This is a very skewed stat look why not look at all his stats:
Mark McGwire Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com
Here is one thing that stands out -- when he played more games and was healthy he hit more HRs and his ab/hr was higher. In 93 & 94 (two of the years you have there) he played a total of 74 games! He was hurt most of the time those two years and did not play.
Nobody wants to look at 1987 (his second year in the majors) when he played 151 games and hit 49 HRs! His ab/hr numbers -- 11.36 ab/hr! HIGHER then his steroid years!
Who knows if McGwire had been a healthy athlete what Mark would of hit but that is not the question now. The question should be, does steroids rule McGwire out as a great player worthy of the Hall of Fame?
Back when McGwire hit 70 HRs to break Roger Maris's record at the beginning of the season Baseball was DEAD! Most ball parks were having to sell tickets at half price to get people into the ball parks. McGwire along with Sammy Sosa were Baseball's Magic and Bird. They excited the fans and no one -- NOT ONE PERSON -- either in the media, in the clubhouse or in fandome question the HR Race between the two in the terms of steroids. They knew, they just looked the other way - especially the owners. They wanted their cash cow back and McGwire and Sosa were bring it to them. There was talk of Baseball juicing the balls - making them harder so they would fly father off the bat. Some thought about the bats being loaded - Sammy got caught with a corked bat and did not lose any game time over the issue!? Simply, single handedly, this race brought Baseball back from the brink and took the game off it's knees!
During this time McGwire was the greatest spokesman for his sport. He was gracious to his fans, his fellow players and to anyone in the media. He also was very gracious to Maris's family when he hit #70.
I also want to put into perspective that McGwire was not alone. I believe that most of the players back then took steroids. If you wanted to stay on the field - you took steroids. If you wanted that next contract - you took steroids. If you wanted to play longer and perform against much younger men - you took steroids. Let's face it , anyone here who does not believe that baseball players for the history of the game took whatever was at their disposal in order to continue to play or play at a high level is simply blind. Most of these men are arrogant, egotistical bastards who just have happened to have been blessed with a gift. Let's see Maris hit those home runs against todays pitching lineups.
In fact, McGwire was averaging 36.5 hr/yr (1st yr 18 games played and 93 & 94 when he played 27 & 47 respectively). Given that stat he would of hit 584 HRs in his career WITHOUT steroids if he had of stayed healty.
Being realist and knowing he would of slowed down some we could easily see at least 500 HRs in his career. So, did the steroids help that much?
Back to Maris, using the same stats (and only counting years he played at least 100 games) Maris was averaging 24.27. Year he hit 61 he played in 161 games. McGwire hit 52 in 130 games. Had he played in 161 games - he would of hit 64 HRs! Year before he hit 39 in 104 games - total for 161 - 60 HRs! And this was BEFORE he started using steroids for other then injurys!
Anyone who says Mark McGwire was not a prolific HR slugger is just being blind to the facts! As for Hall of Fame -- it is littered with drug addicts, alcoholics and a murder! And you want to keep McGwire out for doing what everyone else in the game at the time was doing --- please!
