Seventy: McGwire's Home Run Chase Makes History

On September 27, 1998, Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals made baseball history by hitting his 69th and 70th home runs of the season, breaking the previous single-season home run record of 61 set by Roger Maris in 1961. The record-breaking moment occurred during a game against the Montreal Expos at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri.

In the third inning, McGwire stepped up to the plate and launched a line drive over the left-field wall off Expos pitcher Carl Pavano for his 69th home run of the season, tying his own record set just a few days earlier. The crowd of 47,616 fans erupted in cheers as McGwire rounded the bases, celebrating the historic achievement.

Later in the game, in the seventh inning, McGwire once again electrified the crowd when he hit a towering shot off Expos reliever Mike Thurman, sending the ball deep into the left-field seats for his 70th home run of the season. The crowd went wild, giving McGwire a standing ovation that lasted several minutes as he took a curtain call and acknowledged the fans' support.

McGwire's chase for the home run record had captivated the nation throughout the summer of 1998, as he and fellow slugger Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs engaged in a friendly rivalry to see who would break Maris' long-standing record first. The race between McGwire and Sosa helped revitalize interest in baseball, which had been struggling to regain popularity following the 1994 players' strike.

Although McGwire's record would later be surpassed by Barry Bonds, who hit 73 home runs in 2001, the moment of his 70th home run remains one of the most iconic in baseball history. It was a triumphant culmination of a season-long pursuit that had captured the imagination of fans across the country and around the world.

McGwire finished the 1998 season with 70 home runs and 147 RBIs, while batting .299. He was named the National League's Most Valuable Player and was widely celebrated for his accomplishments. However, his legacy would later be tarnished by allegations of steroid use, which he admitted to in 2010.

Despite the controversy surrounding McGwire's career, his record-breaking performance on September 27, 1998, remains a seminal moment in sports history, one that will be remembered for generations to come as a testament to the power and excitement of America's national pastime.

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to This Moment in Sports History podcast. On September
twenty seventh, nineteen ninety eight, Mark McGuire of the Saint
Louis Cardinals made baseball history by hitting his sixty ninth
and seventieth home runs of the season, breaking the previous
single season home run record of sixty one set by
Roger Marris in nineteen sixty one. The record breaking moment

(00:22):
occurred during a game against the Montreal Expos at Bush
Stadium in Saint Louis, Missouri. In the third inning, McGuire
stepped up to the plate and launched a line drive
over the left field wall of Expo's pitcher Carl Pavano
for his sixty ninth home run of the season, tying
his own record set just a few days earlier. The

(00:42):
crowd of forty seven thousand, six hundred and sixteen fans
erupted in cheers as McGuire rounded the bases, celebrating the
historic achievement. Later in the game, in the seventh inning,
McGuire once again electrified the crowd when he hit a
towering shot off Expo's reliever Mike Ferman, sending the ball
deep into the left field seats for his seventieth home

(01:03):
run of the season. The crowd went wild, giving the
guire a standing ovation that lasted several minutes as he
took a curtain call and acknowledged the fans support. Mc
guire's chase for the home run record had captivated the
nation throughout the summer of nineteen ninety eight, as he
and fellow slugger Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs engaged

(01:24):
in a friendly rivalry to see who would break Maris's
long standing record first. The race between mc guire and
Sosa helped revitalize interest in baseball, which had been struggling
to regain popularity following the nineteen ninety four players strike.
Although mc guire's record would later be surpassed by Barry Bonds,
who hit seventy three home runs in two thousand one,

(01:46):
the moment of his seventieth home run remains one of
the most iconic in baseball history. It was a triumphant
culmination of a season long pursuit that had captured the
imagination of fans across the country and around the world.
Mc guire finished the nineteen ninety eight season with seventy
home runs and one hundred forty seven RBIs while batting

(02:07):
two hundred ninety nine. He was named the National League's
Most Valuable Player and was widely celebrated for his accomplishments. However,
his legacy would later be tarnished by allegations of steroid use,
which he admitted to in two thousand ten. Despite the
controversy surrounding mc guire's career, his record breaking performance on
September twenty seventh, nineteen ninety eight remains a seminal moment

(02:30):
in sports history, one that will be remembered for generations
to come as a testament to the power and excitement
of America's national pastime. And that wraps it up. Join
us tomorrow and be sure to hit that subscribe button
so you never miss a daily slice of sports history.
This has been a Quiet Please Studio's production. For more

(02:53):
check out Quiet Please dot Ai. Thank you for heny