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In late July of 1999, St. Louis Post-Dispatch sportswriter Mike Eisenbath was asked to describe his opinions of the way that Mark McGwire looks at the media, and the way that Mark McGwire looks at the media, and in particular, at the St. Louis media.
Eisenbath's response?
"Well, I don't know that it's the kind of thing that he's...
"Sometimes, it comes across like he dislikes the attention.
"I don't know that he would like all of the attention...from reporters and television...to go away.
"But I think that he has created a routine for himself...that includes it in places that he wants to include it...which means it's not a part of his daily routine...it's not the most important part of his day...
"And I think when that routine is interrupted a little bit...or when he is asked to do an interview or a soudn bite or whatever...and he's not really up for it...then he comes across as being a little surly or standoffish or whatever the mood might be at that moment.
"I think that a big part of it right now is just that the team is not winning, and he's tired of that.
"And another part of that is that the team doesn't win when he hits a home run.
"But people in the media want to talk to him about home runs...it's tough to talk about yourself...it's an unwritten rule in baseball that you don't say good things about anything when you've lost.
"But I don't think that Mark is the great ambassador of baseball, off the field, that some people would like him to be, either.
"He give money to charity, and he does sign far more autographs than a lot of people realize. He's a good promoter of the game whenever he talks about it.
"But you don't see him going out of his way to just do every interview with every person that would want one with him...that you would expect...or that you would maybe hope for.
"I don't think that's a bad thing. That's just who he is.
"Some people are the promoters, and some people are the doers.
"Mark feels like he promotes the game with what he does on the field for the most part.
"I don't think he's ever been comfortable with that other side, and I don't think you can necessarily expect him to change those stripes."
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