| Mark McGwire was born in Pomona, California, on | | | | McGwire played for the Oakland Athletics from |
| October 1, 1963. He was one of 5 brothers who | | | | 1986 to 1997 after which he was traded to the |
| grew up playing baseball, football, basketball, you | | | | St. Louis Cardinals where he played until his |
| name the sport and the McGwire brothers played. | | | | retirement in 2001. Though there was some |
| Mark's whole family was into sports. Interesting to | | | | controversy late in his career involving steroids, |
| note that Mark's older brother played professional | | | | his professionalism and accomplishments on the |
| football for the Seattle Hawks and the Miami | | | | field will remain a testament to this great ball |
| Dolphins. | | | | player. The awards and high points of his career |
| At Damien High School in LaVerne,California, Mark | | | | include being a 12-time All-Star selection, World |
| played baseball, golf, and basketball. Mark played | | | | Series champion, a Golden Glove Award winner |
| baseball for three years at the University of | | | | and 3-time Silver Slugger Award winner. Mark was |
| Southern California as well as with the 1984 U.S. | | | | also named Rookie of the Year in 1987, Home |
| Olympic Team. It was in 1984 that McGwire was | | | | Run Derby winner, received the Lou Gehrig |
| drafted in the tenth round of the Major League | | | | Memorial Award and was named a member of |
| Baseball Draft by the Oakland Athletics. He played | | | | the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. His |
| in the minors for a brief period and then made his | | | | career stats were as follows;.263 batting average, |
| major league debut on August 22, 1986. | | | | 583 home runs and 1414 runs batted in. |