Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire, who had suggested on several occasions this season and, immediately afterward, that he was going to retire, has retired, according to a report broadcast on ESPN Sunday night. Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty, when he heard that ESPN had received a fax from McGwire and his representative that the 38-year-old first baseman was retiring, said, angrily, "I know nothing about this. I'm a little upset about this.
"It would shock me that he would tell ESPN before he would tell Tony (manager Tony La Russa) and myself."
La Russa echoed Jocketty's sentiments. La Russa had been quoted as saying a week ago that he felt McGwire would retire after hitting .