The more time passes, the more I suspect that we won’t see Mark McGwire play again this year. And that saddens me. It also means the playoffs will be far less exciting for Cardinal fans, and will probably mean a first-round exit for the Cardinals. I think it’s great what Will Clark has done to keep the Cards afloat in McGwire’s absence, but he is still not Mark McGwire. Imagine the scene in October, in the seventh inning of a close game with the Braves, two men on, Busch Stadium is rocking, and Mark McGwire strides to the plate. No other hitter in the game provides the edge-of-the seat anticipation that McGwire does. That is something all fans will miss out on if McGwire doesn’t play in the post-season. The Cardinals can’t fill the hole in their lineup left by McGwire’s absence. As good as Clark has been, the Cardinals would still be better off with McGwire drawing his numerous walks, and changing the score with one swing. While he was breaking records he kept talking about wanting to win. Now the team is winning, he can’t play, and I fear we’ve seen the last of Big Mac for this year.
