Jay McGwire Tells His Story, Mark Sad and Disappointed

The Jay McGwire chapter of the Mark McGwire saga may be the saddest of all. It was disappointing, disgusting, and sickening to a baseball fan that McGwire cheated. It was embarrassing when he appeared on Capitol Hill refusing to talk about the past. It was cowardly when he disappeared from existence for the five years after that fateful day.

But today, is just sad. For all of his mistakes, he’s still human. He still has a family and friends that love him and that he loves just as much. We can all relate to that. So, the recent news that has put Jay McGwire in the spotlight is painful. It would be for all of us. It’s not just that Jay is selling out his brother in a book. The story goes way deeper than that.

They were once best friends. Inseparable. Mark and Jay lived together during his early days in Oakland. Jay was often seen in the clubhouse with Mark. They were extremely close. So, what could possibly break them apart? It would have to be something major, something awful, right?

Not exactly. According to reports, the brothers haven’t talked since 2002. The feud stems from a minor incident:

“The brothers fell out after Jay McGwire’s stepson, Eric, tickled Mark and caused Mark to spill coffee on himself. Mark then swatted Eric on the backside. Jay’s wife, Francine, then refused to attend Mark’s wedding.”

There has to be more to it than that. If I would buy the book for any reason, it would be to learn the truth behind the end of their relationship, not to learn more about steroids. If the brothers let that come between them, they both should be embarrassed — far more than the embarrassment of their steroid usage. As brothers and friends, they couldn’t get through that, but they were together through the entire steroid production.

Jay, a professional bodybuilder, claims to be the mastermind behind Mark’s steroid program. In his interview, I didn’t think he focused on bashing his brother like many have claimed. Yes, he’s selling a book to make some money, but he’s not criticizing him for everything. He was with Mark every step of the way and understands why he did it. He also knows how he did it. I got the vibe that Jay was praising Mark at various points in the interview, and that he still cares about Mark.

He said, “But I want to make it very clear it wasn’t just the drugs. People under estimate the training behind it. Mark busted his butt.”

He knows Mark worked hard to get where he was. The steroids were a huge boost, but the boost is only worth it if you have intense workouts. You can’t let up.

Still, beyond the steroids, this story needs to be resolved for the brothers. They shouldn’t go the rest of life without acknowledging each other. It’s not right. Mark is begging forgiveness from the baseball world right now. He’s getting a second chance. Maybe, he should forgive his brother and ask his forgiveness.

His brotherly bond needs a second chance far more than his baseball one. I just hope he doesn’t wait another ten years to ask for it.