HOFer Fisk's fightin' words to Big Mac, Rocket

(Quotes excerpted from an interview with the Chicago Tribune)- "[McGwire] says, 'Well, it doesn't help eye-and-hand coordination.' Well, of course it does," Fisk told the Tribune for Wednesday's editions. "It allows you more acuity physically and mentally and optically. You are going to be stronger and you are going to be better."

"There's a reason they call it performance-enhancing drugs. That's what it does -- performance enhancement. You can be good, but it's going to make you better. You can be average, but it is going to make you good. If you are below average, it is going to make you average. Some guys who went that route got their five-year, $35 million contracts and now are off into the sunset somewhere. Because once they can't use [steroids] anymore, they can't play anymore."

"Try having your knees operated on and catching for 30 years," Fisk added. "Do you think you feel good when you go out there? [McGwire] had to stand around and play first base. So excuuuuuse me."

"The reason he got let go from the Red Sox [after the 1996 season] was because he was starting to break down," Fisk told the Tribune. "His last couple of years in Boston just weren't very productive, a la 'The Rocket.' Then all of a sudden he goes to Toronto and he wants to show somebody something. Then he gets two consecutive Cy Young Awards [in '97 and '98]. Come on, give me a bucket."

"It's obvious to players. You notice that stuff. You know how hard it is to play the game. You know how hard it is to be productive at any age, but especially at an older age. You see guys who are as productive later on as they were early [in their careers]. It offends guys that stayed clean."

This is why I love Carlton Fisk. The guy is a straight G. He shoots from the hip and doesn't give a shit what people think. I got a lot of respect for that. Plus, the guy makes a lot of points. Steroids may not help your hand-eye coordination, but it most certainly makes an average major leaguer, above average (Mark McGwire) and a great major leaguer one of the best ever (Clemens). And those back-to-back Cy Youngs in Toronto did seem a little suspicious.

You gotta love when a fiery guy speaks his mind about the cheaters in the league. Too often we hear what the sports columnists and pundits think about the situation, but rarely do we hear from the athletes themselves. At least not candidly.