Jose Canseco said he’d name names, and the former MVP has already built an impressive list — with his book release still five days away. At the moment, Canseco’s steroid roll call includes fellow “Bash Brother” Mark McGwire, Texas teammates Juan Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro, and even the president of the United States.
In his tell-all book “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big,” Canseco will likely add a few more names to a list of players he claims have used steroids. If the book’s title is any indication, that list should be a lengthy one.
According to reports from the New York Daily News, Canseco’s book will describe how the slugger came to inject McGwire with steroids in the Coliseum bathroom, watch as McGwire and Jason Giambi injected each other, and introduce Gonzalez, Rodriguez and Palmeiro to the wonderful world of performance-enhancing drugs.
Along the way, Canseco charges that President Bush “had to have been aware” of steroid use among Texas players during his stint as the Rangers’ owner — which would make sense, considering Canseco claims the club’s top four sluggers were all on ‘roids at the time.
While the former MVP is not the most credible of sources, Canseco’s book may prove to be as important as Ken Caminiti’s Sports Illustrated interview and Victor Conte’s 20/20 appearance in revealing the true nature of steroid use in professional sports. The text claims to provide a first-hand account of steroid use in baseball from one of the steroid era’s central figures, a man known as “The Chemist” for his propensity to mix performance-enhancers to maximize their effects. Seems like the kind of thing baseball officials may want to take a look at.
Of course, the baseball community has responded to Canseco’s book the way it responds to every new allegation regarding steroids — by attacking the whistle-blower’s character.
Well practiced in the art of denying allegations regarding his client’s steroid use, Giambi’s agent Arn Tellem used a slew of baseball metaphors to discredit Canseco’s account.
“This book, which attacks baseball and many of its players, was written to make a quick buck by a guy desperate for attention, who has appeared on more police blotters than lineup cards in recent years, has no runs, no hits and is all errors,” Tellem told the New York Daily News.
St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa opted for a metaphor-free assault on Canseco’s character and work ethic. After explaining how the slugger slacked off during workouts and was generally an abrasive clubhouse personality, LaRussa argued that Canseco put the book together to make money and out of jealousy for McGwire’s success.
McGwire and Rodriguez also joined in the chorus denying Canseco’s account, and Palmeiro promised the only performance-enhancer he has ingested is Viagra.
Even White House press secretary Scott McClellan weighed in, assuring the nation that the president had no idea his muscle-bound Rangers were on the juice.
“If there was (steroid abuse), he was not aware of it at the time,” McClellan said in a press conference.
Well, you’ve heard the experts. But don’t be too quick to reject what Canseco has to say. The embattled all-star certainly doesn’t have the greatest reputation these days, but his allegations may well prove true. Don’t forget, a few weeks back we heard similar denials from Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi.
The extent to which Canseco’s tale has been embellished may never be known, but the heart of the allegations — that steroid use was more widespread than MLB officials want to believe — should be given careful consideration before anyone rushes to judgment. These allegations are far too serious to be brushed aside without a thorough investigation.
Though easily disregarded as a money-making scheme/publicity stunt from a vindictive player who believed he was “black-balled” from baseball, Canseco’s book may become a bit easier to accept as more players come forward.
The reception of Canseco’s account of steroid use in baseball mirrors that of Ohio State tailback Maurice Clarett’s allegations regarding financial and academic misconduct within the Ohio State football program.
Like Canseco, Clarett’s reputation was less than stellar at the time his remarks were made. Like Canseco, Clarett’s credibility was called into question. Like Canseco, Clarett implicated a well-respected figure whose word carried far more credibility than that of the accuser.
In Clarett’s case, that figure was supposedly spotless head coach Jim Tressel. For Canseco, the man is Rafael Palmeiro. While it’s not difficult to imagine massive sluggers Pudge Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez turning to the juice (and certainly not hard to picture Giambi and Canseco shooting up in a stadium bathroom), it’s hard to believe Raffy was on steroids. The wholesome slugger just doesn’t seem like the steroid-using type.
Then again, the Palmeiro allegation may prove a pivotal moment in the unfolding steroid drama. If the coming months reveal Palmeiro was a steroid user, the nation will be forced to accept a new image of its pastime. Prior to the San Francisco Chronicle’s revelations regarding Bonds and Giambi, the nation could pretend baseball players never used steroids. Now, fans can still cling to the notion that only the “bad guys” use steroids. If it turns out that Palmeiro was on ‘roids, it will mean that even the “good guys” have used illegal drugs. That, more than anything, may prove the most valuable contribution of Canseco’s tale — if anyone chooses to look into it.
Like Clarett’s allegations, Canseco’s story has not been taken seriously in its early stages. In both cases the issue at hand was a serious one, but the fact that it was brought up by Jose Canseco or Maurice Clarett was enough for the powers-that-be to brush the issue aside. However, Clarett’s tale has become increasingly legitimate as other players have come forward to corroborate the allegations. The same may prove true in the case of Canseco’s book.
In fact, the process has already begun. Dave Stewart, who pitched for the Athletics during the time Canseco alleges McGwire used steroids, has not corroborated the controversial account, but he did say that Canseco “knows what’s going on in his circle.” As the coming months unfold, those words may prove telling.
“I could never say ‘Josie’ is a liar,” Stewart told the San Francisco Chronicle. “I don’t like his work ethic, and I don’t like him as a teammate. But one thing I can’t say about him is he’s a liar. As far as what Josie’s saying, I can’t deny it or verify it. I’m not going to pretend it didn’t happen because I don’t know. We weren’t in the same circles, but I’d have to say he definitely knows what’s going on in his circle.”
Canseco may be a questionable character, but he seems to know a thing or two about steroids. Sure, Canseco has something to gain from fabricating sensational accounts of steroid use to sell books. Sure, Canseco may feel vindictive after the way baseball has treated him. Sure, Canseco is not the most credible guy in baseball.
But baseball has a lot more to lose than Canseco has to gain, and baseball has been awfully defensive in responding to the allegations. It may be hard to believe, but Canseco’s words may prove as legitimate as Clarett’s.
In the coming weeks, the baseball world may be forced to come to terms with the fact that Canseco knows his circle as well as anyone. If MLB officials are serious about ridding the game of steroids, they may want to start listening.
