Columnist Steve Carp: Big Mac won't let us forget Roger

HE POINTED TO the stands by the St. Louis Cardinals' dugout. Then he pointed to his heart. Then a final salute skyward.

Roger Maris has been gone for 13 years. Yet his spirit lives in Mark McGwire. And how fortunate for baseball that it does.

McGwire's marathon chase of Maris' home run record of 61 set back in 1961 is nearing an end. Monday, he made former Valley High standout Mike Morgan part of history. He took a 1-1 offering from the Chicago Cubs pitcher and sent it careening off the facade to the stadium club in left field at Busch Stadium, approximately 430 feet from home plate -- and miles and miles up to wherever heaven is.

As history was being made with Big Mac passing Babe Ruth and pulling even with the Rajah, McGwire did the classy things. First, he hugged his 10-year-old son Matt. Then he pointed to his folks, who were on hand for the big day, a day which, ironically, also happened to be his father Jack's 61st birthday.

Meanwhile, in right field, Sammy Sosa had taken off his glove and was applauding with the rest of the multitudes at Busch. The man who may also hit 60-plus homers momentarily was reduced to that of just another Joe Fan.

Finally, McGwire acknowledged Maris' family, which was sitting in that first row near the Cardinals' dugout.

Big Mac has always maintained that Maris was part of this, that he should not be shortchanged, denigrated or be perceived as anything less than the man to whom this record once belonged, is currently shared, and could be broken as early as tonight when the Cubs and Cardinals tangle.

As the page is about to turn, we should not forget Roger Maris. He may be in baseball's rearview mirror, but fortunately, McGwire won't let us forget. He genuinely cares about the game and Maris is an important part of the game's history.

He believes Maris is with him, a guardian angel if you will. McGwire is enjoying his date with destiny, though there were times he displayed some Maris-like frustration over all the attention, back when he was still in the 30s with his HR production and 61 looked a long, long way away.

But McGwire picked up the pace and now he stands on the brink of immortality. Fifty, 100 years from now, people will be telling stories of his mammoth home runs, gravity-defying shots that seemed to stay in the air forever.

His fate is sealed and he accepts it. So he's enjoying the moment. And he's sharing it with all of us. For as McGwire himself said, who knows if this will ever happen again?

Perhaps someone even bigger and stronger will break McGwire's record. We may or may not be around to witness it. Nor may McGwire.

So Big Mac lives for the moment. And we live it with him. And somewhere in heaven, Roger Maris is in on the fun, too. He may be enjoying it more than anyone, because someone else will have the stage to themselves.

Who knows what tonight will bring? But it will be tough to top what Monday wrought. From the warmth and love between a father and son, to a caring tribute to a family, to an opponent clapping his hands in genuine joy in right field.

It was a day for the record books. And the memory bank.

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