Historic Moment: Mac rightfully earns a spot in Cardinals' lore with his extraordinary performance
In the summer of 1998, baseball fever was at an all-time high, and the St. Louis Cardinals' home, Busch Stadium, was at the heart of the action. The Cardinals may have been out of the division race, but their slugger, Mark McGwire, was on a mission to break the single-season home run record.
McGwire had already hit 55 homers by September, leaving him one home run away from Roger Maris' record of 61. The Cardinals' September schedule began with a series against the Chicago Cubs, who were 10 games out of the NL Central race.
The first five games of September saw McGwire hit five homers, setting the stage for a historic moment. On September 7, 1998, McGwire tied Roger Maris' home run record with his 61st homer. The homer was hit against the Chicago Cubs, and future MVP Sammy Sosa, who was trading homers with McGwire all season, was present at Busch Stadium that day.
The record-tying homer was a special one for McGwire, as it was hit on his father's 61st birthday. But the excitement didn't end there. Over 42,000 fans attended Busch Stadium that day, a record seen only four times that year, demonstrating the fans' eagerness to support exciting events.
The 70-homer record set by McGwire in 1998 stood until Barry Bonds broke it in 2001. However, the 1998 home run race between McGwire and Sosa rekindled interest in baseball at Busch Stadium and played a significant role in revitalizing baseball's popularity after the strike earlier in the decade.
Despite the ongoing debate about the use of artificial help by McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds during their record-breaking seasons, there's no denying the passion and energy that filled Busch Stadium during the summer of 1998. The fans' attendance demonstrated their support for McGwire, even though the Cardinals were out of the race. The passion and energy at Busch Stadium during that time indicated a strong interest in baseball, and it's a moment in sports history that will never be forgotten.
Unfortunately, the pitcher who faced McGwire on September 7, 1998, when he tied the record with his 61st home run, was not explicitly mentioned in the provided search results. Regardless, it was a day that will live on in the annals of baseball history, a day when a record was tied, a record was set, and a stadium was filled with the sound of cheers.
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