Editorial: McGwire's blast touches everyone

When the Cardinals' Mark McGwire hit his 62nd home run on Tuesday, it was before a sold-out crowd in St. Louis. Sammy Sosa, who also has been chasing Roger Maris' record, was playing right field for the Cubs when the home run was hit and showed real class by congratulating McGwire after he broke the record. And, poignantly, members of the Maris family were on hand to witness the remarkable achievement.

One of the amazing aspects of the home run derby -- in a sport that had been given up for dead -- has been its ability to grip the nation's attention. The home run quest also has piqued the interest of people who don't consider themselves baseball fans.

What makes this even more exciting is that the season is far from over. With 17 games left, it's feasible that McGwire could break the 70-home-run plateau. What's more it's possible that Sosa, who is four home runs behind McGwire, still could overtake McGwire and set the new record.

For too long the sports pages have read like the financial pages, as players and owners bicker about money. And the boorish behavior displayed by players has turned off fans. It's nice to once again view sports as just that, sports, something that men actually play for fun.

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