Almost five years after clamming up in front of Congress, Mark McGwire is finally willing to talk about the past.
In a statement released to the AP on Monday afternoon, Big Mac admitted that he took steroids on and off for almost a decade and was a PED user when he hit 70 home runs during the famous 1998 home run chase.
The AP also reports that McGwire used human growth hormone, though that news was obtained from a source and was not referenced in McGwire's statement.
McGwire is scheduled for a live, in-depth interview with Bob Costas tonight on MLB Network at 7 ET. For now, here are some excerpts from his statement:
• "I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era."
• "I never knew when, but I always knew this day would come. It's time for me to talk about the past and to confirm what people have suspected."
• "I'm sure people will wonder if I could have hit all those home runs had I never taken steroids," McGwire said. "I had good years when I didn't take any, and I had bad years when I didn't take any. I had good years when I took steroids, and I had bad years when I took steroids. But no matter what, I shouldn't have done it and for that I'm truly sorry."
