.
<p>ccording to McGwire's statement, his usage of PEDs spanned a large portion of his career, which included parts or all of 16 seasons. He also told Costas that he tried human growth hormone "once, twice maybe." His first full season in the Majors was 1987, so McGwire acknowledges beginning to use after his third full season. The 1993 campaign was the first in which he <a target="_blank" href="http://www.abercrombiehollister.net/">holister</a> fewer than 139 games, as he was limited by foot injuries.</p>
<p>"The names [of the drugs], I don't remember," McGwire told Costas. "But I did injectables. I preferred the orals. The steroids that I did were on a very, very low dosage. I didn't want to take a lot of that. I didn't want to look like an Arnold Schwarzenegger or Lou Ferrigno. The most I ever got in weight, my weight was 250, and at the end of the season, 235-240. I took very, very low dosages just because I wanted my body to feel normal."</p>
<p>After missing large chunks of the 1993, 1994 and 1995 seasons, McGwire returned to form with a vengeance in 1996, hitting a then-career-high 52 home runs and batting .312 with a .467 on-base percentage. He followed that up with a big <a target="_blank" href="http://www.2012uefa.net/">2012 UEFA</a>, and was traded to St. Louis that year, then broke Roger Maris' single-season homer record when he hit 70 in 1998. He was insistent that the home runs were not a product of his physique or what he was taking.</p>
<p>Tony La Russa, who was McGwire's manager for the vast majority of his career, came to his friend's defense.</p>
<p>"No one on the teams I managed worked harder or better than Mark," La Russa said in a statement issued by the club. "And now, his willingness to admit mistakes, express his regret, and explain the circumstances that led <a target="_blank" href="http://www.hatnewera.net/">new era</a> use steroids add to my respect for him."</p>
<p>La Russa was one of many people to receive a phone call and an apology from McGwire prior to his announcement. McGwire also talked to some current teammates, including slugger Albert Pujols and infielder Brendan Ryan, and left a message for Matt Holliday. Ryan and Holliday are among several Cardinals who have received hitting instruction from McGwire in recent <a target="_blank" href="http://www.tomsoneforone.net/">TOMS shoes</a>.</p>
<p>McGwire also said he called Pat Maris, the widow of Roger Maris. The Maris family's support of McGwire was one of the most compelling subplots of the 1998 home run chase.</p>
<p>"I think she was shocked that I called her," McGwire said. "I felt that I needed to do that. They had been great supporters of mine. She was disappointed, and she has every right to be. And I couldn't tell her [enough] how so sorry I was."</p>
<p>Despite his lengthy admissions, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thebinikis.org/">binikis</a>, McGwire did take issue with one element of how his story has been portrayed. He adamantly denied the allegations from former teammate Jose Canseco that the two had injected steroids together repeatedly in the clubhouse prior to games.</p>
<p>"There's absolutely no truth to that whatsoever," McGwire said.</p>
