McGwire Raises Bar to 64

Amid an atmosphere that more closely resembled Oktoberfest than a late-season matchup between teams well out of contention, Mark McGwire regained the lead in baseball’s home run derby with his 64th home run before a packed crowd of 48,194 at County Stadium on Friday night.

The Chicago Cubs’ Sammy Sosa, one behind at 63, will get his shot at adding to County Stadium’s homer lore next week.

“What we’ve done in the game of baseball, nobody’s ever done. Nobody’s ever done it,” McGwire said. “And it’s like, what we’re doing right now, people want more. How much more do you want? We’re doing our best. We’re both rooting for each other, and wherever the numbers finish, where we land, that’s the way it is.”

For McGwire, it was one more magical moment in a summer filled with them. He’d entertained fans, including Green Bay Packer quarterback Brett Favre, with a dazzling round of batting practice.

He hit two balls completely out of County Stadium, bringing fans to their feet. But he walked in his first at-bat against Brewer rookie starter Rafael Roque. When McGwire came up in the fourth inning, fans booed as Roque again fell behind McGwire.

With the count 3-and-1, Roque challenged him with a fastball down the middle, and McGwire ripped it over the left-field fence, becoming the first player in major league history to hit 64 home runs. McGwire was cheered as he rounded the bases, and the cheering didn’t stop until he stepped back from the visiting dugout to acknowledge the ovation.

McGwire came close to hitting No. 65 in both the sixth and eighth innings of St. Louis’ 5-2 victory over Milwaukee. In the sixth, he lined a ball about 10 feet outside the left-field foul pole before hitting a fly ball that right fielder Jeromy Burnitz ran down on the warning track.

In the eighth, he hit a monstrous shot that sailed outside the left-field foul pole. On the next swing, he popped up to catcher Bobby Hughes.

Jason King, a waiter from Madison, Wis., ended up with McGwire’s 64th home run ball. He said he doesn’t know what he’s going to do with the prize, but for now, he’s taking the ball home.

“I got it!” King said. “A dream come true.”

When McGwire’s 417-foot drive shot through an exit tunnel in the left-centerfield stands, King left his seat on the aisle. He injured his knee and his right arm was bandaged as he talked about the ball, which was placed in a stadium vault and guarded by a Milwaukee County sheriff’s deputy until after the game.

King and his brother, Dave Wilshire, 39, bought one ticket to each of the three games of the sold-out weekend series in May. Wilshire was supposed to go Friday but stayed behind to take care of King’s daughter, and King said he would take the ball with him for now.

“I want [Wilshire] to hold it in his hands because this is just as much his as it is mine,” King said.

McGwire and the Cardinals have eight games remaining, two at County Stadium and six in St. Louis.

County Stadium was the site of Hank Aaron’s 755th and last home run, off Dick Drago on July 20, 1976. Informed of the tidbit before the game, McGwire said he’d love to meet Aaron.

“Yeah, he’s the King of Swat, right? He’s the home run guy,” said McGwire, who has 175 homers in three seasons and 451 overall. He needs one more to tie Carl Yastrzemski for 20th on the career list.

*

The Washington Post and Associated Press contributed to this story.

* SOSA IS STUCK: The Cub right fielder went 0 for 4 and scored a run in Chicago’s 6-4 loss to Cincinnati. C4

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

MAKING HISTORY

McGWIRE

HOME RUNS: 64

FRIDAY: 1

GAMES LEFT: 8

SOSA

HOME RUNS: 63

FRIDAY: 0

GAMES LEFT: 7