[PBRSTREETGANG]

He hit 49 HRs which showed that any alleged steroid use had little factor.

You're really downplaying the difference between 49 and 70, when no one had hit 60 in 40 years. I think steroid use "had big factor" with McGwire. (and Sosa and Bonds, as well)

[Grando Calrissian]

Maybe, but hitting 49 home runs in 1987 is a lot different than hitting 49 in 1997, or even now. For a variety of reason power numbers went up in the 1990s. I'm not saying steroids had nothing to do with it, I'm only saying that there were other factors such as dillution of pitching, smaller stadiums, players actually training like athletes, maple wood bats, etc.