McGwire's easy transition back into baseball

Those who wondered if Mark McGwire would serve as a distraction to the Cardinals - guilty, right here - feel silly now.

The Cardinals' first-year hitting coach is going about his work with zero apparent difficulty after kicking off his return to the game by confessing his steroids usage.

"I can't say I'm surprised," Bud Selig told The Associated Press Sports Editors this past week, discussing McGwire's quiet existence. "He's obviously handled himself very well. I knew it would be great in St. Louis, but it's been very good everywhere."

Could McGwire, a virtual recluse from 2002 through last year, have opened the door for other "Steroid Era" players to re-enter the game? How about Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens? Don't they deserve the same support from the commissioner?

I don't think that Bonds or Clemens would want to work as a coach; I could see Clemens helping the Astros as a roving pitching instructor. Yet they - and their accomplishments - shouldn't have to tiptoe around the game. They broke no rules on baseball's books. And while both are in the government crosshairs, they should be regarded as innocent until proven guilty, which they won't be.

If you say the difference is that McGwire owned up to his transgression, I'll respond that he did so in remarkably unimpressive fashion, refusing to concede that the steroids helped him hit home runs. And that I'll take Bonds' and Clemens' sincere defiance over McGwire's contorted contrition any day.

The Son Rises

With his father now out of the spotlight, Hal Steinbrenner has stepped up and performed excellently as the Yankees' managing general partner. And the good news for Yankees employees is that George's younger son is doing more at Steinbrenner Field in addition to running the big-league club at Yankee Stadium.

Steinbrenner recently fired Randy Baker, the team's vice president of security at the club's spring training headquarters, because Baker was rude to a Tampa police officer. Baker had built up a long list of behavioral transgressions.

Felix Lopez, George Steinbrenner's son-in-law, has overseen much of the Tampa operations and created a long list of enemies in the process. A push away from Lopez and toward Hal Steinbrenner would represent good news for Yankees fans.

Oh, Roy

Roy Oswalt isn't leaving the Astros until he records at least six more wins. It's important to both him and the team that he pass Joe Niekro as the franchise's all-time leader in victories. Niekro has 144 and Oswalt 139.

Here's the rub, though: By definition, Oswalt winning games means the Astros are winning games. And Houston owner Drayton McLane is notoriously stubborn about surrendering. With the Astros playing better, it could be that McLane simply holds on to Oswalt, who is signed through next season.

Around the Leagues

Plans remain on track for the Mets to host the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field. While it's relatively a short time span to have two Mid-Summer Classics in New York within six years - the Yankees closed out Yankee Stadium with the 2008 game - the Mets haven't had the event since 1964. Throw in the Wilpons' close relationship with Bud Selig, and you have a deal.

With Jerry Manuel's Mets on an upswing, Cincinnati's Dusty Baker could be the manager in the most trouble. This is the last year of Baker's deal, and he hasn't done much to improve the Reds.