Readers Glad That This Race Went Down to the McGwire

Mark McGwire, thank you for including the Maris family, Sammy Sosa and your boy.

And thank you for not spitting.

PHYLLIS DONALSON, Santa Monica

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Can the laws of mathematical probability explain why Mark McGwire hit his 61st home run on his father’s 61st birthday--or is this the best evidence we have that there is a creator?

DENNIS M. CLAUSEN, Escondido

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Mark McGwire’s sportsmanship was truly inspirational, particularly his kindness and thoughtful consideration of the Maris family. As a 41-year old father of three, I have been rooting for underdogs all my life, beginning with Roger Maris in 1961. It’s past time to correct an injustice and honor this great man by admitting him posthumously to his rightful place in the Hall of Fame, without an asterisk.

Why? For hitting 61 homers in 1961 and setting the record that stood for 37 years, for having back-to-back MVP years, for a great arm (Mickey Mantle once said never missed a cutoff man and he made one of the greatest throws in World Series history) and for his leadership. In the twilight of his career, he was traded to St. Louis, where he played his last two seasons. The Cardinals went to the World Series both years. Just ask his teammates what his presence meant.

RANDY NOE, Agoura Hills

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Comparing moments:

Which was shorter, the time it took No. 62 to clear the fence or the time it took Disney to get “We’re going to Disney World” on the air?

Which was longer, waiting since April for the 62nd home run, or waiting for Roger Maris to be voted into the Hall of Fame?

BRUCE GREENBERG, Irvine

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Mark McGwire’s accomplishment is amazing. He is a credit to himself, his family and baseball. But watching the hoopla [Tuesday] night, it sort of struck me that it was kind of like watching them stop the Indy 500 at Lap 180 and getting excited because Little Al was in the lead.

Let’s not forget that for Mark & the Cardinals the season is over. Sammy Sosa is in the thick of a wild-card race and cannot afford to let up.

It’s still a race to the checkered flag that drops on Sept. 27. I hope for Big Mac, Sammy and baseball it’s bumper to bumper until then. And in this case, either way, the best man will win.

BARRY WEISS, Valley Village

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From now on, when you look in the dictionary for the definition of “class act,” you’ll see a group picture of Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and the Maris family.

PAUL KNEIPP, Tarzana

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One of the best things about this contest for a home run record is that the contenders are all baseball players, not sedentary designated hitters.

ED JOHNSTON, Covina

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Who are the role models for whom? Several fans (and a groundskeeper) pass up the opportunity for thousands of dollars, or much more, of selling Mark McGwire home run balls because they are more interested in doing the right thing. Mike Piazza, J.D. Drew and all the other players and their agents who think that life is all about not leaving the table without taking the last penny of their perceived worth should follow the lead of these genuine folks.

ROB OWENS, Pacific Palisades

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Nobody can deny the Maris chase has done great things for baseball. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa should be commended for their accomplishments and their character. However as a fan of baseball, I can say without a touch of guilt, I would have sold No. 62 to the highest bidder.

“Oh what about the integrity of baseball?” people will lament. Wake up, we’re no longer in Kansas. We’re in the age of huge conglomerate-owned franchises, where small-market teams struggle to compete because of television and its mighty dollar, and short-term contracts, free agency and arbitration make player-team loyalty a distant memory. Furthermore, if my memory serves me, wasn’t it only four years ago that players and management turned their backs on the fans and walked out on a season and canceled the World Series?

Say it ain’t so, Joe, but baseball has taught me to hold out for the dough.

RICH LANG, Manhattan Beach

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Talk about the tail wagging the dog. Baseball, in need of a boost in fan interest because of recent labor troubles, waters down pitching via expansion, “juices up” the balls it uses, and refuses to outlaw a performance-enhancing substance (androstenedione) which has been banned in all other major sports, as well as in international and Olympic competition. The result: A manufactured home run race that draws media attention from the likes of Time, Newsweek and ABC “World News Tonight” in addition to the traditional sports media.

I’m sure that Mark McGwire is a very nice guy, but the truth is, he never came close to 61 home runs before he started using the substance. I’ll get excited if baseball decides to ban androstenedione, test McGwire next season to make certain that he isn’t using it, and then see how many home runs he hits. My bet is that he would revert to 40 to 50--not shabby, but also not earth-shattering.

LAWRENCE LEE, Brea

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It was 1961, the last game of the season for the Yankees and Roger Maris’ last chance to break Babe Ruth’s record. A very close friend had tickets right next to the Yankee dugout and I used them. When Maris hit his 61st home run, I ran onto the field and congratulated him and returned to my seat. I was not thrown out of the park.

I have great respect for Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Records were made to be broken.

LORANN R. PIKE, Palm Springs

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Why wasn’t Saturday’s game, when McGwire hit No. 60, shown live on Fox in Southern California? The spokesperson explained that Fox stuck with its children’s programming because it was already committed to do so.

Most people who live in Southern California will easily recall an incident earlier this year when a man stopped his truck on a freeway overpass and committed suicide. This was all shown live on many TV stations throughout Southern California. The coverage of this horrible incident was given priority over that afternoon’s children’s programming.

SEAN McCLAIN, Claremont

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Has anyone noticed the following eerie coincidences surrounding the McGwire-Ruth-Maris pursuit?

* McGwire, wearing No. 25, broke a home run record that stood 37 years. Twenty-five plus thirty-seven equal 62! (And if we add 3, 9, and 25--the uniform numbers of Ruth, Maris, and McGwire--the result is 37).

* McGwire’s 62nd home run was retrieved by Busch Stadium groundskeeper Tim Forneris--whose name rhymes with “Maris.”

* In 1961, Roger Maris slugged his record-breaking homer off a pitcher whose initials are T.S. (Tracy Stallard). McGwire’s record-breaker came off a pitcher with the initials S.T. (Steve Trachsel).

* McGwire hit his historic homer at 8:18 p.m. If we take 818 and subtract 104 (Maury Wills’ then-record stolen-base total in 1962), the result is 714--Babe Ruth’s home run total.

* McGwire was huggin’ everyone in sight following his record homer. Ruth’s 1927 Yankees were managed by Miller Huggins.

LEWIS VAN GELDER, Los Angeles

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So, I see Bill Bavasi say, “If we would have known he would hit 62 . . . “

Hey Bill, you seem to be the only person on the planet who didn’t know that he was going to do it, and you are a general manager of a baseball team? And by the way, where has this Taveras jerk been, still digesting his foot from his famous “no player is worth $10 million” statement? I have this incredible hunch that Disney will pass on another no-brainer (Piazza) and get another Eddie Murray or Cecil Fielder for less money and release him before August.

My only question is: Why did Disney even get in the sports market?

CORY RICE, Glendora

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Randy Harvey’s batting foul when he second-guesses Bill Bavasi. I’m sure Angel fans and Gene Autry would take a World Series berth over any individual achievement any time.

BOB GINN, Arcadia

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I compare Disney’s decision not to trade for McGwire to the infamous one made by the record producer who failed to sign the Beatles because according to him, “Guitars were on their way out.”

MATTHEW C. RODRIGUEZ, Costa Mesa

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Now that school has begun, Bill Bavasi should stand in front of the classroom and write on the blackboard, “I should have signed Mark McGwire!”--62 times.

BARRY P. RESNICK, Orange

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Disney finally signs McGwire . . . and then sends him to Orlando.

HOWARD MATIONG, Gardena