with at least 100 at-bats. He鈥檚 finding himself in the batter鈥檚 box. In his last eight games, he鈥檚 9-for-26 with two homers and nine RBIs and five walks.

And he has another year of eligibility.

He鈥檚 fitting in with the 最新杏吧原创 Billikens 鈥� and 最新杏吧原创.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just great living, you know?鈥� Mark said. 鈥淟iving downtown and enjoying St Louis life. And you know, Max, he鈥檚 a foodie. He goes to The Hill all the time. He鈥檚 got his places at The Hill. He鈥檚 got his steak places and Clayton. So he鈥檚 really, really enjoying it, like, like I did as a player when I lived there back in the latter 90s, yeah, and early 2000s. It鈥檚 funny because he always texts me: 鈥楧ad, I鈥檓 out having a steak right now.鈥� I鈥檓 like, 鈥楢re you with anyone?鈥� He goes, 鈥楴o, I鈥檓 sitting by myself, sitting in the corner.鈥� And I go, 鈥楩ollowing your dad鈥檚 footsteps!鈥� 鈥�