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All things Mark McGwire served as the primary highlight of the latter part of the 1997 baseball season in St. Louis.
Both on and off the field, McGwire was a hit as a Cardinal.
Even after striking out, the Busch Stadium partisans cheered his every move.
In fact, the fans' response to McGwire was perhaps rivaled only by their response to long-time favorite Willie McGee.
Prior to the Cardinals 158th game of the season (vs. the Reds), McGee, his teammates, most of the Cincinnati players, and several thousand spectators took part in what became a late-season ritual in St. Louis--watching McGwire propel baseballs into the outer reaches of Busch Stadium.
While standing behind the batting cage, McGee was approached, not once, but twice, by two different Reds.
Both of the Cincinnati players that spoke with McGee were former teammates of the veteran Cardinal outfielder. Both players were clearly very happy to be speaking with a player that each of them clearly held in very high regard: their handshakes appeared genuine.
But it was impossible NOT to overhear the generalities of the subject of their conversations--both told McGee that they had heard that he planned to retire...and just wanted to ask McGee himself.
Willie's response...not uttered specifically for public consumption...when queried about his retirement plans?
"That's a possibility."
And McGee's answer to his former teammates' questions didn't differ too much fromwhat he said in the Cardinals' clubhouse, in the aftermath of Gamed #162.
You, the St. Louis Sports Online readers, can yourselves hazard a guess as to how to answer the following question as well as anyone, except perhaps McGee himself.
Has Willie McGee played his last professional baseball game?
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