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Is Mark McGwire someone kids should look up to?

By Janet Blatz
Garden Valley Collegiate
Winkler, Manitoba


 

Setting a record for the most home runs in one season, Mark McGwire has become a role model to many children and adults. McGwire scored 70 home runs for his team in one season, beating current record holder, Roger Maris.

Although McGwire ended the season successfully with a new world record, he came close to losing it twice during the season to Sammy Sosa, who ended with 66 home runs.

McGwire has played for the St Louis Cardinals since the middle of the season of last year. Before that, he played first base for the Oakland Athletics from 1987-1997. He was the Rookie of the Year in 1987. McGwire was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the first found of the 1984 free agent draft. On December 24, 1992, McGwire was re-signed by the Oakland Athletics as a free agent He also played for the U.S. Olympic baseball team in 1984.

 
Mark McGwire

 

McGwire has accomplished much during this past season and has become a hero to sports fans of many ages. Although it takes great skill and talent to get as far as McGwire did with his career, he may have had a little help from a strength enhancing drug called Andro.

Andro is a testosterone-boosting drug. The full name of this drug is Androstendione. Andro is also said to be a dietary supplement, because it is found in meats and some plant extracts. An average dose of this drug is 100mg. which increases the testosterone levels between 211% and 237%. The drug is taken approximately 45 minutes before exercise and will be effective for an hour after it has been consumed.

Although Mark McGwire has not shown any harmful side affects from the drug at this time, the long-term effects could be harmful. It could cause tissue damage, heart defects, or abnormal production of testosterone in his body.

Although Andro is a legal drug in major league baseball, there is a controversy of whether it is right or wrong to take this drug to enhance strength and performance. Some people believe that it is okay to take this drug since it is legal and does not have any harmful side effects that are seen immediately.

Yet there are also many people who believe that McGwire is setting a bad example by taking Andro. Some of his fans, especially children, might think that it is okay to take drugs to make you stronger and faster. After all, he did break a world record.



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