Writer may beat Mark McGwire to Hall of Fame

In a telling sign of the times, the reporter who broke the 1998 story about Mark McGwire using androstenedione today stands a better chance of making the Hall of Fame than McGwire and his famous foil from that season, Sammy Sosa.

Steve Wilstein, the former Associated Press reporter who spotted a bottle of androstenedione on the shelf of McGwire’s locker and got him to admit to using the then-over-the-counter, testosterone-producing supplement, has been nominated for the J. G. Taylor Spink Award and admission to the baseball writers’ wing in Cooperstown.

In 1998, Wilstein was branded a killjoy and worse for writing his story about McGwire’s andro supply and posing the question: Is the McGwire-Sosa home run chase real?

More than a decade later, Wilstein’s piece is considered ground-breaking.

“I’ve only been nominated by the writers in Seattle,” Wilstein told the Associated Press. “I’m not one of the finalists yet, and I don’t want to sound as if I’m campaigning. But I’d like to think the decision will be more of a referendum about writers covering the issues than it will be about me.”

Trivia time

Hank Aaron began his major league career in 1954 with the Milwaukee Braves by batting .280 with 27 doubles and 13 home runs. But he wasn’t the National League rookie of the year. Who was?

Manager mellow

Has Lou Piniella gone soft?

The Chicago Cubs manager recently responded to criticism that he needs to show more fire to inspire his scuffling team:

“What do I need to show fire for? I’m not a dragon.

“If I was out there arguing all the time, they would be saying, ‘Well, this guy has lost his cool.’

“Look, I still want to win. I still have it in my belly. I think the players obviously know that. . . .

“The players play on the field. And our job is to prepare them and keep them as motivated as possible.

“I was reading an article just a week ago about Phil Jackson and Joe Torre, how calm and cool they are and how successful they are. . . . I don’t think by me going out there and kicking dirt and doing those things is going to get anybody fired up to play baseball.”

Last . . . and loving it

In a down economy, the price of irrelevancy is up.

Kicker Ryan Succop, the 256th and last player taken in April’s NFL draft, just signed a three-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs for a reported $1.2 million.

Succop will mark the occasion by spending five days next week in Newport Beach, where he will be honored as this year’s Mr. Irrelevant.

“I don’t really mind it,” Succop said on the day he was drafted. “I don’t plan on being irrelevant.”

Trivia answer

Wally Moon of the St. Louis Cardinals. Moon batted .304 with 29 doubles and 12 home runs.

(Question and answer provided by reader Hap Freund of Santa Barbara.)

And finally

Johnny Miller, NBC golf analyst, to the New York Times about CBS’ Nick Faldo being knighted by the Queen of England: “Is CBS going to call him Sir Nick now? Jim Nantz might.”

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mike.penner@latimes.com