Everyone Talking About McGwire Except McGwire

Everybody at Busch Stadium was talking about Mark McGwire -- except Mark McGwire.

Tony La Russa spoke about McGwire’s mental approach, then Jack McKeon described his power. Brett Tomko and Dennis Reyes took turns discussing how they’d pitch to him.

But when it came time for the highlight of Friday afternoon’s press conference -- an appearance by McGwire himself -- the man of 59 home runs was a no-show.

“He needed time to clear his head and get ready,” a spokesman for major league baseball announced.

Yet not even McGwire, it seemed, could get enough of this home-run hysteria.

Because at that very moment, right down the hallway from the pregame hustle, McGwire was sitting alone in the St. Louis clubhouse, reading the story about himself in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated.

“The history is just out there,” said La Russa, the Cardinals manager.

And the race for Roger Maris’ mark of 61 home runs was heating up by the moment.

Shortly after McGwire hit seven homers in 20 swings in batting practice, his main rival for the record -- Sammy Sosa -- hit No. 57 for real in the Chicago Cubs’ game at Pittsburgh.

McGwire went into Friday night’s game against Cincinnati on a tear, having hit 12 homers in 16 days, including two in each of his last two games.

And time and time again in the last month, he showed a talent to top Sosa by hitting home runs on the same day as the Cubs star.

“I think it’s coincidental,” La Russa said. “I also think it’s a real healthy competition. It’s much better for Player A if Player B and Player C are having great years.”

McGwire stayed at 59 in his first at-bat Friday night, hitting a high fly ball to medium right field against Pete Harnisch in the first inning.

Fans in the lower deck began standing when McGwire walked to the plate, and flashbulbs popped as he got three fastballs from Harnisch. McGwire flied out on a 1-1 pitch and the crowd, which surprisingly included some empty seats, sat back down.

Before the Cubs’ game began, Sosa predicted McGwire would finish with 70 home runs.

“Everybody knows I’m pulling for Mark. I just want to make the playoffs and if that happens, the whole season will be better,” Sosa said. “I just love what is happening.”

How well McGwire would fare in this three-game series was uncertain. He had hit a home run against every team in the NL this season except the Reds, going just 2-for-13 -- both singles -- with 11 walks.

McKeon, the Reds manager, said his team was not afraid of McGwire, only that it was being careful by walking him.

“In those particular situations, he always seemed to come up with a chance to beat us,” McKeon said.

After Harnisch, Reyes was to start Saturday for the Reds with Tomko working Sunday.

Tomko recently said he wouldn’t mind if he gave up the record-breaker, and he admitted his teammates ribbed him pretty good about the remark.

“If I did, looking back at it after a few years, you’d say you were a part of history,” he said. “It wouldn’t be a disappointment.”

Besides, McGwire’s pursuit has become the main topic in the Reds locker room.

“A lot of people are chattering about it,” Tomko said. “Like if you were playing third base and he hit it, would you give him a high-five?”

Rarely, if ever, has a late-season game between two teams out of pennant contention attracted so much attention.

There were no tickets to be had, with scalpers apparently doing a brisk business. ESPN changed its schedule to televise it and more than 600 media members were on hand to cover it.

Specially marked baseballs are being used for all of McGwire’s at-bats, so they can be identified later. FBI agents also were at the ballpark, part of baseball’s effort to handle security.

The souvenir stands figured to do well, especially if McGwire hit No. 62 during a five-game homestand that includes a visit by Sosa and the Cubs on Monday and Tuesday.

T-shirts (for $30) and pennants ($10) already had been printed up proclaiming McGwire as the home-run champion, but those items were not going on display until he reached 62.

“This is great for Mark McGwire, this is great for baseball,” La Russa said. “This is something phenomenal in our lifetimes.”