Time To Give Up the Ghost, Big Mac

It could be worse for Mark McGwire.

He could be Barry Bonds.

Look up "scapegoat" in the dictionary and find a picture of Bonds.

Look up "Pete Rose" in the dictionary and find a picture of McGwire.

Mark McGwire revitalized America's national pastime, picking it up in the 1998 season by smashing the home-run record when the bitter taste of the strike-shortened 1994 season still lingered about the sport. He became a household name in the late '90s.

However, his sparkling public imagine was soon muddied when the accusations of  his steroid use began leaking out of St. Louis.

He was never convicted of any steroid use, likely because most of what he was alleged to have done was not in fact illegal in Major League Baseball at the time. Nor has he admitted to any steroid use, mostly because his public appearances have been few and far between.

So, when McGwire appeared in front of the House Government Reform Committee on March 17, 2005, it was the first time many had seen him since his retirement following the 2001 season.

It was here that McGwire cemented the skepticism that now surrounded his career with the following statements:

"My lawyers have advised me that I cannot answer these questions without jeopardizing my friends, my family, and myself. I will say, however, that it remains a fact in this country that a man, any man, should be regarded as innocent unless proven guilty."

And let's not forget what was, at the time, the most famous one-liner of the conference (since surpassed by Rafael Palmiero's "I have never intentionally used steroids. Never. Ever. Period"): "I'm not here to talk about the past. I'm here to be positive about this subject." 

Though heavily criticized for these comments, which left few believe that he remained clean for his entire career, McGwire has since stuck to his guns (pun intended), never admitting to using any performance-enhancing substances.

Because of what was permitted at the time, he may be able to skirt the issue forever, leaving his involvement up to speculation.

But, with the release of a book in which his brother essentially takes credit for permanently marring his career, it is time for McGwire to attempt to win his baseball career back.

Unfortunately, he has gone the way of Pete Rose, who stubbornly refused to admit to betting on baseball until decades after his banishment from the sport.

With the wounds of McGwire's choices still being relatively fresh in baseball, he may be able to slowly garner some acceptance from baseball fans. While clearly one of the most high profiled athletes involved, McGwire is by no means alone.