Jack Clark Urges Mark McGwire To Come Clean

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  Former Cardinal slugger Jack Clark has made it very clear in the past.  He considers those who take performance enhancing drugs cheaters.  Earlier this year on the "Parris and Burwell Show" he called Alex Rodriguez a cheater.  He later called Manny Ramirez a cheater on the "Cardinals Live" post-game show on FS Midwest. 

  Clark is now demonstrating those same bad feelings toward new Cardinal hitting coach Mark McGwire.  On Tuesday's show, The Ripper called out Big Mac.

  "He should come clean," Clark said.  "He should sit down and talk with everybody, let everybody see his face.  I think he should have been there yesterday"

  The Cardinals plan to have McGwire address the media via a conference call in the near future.  Clark does not think that is enough.  He went on to chastise McGwire for being a recluse since retiring after the 2001 season. 

  "He should be in St. Louis for the Winter Warm Up, doing some charity work, all the things that he said he was going to do," Clark said.  "Where's the guy been for 8 years?"

  Clark also warned about the media circus that could be created with every new city the club goes to next season.  The Cardinals could try to shield McGwire from the media by making him unavailable while he works with the hitters.  But Clark thinks that will only make matters worse.

  "If he hides out again then he's opening it up again for guys like me and everybody else," Clark said.  "If he doesn't want to be part of that, then we'll feel free to take our shots."

  Clark was a hitting coach for the Dodgers.  He is disappointed that the Cardinals did not interview him or others qualified for the hitting coach vacancy.  But I don't believe that is the reason The Ripper is upset.  I believe Jack gets upset at the cheaters in baseball.  the players he believes changed his sport forever.  And changed it for the worse.

  Jack Clark was one of the last of his kind.  A power-hitting first baseman just before the steroid era in baseball.

You can listen to the interview by going to the Parris and Burwell Show page on 101ESPN.com