Source: Cards to hire McGwire as coach

The Cardinals are expected to hire Mark McGwire as their new hitting coach, one member of the organization told FOXSports.com on Sunday.


The team has scheduled a press conference for Monday morning.
McGwire will work under Tony La Russa, his manager with the A's and Cardinals. ESPN.com reported Sunday that La Russa, whose contract was about to expire, will return to the club on a multiyear contract.

La Russa's new contract should be announced at Monday's news conference, as well.

Pitching coach Dave Duncan is also likely to return, the team employee said. Duncan previously told FOXSports.com that he would wait until La Russa made his decision before committing to a team for 2010.
According to FanHouse.com, the news of McGwire's return to baseball first appeared on the Twitter account of Brian McRae, the former major league outfielder. McRae's father, Hal, had been the Cardinals' hitting coach.


Duncan wants to continue coaching, and there are not many options for him in the big leagues outside of St. Louis. Duncan worked with Cincinnati general manager Walt Jocketty in the past, but Jocketty hired Bryan Price as the Reds' new pitching coach.
McGwire has generally avoided the public eye since 2001, his final season as a player. Since then, his former teammate Jose Canseco has said McGwire used performance-enhancing drugs.

he'll have the cards juiced up in no time.
was larussa drunk again when he came up w/ this idea to bring back this roided up scumbag?

this will be as successful as gretzky trying to coach.

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/01/mitch-williams.html

Mitch Williams: McGwire doesn't belong in Hall

<ABBR class=published title=2010-01-12T10:40:50-06:00>January 12, 2010 10:40 AM</ABBR> |

Former Cubs closer Mitch Williams, an analyst for the MLB Network, said Tuesday he was disappointed with aspects of Mark McGwire's steroids admission.

"He said he took 'em for his health and to get back on the field. Well, the last time I checked, if you can't get back on the field, you can't perform," Williams said on "The Mully & Hanley Show" on WSCR-AM 670. "If you take these and it allows you to go on the field, it's performance-enhancing. He's in denial.

"With his admission, I don't think the Hall of Fame is even a consideration. Him doing what he did (Monday) was his way of saying the Hall of Fame doesn't mean anything to me. And to me, that's a good thing. I don't think anyone that admits, who is proven guilty of using them belongs in the Hall of Fame."

Speaking of the Hall, Williams said he's delighted that former teammate Andre Dawson is being inducted.

Photo: Mitch Williams celebrates a save with the Cubs in 1988. (Mark Elia/AP)

"Hands down, without question, the classiest human being I was ever around in a baseball uniform. I couldn't be more proud of him that he got in, and more proud that I had the opportunity to play with a guy like him. He was the best."

Another former Williams teammate, Greg Maddux, was named Monday to serve as a special assistant to Cubs GM Jim Hendry.

"There's a lot of things about Mad Dog that were always hard to read," Williams said. "You sit with him and he's an absolute goofball. And probably the best pitcher I ever saw. He knows the game of baseball and how to pitch and there's an art to it. And he's a guy who mastered the art of pitching. You need guys like him. ... And with the generation that we're dealing with today, he can play video games will all of them."

This is the main reason he came out yesterday with his announcement. Without admitting he used steriods, he would not have been allowed to have any position in MLB.