Tuesday, February 23, 2010
State Senator Ryan McKenna, D-22nd District
ADDITIONAL INFO:
Former Major League Baseball player Mark McGwire, shown in this September 17, 2001 file photo has announced that he used steroids when he broke baseball's home run record in 1998.
Basically Missouri Senator Ryan McKenna (D-Crystal City) wishes he knew then what he knows now.
The Crystal City legislator wants to rename the part of Interstate 70 in St. Louis from “Mark McGwire Highway” to its original “Mark Twain Highway.”
McKenna attached an amendment last week to an omnibus transportation bill that renames a few highways in the state, and the bill is approved “McGwire” will fan and “Twain” will step to the dish.
As a state representative in 1999 McKenna carried the water for the bill changing the interstate’s name in honor of the former St. Louis Cardinal player and current hitting instructor. Now he says he wishes he hadn’t.
“Now I know a lot more than I knew then,” McKenna said. “When McGwire admitted to using steroids I thought it was proper and time for me to change that back to the original name of Mark Twain.”
“I guess I had a regret when I sponsored that bill in 1999 and this was my opportunity to change it,” he said.
McKenna also said that when McGwire testified before Congress ion 2005 and responded to questions from U.S. Congressman Lacy Clay that he did not want to talk about the past and instead wanted to be the spokesperson for steroid abuse, but then never “made a statement or took any action to help people who struggle” with steroid abuse, he changed his thinking even more.
McKenna said McGwire’s admission to steroid use during the 1980s and1990s means he was using banned substances while breaking many home run records.
“We now know that when he didn’t fairly break Roger Maris’ record, he was using steroids at the time,” McKenna said. “During his time of using steroids he passed over, in home runs, Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, Reggie Jackson, Mike Schmidt, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams and even our own Stan Musial.”
“I think it’s a black eye on baseball and it’s also a black eye on baseball when Jack Clark criticized McGwire and he was booed by Cardinals fans while McGwire was cheered,” McKenna said. “That was disheartening too.”
The transportation bill, SB 841 and sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-15), would also change a portion of Interstate 44 in St. Louis County to the "Police Officer Ernest M. Brockman Sr. Memorial Highway,” a portion of State Highway 53 in Butler County from the city limits of Qulin to one mile south of the city limits as the "Johnny Lee Hays Memorial Highway, and a portion of South Lindbergh Boulevard in St. Louis County as the "Dave Sinclair Memorial Highway
Comments
obamain2012 (anonymous) says...
This guys an idiot. It almost makes me want to be a Republican. I would rename the whole I-70 Mark McGwire Hwy if I could.
February 23, 2010 at 9:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SW40 (anonymous) says...
I wonder how he feels about Bonds, we all know he takes them also. Not only this guy, but a lot of the democrats have driven me to be a republican but I'm more of an independent since I don't vote any party line.
February 23, 2010 at 10:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )