[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 29, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11098-S11099]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    MARK McGWIRE INTERSTATE ROUTE 70

  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, Sunday evening in St. Charles, MO, I was 
attending a picnic. Late in the afternoon a bright-eyed, starry-eyed 
10-year-old boy came in. He had just witnessed something that is truly 
historic. I told the young man I hoped he had a really good memory, 
because I imagine that he would be telling not only his schoolmates, 
but his children and his grandchildren, and we might even hope his 
great grandchildren about it.
  As a matter of fact, as we travel around Missouri and other parts of 
the country, people have been talking about it all over. That is, of 
course, that on Sunday, Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals hit his 
69th and 70th home run this season; a grand total of 70 home runs. To 
do that, he hit 5 home runs in his last 11 at bats.
  There were people who thought it would be very difficult to break the 
wonderful record that Roger Maris had established of 61 home runs. This 
year we saw something truly extraordinary. Another outstanding athlete, 
Sammy Sosa, hit 66. And the contest between these two superb athletes 
and wonderful human beings electrified this country. As somebody who 
has been a baseball fan for a long time, I was so delighted to see the 
excitement and enthusiasm as baseball came back to the status it has 
had as our Nation's pastime. People who never cared about sports in my 
State were clustering around the radios or the television whenever Mark 
McGwire came up.
  Mark McGwire is a man of immense physical stature, conditioning and 
strength. When I met him I was overwhelmed with his size and muscle. 
But he is a man of great mental dedication, of great concentration, 
determination, and--reading the column in today's Washington Post by 
Tom Boswell--probably possessing other extraordinary capabilities of 
which we mere mortals cannot be aware.
  He did something that, for baseball fans, was truly remarkable. It 
has done more for our State, the city of St. Louis--but for the country 
as well--when we look at the sportsmanship and the example of how hard 
work and determination and doggedness pay off. I would like to believe 
in other countries

[[Page S11099]]

where baseball is played they felt the same excitement and the same 
enthusiasm that we did.
  To both Mark McGwire and to Sammy Sosa, we say congratulations and 
thank you for a wonderful season. Mr. Sosa has some more games to play 
with the Chicago Cubs. But I did not want this moment to pass without 
asking this body to consider acting on something that I think is a good 
idea. Actually, I read about it on the sports page. Bernie Miklasz' 
column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggested it. I talked to my 
friends at the St. Louis Cardinals and they have been thinking about 
it. You see, there is an interstate highway that runs through St. 
Louis, interstate 70--a very fortuitous number, given the feat that Mr. 
McGwire has achieved.
  There are some of us--we don't want to raise a question, be 
nitpicking--who think he actually hit 71, if you count one in 
Milwaukee. But we are willing to pass on that one and say that there 
were 70 home runs that were hit. I am going to propose a measure today 
to designate a portion of interstate 70 in Missouri as the Mark McGwire 
Interstate Route 70; through St. Louis County and St. Louis City, to 
recognize the man who has not only brought baseball back to the top of 
everybody's mind and heart, but has done a tremendous amount for the 
community as well.
  This, I think, is a small measure for us to undertake. We are 
contacting our colleagues in the House to ask for their support. The 
mayor of St. Louis has indicated his support, and we are asking others 
to join with us. We hope to have clearance later on today, if we can 
obtain clearance to pass it in wrap-up.
  We also invite additional cosponsors. I have three who wish to 
cosponsor it to recognize this tremendous feat and to designate this in 
honor of the man who has really brought the thrill back to baseball and 
has shown that human beings have tremendous talent.
  I send to the desk a bill to designate the Mark McGwire Interstate 
Route 70.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent, before being referred, that 
the bill be held at the desk to seek clearance from the minority side 
of the aisle.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DOMENICI addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, has Senator Bond finished?
  Mr. BOND. Yes.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, in a moment I am going to ask consent on 
something, but I thank Senator Bond and congratulate him for what he 
did today. I don't know if we can do anything that is enough in 
response to the marvelous baseball year that Mark McGwire and others 
have given to the American people.
  I suggest that in an America that has grown so cynical about 
anything, wasn't it a marvelous thing to see how the people responded 
to the genuineness, the frankness, the decency of both Mark McGwire and 
Sammy Sosa? Just remember, on a number of those very important home 
runs, those people who caught that ball, without one moment's 
hesitation--until right at the end, of course--they said the ball 
belongs to him; they weren't trying to get rich. It was just absolutely 
marvelous for the United States to see that kind of thing happen.
  Then to see the friendship between two people who are really at war 
in a very civil and different kind of way to break this title, which 
both of them did, which has been there for 37 years, and see how they 
related to each other. I think they have become genuine friends while 
they have proceeded, each in their individual way, to try to break one 
of the most important and difficult athletic standards in all of 
organized athletics worldwide.
  I believe if the Senate understands what has happened, they are going 
to approve that very soon. I commend the Senator for it, and I hope 
Mark McGwire and his family understand the reason for you doing this 
and why we are probably going to unanimously accept it. I thank the 
Senator.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning 
business and then proceed to a unanimous consent request.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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