McGwire Slams 60 In Cards Win

With a Ruthian shot, Mark McGwire met the Babe.

McGwire

McGwire became just the third player to hit so many, tying Ruth's mark and moving within one homer of Roger Maris' record total.

"To be compared with Babe Ruth is just awesome," McGwire said. "Until recently, I never thought anything like that could happen."

It didn't take McGwire long to do it -- either in this game or this season.

A night after appearing anxious at the plate, McGwire connected for a two-run shot in the first inning against Cincinnati rookie Dennis Reyes. Fireworks exploded over Busch Stadium and McGwire saluted the sellout crowd of 47,994 with a curtain call.

The home run came in the Cardinals' 141st game. Ruth hit No. 60 on the final day of a 154-game season in 1927, and Maris hit No. 61 on the last day of a 162-game schedule in 1961.

Now, McGwire has 21 games left to beat Maris and hold off Sammy Sosa, who had 57 home runs going into the ' game Saturday night at Pittsburgh.

McGwire will try to make home-run history Sunday against Brett Tomko, who recently said he wouldn't mind being the victim.

"He's capable of doing it anytime," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "He could do it in his first few at-bats or it could take him a couple of days."

Even on the first Sunday of the NFL season, the whole nation will get a chance to watch -- the gametime was moved back two hours to 4:10 p.m. EDT to let the Fox network televise it.

"I play this game and it happens to be America's pastime," he said. "What's happening now has put baseball back on the map."

McGwire struck out swinging in his other three at-bats, his feet often flying off the ground because of his big cuts, in a 7-0 win over the Reds.

Mark McGwire crushes home run No. 60 off rookie Reds rookie Dennis Reyes in the first inning. (AP)

Each time he came to the plate, everyone in the ballpark was ready.

Several Reds players sprung to the top step of the dugout when he batted, leaning on the rail to get a better view. And in the seventh, when he struck out on a high fastball from John Hudek, Cincinnati reliever Danny Graves stopped throwing in the bullpen to watch.

McGwire's home run came on a 2-0, low-and-in fastball from Reyes.

"Like I said yesterday, if he's going to get me, he's going to get my best pitch," Reyes said. "When he hit the ball, I knew it was out."

An afternoon that began with Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial playing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" on his harmonica near home plate quickly turned into McGwire's day. Even Musial admitted that when he asked his grandchildren to name their favorite player, they answered, "Mark."

At 381 feet, McGwire's homer was not one of his longer ones, but its height and the way he watched it was reminiscent of the kind made famous by Ruth, who died 50 years ago.

The souvenir was caught by Deni Allen, 22, who works in the St. Louis Rams' marketing department.

Allen snuck a couple of sections from his seat to get in position, and managed to catch the ball after it bounced off another fan's hands.

"When the ball was in the air I sprinted up a few stairs," Allen said. "I'm not sure what happened then, but I knew I took a few punches, a few kicks."

"I've watched on the replays, and the first guy never catches it," Allen said. "I knew that, so I waited for the rebound."

Allen said he will give the ball to McGwire, though he wanted "some simple things" in return. Those items included a round of batting practice and a few season tickets for friends and family.

McGire seemed to spend the rest of the game trying to hit a ball off the Gateway Arch, visible way beyond the left-field roof.

McGwire struck out against Reyes in the second, fanned on three pitches from Mike Remlinger in the fifth and struck out on a full count against Hudek in the seventh.

"You can't try to hit home runs," McGwire said. "They just happen."

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