McGwire, Mark

McGwire, Mark

▪ American athlete
in full  Mark David McGwire 
born October 1, 1963, Pomona, California, U.S.

      professional baseball player, considered one of the most powerful hitters in the history of the game. In 1998 he set a major league record for most home runs in a season (70), breaking Roger Maris (Maris, Roger)'s mark of 61. See Researcher's Note: Baseball's problematic single-season home run record.

      As a senior in high school, McGwire attracted more attention with his pitching than with his swing. The Montreal Expos drafted him as a pitcher in 1981, but instead he attended the University of Southern California, where he moved to first base, a position he was to maintain in the majors. Selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 1984 draft, McGwire joined the major league club in 1987 and quickly displayed the strength that would become his trademark. His 49 home runs that year set a rookie record and helped earn him American League Rookie of the Year honours. In 1989 his .343 postseason batting average guided Oakland to the World Series championship. Injuries, however, soon plagued McGwire, and from 1993 to 1995 he missed 290 games. In 1996, after briefly contemplating retirement, he became only the 13th player to hit 50 home runs in a single season. Traded to the National League Cardinals the following year, he posted 58 homers and elected against free agency to stay with St. Louis.

      Attempts to top Maris's 37-year-old single-season home run record dominated the 1998 season. McGwire and the Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa (Sosa, Sammy) thrilled fans with their home run derby, and midway through the year McGwire hit one of the longest homers of his career (545 feet [166 metres]). On September 1 he broke Hack Wilson's 68-year-old National League record (56 home runs), and six days later he tied Maris's mark. On September 8 McGwire hit his shortest home run (341 feet) of the year to break the record. The following year he became the second player (Sosa was the first) to hit 60 home runs in two seasons. McGwire held the home run record for only a brief period; the record was broken by Barry Bonds (Bonds, Barry) on October 5, 2001. (Bonds hit 73 home runs that year.) McGwire announced his retirement from baseball after the 2001 season.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • McGwire, Mark David — ▪ 1999       On Sept. 8, 1998, Mark McGwire hit his shortest home run of the year but the biggest one of his career. With a 104 m (341 ft) line drive, the first baseman for the major league baseball St. Louis Cardinals shattered Roger Maris s 37… …   Universalium

  • McGwire, Mark (David) — born Oct. 1, 1963, Pomona, Calif., U.S. U.S. baseball player. McGwire played first base in college, then joined the Oakland Athletics in 1987 and quickly displayed the strength that would become his trademark. His 49 home runs hit during his… …   Universalium

  • McGwire, Mark (David) — (n. 1 oct. 1963, Pomona, Cal., EE.UU.). Beisbolista estadounidense. En sus años universitarios jugó en primera base; en 1987 se unió a los Oakland Athletics. Pronto mostró la potencia que habría de ser su marca registrada. Los 49 home runs que… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • McGwire,Mark David — Mc·Gwire (mə gwīrʹ), Mark David. Born 1963. American baseball player. In 1987 he broke the single season record for home runs hit by a rookie, and in 1998 he set a new record for home runs hit in one season, surpassing Roger Maris and Sammy Sosa …   Universalium

  • McGwire, Mark —  (1963–) American baseball player …   Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors

  • Mark McGwire — Oakland / St. Louis Nr. 25 First Baseman …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • McGwire — McGwire, Mark (1963 ) US ↑baseball player. In 1998, he was the first player in history to hit 62 ↑home runs in one ↑season (=set of games played during one year) …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • mark — mark1 /mahrk/, n. 1. a visible impression or trace on something, as a line, cut, dent, stain, or bruise: a small mark on his arm. 2. a badge, brand, or other visible sign assumed or imposed: a mark of his noble rank. 3. a symbol used in writing… …   Universalium

  • Mark — /mahrk/, n. 1. one of the four Evangelists: traditionally believed to be the author of the second Gospel. 2. the second Gospel: to read aloud from Mark. 3. King, Arthurian Romance. ruler of Cornwall, husband of Iseult and uncle of Sir Tristram. 4 …   Universalium

  • Mark — (as used in expressions) Clark, Mark (Wayne) Hanna, Mark Hopkins, Mark McGwire, Mark (David) Morris, Mark Roget, Peter Mark Rothko, Mark Scott, Paul (Mark) Spitz, Mark (Andrew) Strand, Mark Tobey, Mark …   Enciclopedia Universal

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