a standing ovation from Cardinals fans Sunday in his first public
appearance in St. Louis since admitting he used steroids.
His scheduled news conference,
however, was shifted to an overcrowded hallway at the last minute, and
McGwire evaded questions about the criticism he’s received from
ex-players. The former home run king emphasized repeatedly he was ready
to move on.
Dressed in jeans, a sweater and
running shoes, the 46-year-old McGwire walked on stage to “Welcome to
the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses, the hard-rock song played before his
at-bats with the Cardinals. The team’s new hitting coach was cheered by
fans who secured seats as much as 3 1/2 hours earlier.
In a brief appearance, he warned kids
not to try steroids and said he was happy about his chance to put on a
major league uniform again.
McGwire, hired as batting coach in October, added he had a “huge Rolodex of knowledge” to pass on to Cardinals hitters.
He was supposed to be at a podium
minutes later, but when his news conference was moved into a narrow
hallway it left reporters jostling for space and shouting questions.
The session lasted just more than six minutes before questions were cut
off and McGwire was escorted out by security through a back door.