Mac Earns NL Player of the Month

NEW YORK (SCN/AP) Thu, Oct 02, 1997 - Mark McGwire, who hit 14 homers in September to get within three of Roger Maris' major-league record of 61 homers in a season was selected as National League player of the month.

McGwire, who hit 24 homers after being traded from Oakland to St. Louis, finished the season with 58 overall, the highest total since Maris hit 61 for the New York Yankees in 1961. McGwire drove in 23 runs, scored 20 and had a slugging percentage of .729 in September.

Mike Piazza of Los Angeles and Barry Bonds of San Francisco followed McGwire in the voting.