Mark McGwire returns to the Athletics as a special assistant to player development

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Former slugger Mark McGwire is back with his first organization, rejoining the Athletics as a special assistant to player development.

He played at least parts of 12 seasons for the then-Oakland Athletics and was a nine-time All-Star. McGwire was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1987 after hitting 49 home runs, at that time the record for a first-year player. He also was an instrumental part of A's teams that went to the World Series from 1988-90, winning it all in 1989 by sweeping the Bay Area rival San Francisco Giants.

The A's inducted McGwire into their hall of fame in 2019.

McGwire was traded to St. Louis in the 1997 season, and he went on to break Roger Maris' single-season home run record by belting 70 in 1998 during a chase with the Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa. Their competition reignited interest in baseball, but both became tied to the sport's steroid scandal that tarnished their reputations and has kept them out of the Hall of Fame.

After his playing days, McGwire went to serve as bench coach for San Diego (2017-18) and as a hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2013-15) and Cardinals (2010-12).

The A's are about to play the second of at least three seasons at a Triple-A ballpark in West Sacramento, California. They are scheduled to move to Las Vegas and play in a $2 billion 33,000-person capacity stadium beginning in 2028.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb