This is an accepted version of this page
| Mark McGwire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 McGwire with theSan Diego Padres in 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First baseman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: (1963-10-01)October 1, 1963 (age 62) Pomona, California, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB debut | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| August 22, 1986, for the Oakland Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last MLB appearance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 7, 2001, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .263 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 583 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 1,414 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As player As coach | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963), nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professionalbaseballfirst baseman who played 16 seasons inMajor League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001 for theOakland Athletics and theSt. Louis Cardinals. He won twoWorld Series championships, one with Oakland as a player in 1989 and one with St. Louis as a coach in 2011. One of the most prolifichome run hitters in baseball history, McGwire hit 583 home runs during his career, which ranked5th-most in MLB history at the time of his retirement and currently ranks 11th.[1] He holds the major-league career record forat bats per home run ratio (10.6), and is the former record holder for bothhome runs in a single season (70 in 1998) and home runs hit by a rookie (49 in 1987). McGwire was one of several central figures inbaseball's steroids scandal.
McGwireled the major leagues in home runs in five different seasons, and set the major-league record for home runs hit in a four-season period from 1996 to 1999 with 245. He demonstrated exemplary patience as a batter, producing a career .394on-base percentage (OBP) and twice leading the major leagues inbases on balls. McGwire also led the league inruns batted in once, on-base percentage twice, andslugging percentage four times. Injuries cut short even greater potential, as he reached 140 games played in just eight of his 16 MLB seasons. Injuries particularly cut into his playing time in 2000 and 2001 and factored into his decision to retire. A right-handed batter and thrower, McGwire stood 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall and weighed 245 pounds (111 kg) during his playing career.
With the Cardinals in 1998, McGwire joinedCubs sluggerSammy Sosa in achase for the single-season home-run record set byRoger Maris in 1961. McGwire surpassed Maris and finished with 70 home runs,[2] a record thatBarry Bonds would break three years later with 73.[3]
In 2010, McGwire publicly admitted to usingperformance-enhancing drugs during a large portion of his career.[4]
McGwire was born in theLos Angeles suburb ofPomona, California. His father was adentist. He attendedDamien High School inLa Verne, California, where he played baseball, golf, and basketball. He was drafted in the 8th round by theMontreal Expos in the 1981 amateur draft, but did not sign.[5]
McGwire playedcollege baseball at theUniversity of Southern California, where he was a teammate ofRandy Johnson,Jack Del Rio, andRodney Peete under coachRod Dedeaux. McGwire was named the college baseball player of the year bythe Sporting News in 1984.[6]
After three years at USC and a stint on the1984 U.S. Olympic team, McGwire was drafted tenth overall in the1984 Major League Baseball draft by theOakland Athletics. In 1984 and 1985, he played for theSingle-AModesto A's. He began the 1986 season in the minors, with theDouble-AHuntsville Stars andTriple-ATacoma Tigers.[7]
McGwire debuted in the major leagues on August 22, 1986. He did not get a hit until his third game, on August 24. In 18 games with Oakland in 1986, he hit threehome runs and had nineruns batted in (RBIs), but had a lowly .189 batting average.[8]
Retaining his rookie status in 1987, McGwire hit four home runs in the month of April, but followed in May with 15 and another nine in June. Before the All-Star break arrived, he had totaled 33 home runs and earned a spot on theAmerican LeagueAll-Star team. On August 11, he brokeAl Rosen's AL rookie record of 37 home runs.[9] Three days later, McGwire broke the major-league record of 38, whichFrank Robinson andWally Berger had jointly held. In September, McGwire hit nine more home runs while posting monthly personal bests of a .351batting average, .419on-base percentage (OBP) and 11doubles (2B). With 49 home runs and two games remaining in the regular season for him to reach 50 home runs, he missed the games in order to attend the birth of his first child. McGwire also totaled 118runs batted in, a .289 batting average, 97runs scored, 28 doubles, a .618slugging percentage and a .370on-base percentage (OBP). McGwire's 49 home runs as a rookie stood as a major league record untilAaron Judge hit 52 for theNew York Yankees in 2017.[10]
Not only did McGwire lead the AL in home runs in 1987, but he also tied for the major-league lead withChicago Cubs right fielderAndre Dawson. McGwire also led the major leagues in slugging, finished second in the AL in adjustedon-base plus slugging percentage (OPS+, 164) and total bases (344) and placed third in RBI and on-base plus slugging (OPS, .987). He was unanimously chosen as the ALRookie of the Year Award and finished sixth overall in the ALMost Valuable Player Award voting.
From1988 to1990, McGwire followed with 32, 33, and 39 home runs, respectively, becoming the first Major Leaguer to hit 30+ home runs in each of his first four full seasons.[11] On July 3 and 4, 1988, he hit game-winning home runs in the 16th inning of both games.[12][13] Through May 2009[update], McGwire was tied for third all-time withJoe DiMaggio in home runs over his first two calendar years in the major leagues (71), behindChuck Klein (83) andRyan Braun (79).[14]
McGwire's most famous home run with the A's was likely his game-winning solo shot in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 3 of the1988 World Series against theLos Angeles Dodgers and former A'scloserJay Howell.[15] McGwire's game-winner brought the A's their only victory in the 1988 World Series, which they lost in five games; however, McGwire and his fellowBash Brother,José Canseco, played a large part in the 1989 championship club that defeated theSan Francisco Giants in the famous "Earthquake Series."[16]
Working diligently on his defense at first base, McGwire bristled at the notion that he was a one-dimensional player. He was generally regarded as a good fielder in his early years, even winning aGold Glove Award in 1990, the only one that theYankees'Don Mattingly would not win between 1985 and 1994. In later years, his mobility decreased along with his defensive ability. His batting averages after his rookie season plummeted to .260, .231, and .235 from 1988 to 1990. In 1991, he bottomed out with a .201 average and 22 homers.ManagerTony La Russa sat him for the final game of theseason to avoid causing his batting average to dip below .200. Despite the declining averages during this time of his career, McGwire's highbase-on-balls totals allowed him to maintain an acceptable on-base percentage. In fact, when he hit .201, hisOPS+ was 103, just over the league average.
McGwire stated in an interview withSports Illustrated that 1991 was the "worst year" of his life, with his on-field performance and marriage difficulties, and that he "didn't lift a weight" that entire season. With all that behind him, McGwire rededicated himself to working out harder than ever and received visual therapy from a sports vision specialist.[17][18]
The "new look" McGwire hit 42 homers and batted .268 in 1992, with an outstanding OPS+ of 175 (the highest of his career to that point), and put on a victorious home-run-hitting show at theHome Run Derby during the1992 All-Star break. His performance propelled theA's to the American League West Division title in 1992, their fourth in five seasons. The A's lost in theplayoffs to the eventualWorld Series championToronto Blue Jays.
Foot injuries limited McGwire to a total of 74 games in1993 and1994, and just nine home runs in each of the two seasons. He played just 104 games in1995, but his proportional totals were much improved, as he hit 39 home runs in 317 at-bats. In1996, McGwire belted a major-league-leading 52 homers in 423 at-bats. He also hit for a career-high .312 average and led the league in both slugging and on-base percentage.
McGwire's total of 363 home runs with the Athletics surpassed the previous franchise record. He was selected or voted to nineAmerican League All-Star teams while playing for the A's, including six consecutive appearances from1987 through1992. On April 21, 1997, McGwire became the fourth and final player to hit a home run over the left-field roof ofDetroit'sTiger Stadium, joiningHarmon Killebrew,Frank Howard andCecil Fielder.[19] The blast was estimated to have traveled 491 feet.[20]
On July 31, having already amassed 34 home runs in the1997 season, McGwire was traded from theOakland Athletics to theSt. Louis Cardinals forT. J. Mathews,Eric Ludwick andBlake Stein.[21] Despite playing just two-thirds of the season in the American League, he finished ninth in home runs. In 51 games with the Cardinals to finish the 1997 season, McGwire compiled a .253 batting average, 24 home runs, and 42 RBI. Overall in 1997, McGwire led the majors with 58 home runs. He also finished third in the major leagues in slugging percentage (.646), fourth in OPS (1.039), fifth in OPS+ (170), tenth in RBI (123), and ninth in walks (101). He placed 16th in the NL MVP voting.
It was the last year of his contract, so there was speculation that McGwire would play for the Cardinals only for the remainder of the season, then seek a long-term deal, possibly in Southern California, where he still lived; however, McGwire signed a contract to stay in St. Louis. It is also believed that McGwire later encouragedJim Edmonds, another Southern California resident who was traded to St. Louis, to forgo free agency and sign a contract with the Cardinals in 2000.
As the1998 season progressed, it became clear that McGwire,Seattle Mariners outfielderKen Griffey Jr., andChicago Cubs outfielderSammy Sosa were all on track to breakRoger Maris's single-season home run record.The race to break the record first attracted media attention as the home-run leader changed often throughout the season. On August 19, Sosa hit his 48th home run to move ahead of McGwire; however, later that day McGwire hit his 48th and 49th home runs to regain the lead.[22]
On September 8, 1998, McGwire hit a pitch by the Cubs'Steve Trachsel over the left-field wall for his record-breaking 62nd home run, setting off massive celebrations atBusch Stadium. The fact that the game was against the Cubs meant that Sosa was able to congratulate McGwire personally on his achievement. Members of Maris's family were also present at the game.[23] The ball was given to McGwire in a ceremony on the field by the stadium worker who found it.[24]
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McGwire finished the 1998 season with 70 home runs (including five in his last three games), four ahead of Sosa's 66, a record that was broken three seasons later in 2001 byBarry Bonds with 73.[3]
McGwire was honored with the inauguralBabe Ruth Home Run Award for leading Major League Baseball in home runs.[25] Although McGwire had the prestige of the home-run record, Sammy Sosa (who had fewer home runs but more RBI and stolen bases) won the 1998NL MVP award, as his contributions helped propel the Cubs to theplayoffs (theCardinals finished third in the NL Central). Many credited the Sosa-McGwire home run chase in 1998 with "saving baseball" by attracting new, younger fans and bringing back old fans soured by the1994–95 Major League Baseball strike.[26]
McGwire kept his high level of offensive production from 1998 going in1999 while setting or extending several significant records. With 65 home runs, he led MLB for the fourth consecutive season. It was also his fourth consecutive season with at least 50 home runs, extending his own major league record. Sosa, who hit 63 home runs in 1999, again trailed McGwire. Thus, they became the first, and still only, players in major league history to hit 60 or more home runs in consecutive seasons. McGwire also set a record from 1998 to 1999 for home runs in a two-season period with 135. He also owned the highest four-season home-run total, with 245 from 1996 to 1999. In 1999, he drove in an NL-leading 147 runs while only having 145 hits, becoming the first player with more RBIs than hits in a season.[27]
Following the 1999 season, McGwire and the Cardinals exercised a mutual option in his contract for the 2001 season which would pay him $11 million for the 2001 season. Shortly before the 2001 season, McGwire and the Cardinals agreed to another extension through the 2004 season for $30 million which, according to Phil Rogers in theChicago Tribune, was far less than he could have made in free agency.[28]
However, in 2000 and 2001, McGwire's statistics declined relative to previous years as he struggled to avoid injury, specifically with his knee, which lessened his bat speed. McGwire missed two months of the 2000 season with patella tendinitis while noting his appreciation for coaching.[29] In September, he was used primarily as a pinch-hitter. He played just 89 games and had 32 home runs. In the 2000 postseason, he was used a pinch hitter for six games, where he hit one home run (his fifth and final postseason home run) and walked twice as the Cardinals lost in the NLCS. He had surgery on his right knee to deal with tendinitis immediately the 2000 season ended.[30] McGwire returned to play spring training and Opening Day in April (less than six months since the surgery), but his knee still bothered him, and after he went 2-for-21 (.095), he was moved to the disabled list on April 18. He ended missing a month.[31] He ultimately played just 97 games that year and had 29 of his 56 hits go for home runs while batting .187. His last home run came on September 28 against Pittsburgh. In theNLDS, McGwire had just one hit in 11 at-bats and was pulled for a pinch-hitter in the 9th inning in decisive Game 5.[32]
On November 11, 2001, McGwire announced his retirement, stating, "I am unable to perform at a level equal to the salary the organization would be paying me. I believe I owe it to the Cardinals and the fans of St. Louis to step aside, so a talented free agent can be brought in as the final piece of what I expect can be a world championship-caliber team."[33]
McGwire played for theUnited States national team during his collegiate years. On the 1984 team, he batted .359 over 35 games.[34] McGwire was selected to the roster for theSummer Olympics inLos Angeles thatsame year. That squad, which included future Hall of FamerBarry Larkin, emerged as the favorite for the competition, afterCuba joined the Soviet Union-ledboycott of the games. The U.S. team won thesilver medal in the tournament, with Japan winning the gold medal. McGwire finished the five-game competition batting 4-for-21 with no home runs.[35] McGwire later said of the 1984 Olympics squad: "People may not have recognized it at the time, but that was definitely a dream team."[36]
After his playing career ended, McGwire demonstrated coaching ability, personally assisting players such asMatt Holliday,Bobby Crosby andSkip Schumaker before accepting an official role as hitting coach with an MLB team. On October 26, 2009, Cardinals managerTony La Russa confirmed that McGwire would become the club's fifthhitting coach of La Russa's tenure with the Cardinals, replacingHal McRae.[37] McGwire received a standing ovation prior to the Cardinals' home opener on April 12, 2010.[38] In his three seasons as Cardinals hitting coach, the team's prolific offense led the National League in batting and on-base percentage, and the team finished second in runs scored.[39]
In early November 2012, McGwire rejected a contract extension to return as Cardinals hitting coach for the 2013 season. Instead, he accepted an offer for the same position with theLos Angeles Dodgers[40] in order to be closer to his wife and five children.[41]
On June 11, 2013, McGwire wasejected for the first time as a coach during abench-clearing brawl with theArizona Diamondbacks.[42] He was suspended for two games starting the next day.
On December 2, 2015, he was named bench coach for theSan Diego Padres. He left the team after the 2018 season.[43]
Known as one of the top sluggers of his era, McGwire ended his career with 583 home runs, which was fifth-most in history when he retired. When he hit his 500th career home run in 1999, he did so in 5,487 career at-bats, the fewest in major league history.[44] He led all of MLB in home runs in five different seasons: 1987 and each season from 1996 to 1999. His total of 245 home runs from 1996 to 1999 is the highest four-season home-run output in major league history. In each of those four seasons, he exceeded 50 home runs, becoming the first player to do so. He was also the first player to hit 49 or more home runs five times, including his rookie-season record of 49 in 1987. With a career average of one home every 10.61 at-bats, he holds the MLB record for most home runs per at-bat, leading second-place Babe Ruth by more than a full at-bat (11.76).[45]
As of 2025[update], McGwire owned three of the four lowest single-season AB/HR ratios in MLB history, which covered his 1996, 1998 and 1999 seasons; they were actually the top three seasons in MLB history until Bonds broke his single-season home-run record in 2001. McGwire's 1997 season ranked 14th, excludingNegro Leagues statistics.[46] Considered one of the slowest runners in the game, McGwire hit only 6 triples, the second fewest of any player with at least 7,000 plate appearances. He had 12 stolen bases while being caught stealing eight times.[47] His 1,626 hits is the lowest for all members of the 500 home run club.[48]
In a 1999 list of the 100 greatest baseball players,The Sporting News ranked McGwire at number 91. The list had been compiled during the1998 season and included statistics through the1997 season. That year, he was elected to theMajor League Baseball All-Century Team. In 2005,The Sporting News published an update of its list with McGwire at number 84.
A five-mile stretch ofInterstate 70 in Missouri in St. Louis and near Busch Stadium was named Mark McGwire Highway to honor his 70-home-run achievement, along with his various good works for the city. In May 2010, St. Louis politicians succeeded in passing a state bill to change the name to Mark Twain Highway.[49]
McGwire first became eligible forHall of Fame voting in 2007. For election, a player needs to be listed on 75% of ballots cast; falling under 5% removes a player from future consideration. Between 2007 and 2010, McGwire's performance held steady, receiving 128 votes (23.5%) in2007, 128 votes (23.6%) in2008, 118 votes (21.9%) in2009, and 128 votes (23.7%) in2010. The2011 ballot resulted in his first sub-20% total of 115 votes (19.8%), and McGwire's total votes continued to decline (112 votes (19.5%) in2012, 96 votes (16.9%) in2013, 63 votes (11.0%) in2014 and 55 votes (10.0%) in2015) until he was eliminated after receiving 54 votes (12.3%) in2016.[50]
A second path for entering the Hall of Fame is through the Hall's "Era Committees" structure, formerly known as theVeterans Committee, which may consider retired players whose eligibility has fallen outside of the traditional 10-year ballot period. Entry into the Hall of Fame requires a "yes" vote from 12 of the 16 committee members. McGwire was not on theballot for Contemporary Baseball Era players in 2022. The next vote is scheduled for December 2025.[51][52]
| Accomplishment | Record | Date(s) | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major League Baseball records | |||
| Fewest at-bats to 500 career home runs | 5,487 | 1999 | [44] |
| Fewest career at bats per home run | 10.6 | [45] | |
| Home runs in a four-season period | 245 | 1996–1999 | |
| Consecutive 50-HR seasons | 4† | ||
| 50-HR seasons | 4†† | ||
| Consecutive 60-HR seasons | 2† | 1998–1999 | |
| Home runs in a two-season period | 135 | ||
| Single-season highest RBI/H ratio | 1.014 | 1999 | |
| Oakland Athletics records | |||
| Lowest career AB/HR ratio | 12.1 | ||
| Career HR | 363 | ||
| Lowest single-season AB/HR ratio | 8.1 | 1995, 1996 | |
| St. Louis Cardinals records | |||
| Lowest career AB/HR ratio | 7.9 | ||
| Highest career OPS | 1.222 | ||
| Highest career OPS+ | 180 | ||
| Highest career SLG | .683 | ||
| Lowest single-season AB/HR ratio | 7.3 | 1998 | |
| Most HR in a season | 70 | ||
| Most times on base in a season | 320 | ||
| Most bases on balls in a season | 162 | ||
† –tied withSammy Sosa
†† –tied withBabe Ruth andSammy Sosa
In 16 seasons playing major league baseball (1986–2001), McGwire accumulated the following career totals:[11]
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In a 1998 article byAssociated Press writerSteve Wilstein, McGwire admitted to takingandrostenedione,[53] an over-the-counter muscle enhancement product that had already been banned by theNFL,[54][55] and theIOC;[56] however, use of the substance was not prohibited byMajor League Baseball at the time, and it was not federally classified as an anabolic steroid in the United States until 2004.[57]
Jose Canseco released a book,Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big, in 2005. In it, he wrote positively about steroids and made various claims—among them, that McGwire had used performance-enhancing drugs since the 1980s and that Canseco had personally injected him with them.
In 2005, McGwire and Canseco were among 11 baseball players and executives subpoenaed to testify at a congressional hearing on steroids. During his testimony on March 17, 2005, McGwire declined to answer questions under oath when he appeared before theHouse Government Reform Committee. In a tearful opening statement, McGwire said:
Asking me or any other player to answer questions about who tooksteroids in front of television cameras will not solve the problem. If a player answers 'No,' he simply will not be believed; if he answers 'Yes,' he risks public scorn and endless government investigations ... My lawyers have advised me that I cannot answer these questions without jeopardizing my friends, my family, and myself. I will say, however, that it remains a fact in this country that a man, any man, should be regarded as innocent unless proven guilty.[58]
On January 11, 2010, in an interview withBob Costas, McGwire admitted tousing steroids on and off for a decade and said, "I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era."[59] He admitted using them in the 1989/90 offseason and then after he was injured in 1993. He admitted using them on occasion throughout the 1990s, including during the 1998 season. McGwire said that he used steroids to recover from injuries.[60]
McGwire's decision to admit using steroids was prompted by his decision to become hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals. According to McGwire, he took steroids for health reasons rather than to improve performance.[4]
Despite his admission of steroid use, McGwire was criticized for refusing to acknowledge that his record-setting home run output in the late 1990s was aided by steroids.[61] Bob Costas said he was "surprised" that although he gave McGwire multiple opportunities to do so, McGwire was never able to make this admission.[62] Costas said:
I kept trying to gently suggest that, couldn't you see that even though you were a powerful hitter...couldn't you see that you were even better than you had been? Couldn't you see the cluster of Sammy Sosa seasons, Barry Bonds seasons, guys with 18 home runs all of a sudden hitting 45 home runs, can't you see a correlation here? And he could never acknowledge it. I don't think he's being consciously dishonest, I think he's convinced that that is the truth [that he would have hit the same number of home runs with or without steroids]. But at least he's acknowledged something [taking steroids]. Almost nobody else has acknowledged it.[62]
McGwire's brotherDan McGwire was aquarterback for theSeattle Seahawks andMiami Dolphins of theNFL in the early 1990s and was a first-round draft pick out ofSan Diego State University. He has another brother, Jay McGwire, a bodybuilder, who wrote a book in 2010 detailing their shared steroid use.[63][64]
McGwire married Stephanie Slemera, a formerpharmaceutical sales representative from the St. Louis area, inLas Vegas on April 20, 2002. On June 1, 2010, their triplet girls were born: Monet Rose, Marlo Rose, and Monroe Rose. They join brothers Max and Mason. Mason was drafted by theChicago Cubs in the eighth round of the2022 MLB draft.[65] They reside in agated community in Shady Canyon,Irvine, California.[66] Together they created the Mark McGwire Foundation for Children to support agencies that help children who have been sexually and physically abused come to terms with a difficult childhood. Mark has a son, Matthew (b. 1987), from a previous marriage from 1984 to 1990 that ended in divorce.
Prior to admitting to using steroids, McGwire avoided the media and spent much of his free time playing golf.[67] He also worked as a hitting coach for major league playersMatt Holliday,Bobby Crosby,Chris Duncan, andSkip Schumaker.[68]
McGwire appeared as himself in season 7, episode 13 of the TV showMad About You.[69] McGwire provided his voice for a 1999 episode ofThe Simpsons titled "Brother's Little Helper", where he played himself.[70]
The first award was given to Mark McGwire after his 70-home-run season in 1998.(subscription required)
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | American League Player of the Month June 1996 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | National League Player of the Month September 1997—May 1998 September 1998 July 1999 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Single season home run record holder 1998—2000 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | National League Slugging Percentage Champion 1998 | Succeeded by Larry Walker |
| Preceded by | Two or more 3-home run games in a season 1998 | Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | St. Louis Cardinals Hitting Coach 2010–2012 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Los Angeles Dodgers Hitting Coach 2013–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | San Diego Padres Bench Coach 2016–2018 | Succeeded by TBA |
Mark McGwire—awards, championships, and honors | |||||||
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