Jose Canseco in his book Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big pulls no punches, names names and makes a compelling case for his assertions that the majority of Major League ballplayers are using steroids and human growth hormone.
I’ll tell you right up front that I like the book and tend to agree with Canseco’s version of events. With that in mind I will not include any spoilers in this brief review beyond what you probably have already heard or read in the media.
His detractors point to his reported checkered history and his few relatively minor brushes with the law, as if this somehow hurts Canseco’s credibility on the issue. Since Mr. Canseco has a little bit of the devil in him, this actually makes him a more credible source for information on the subject. After all, who knows better what the troublemakers are doing, a fellow troublemaker or a goody two shoes?
Jose deals with his past in a very frank manner and owns up to his personal shortcomings. He also makes it clear that he feels that he has been blackballed by the league, and as a result has an axe to grind regarding a double standard that he perceives to exist at the detriment of non-white players. Jose – obviously and self-admittedly - grinds his axe in the form of this book.
He makes a compelling case that this double standard exists, and uses the example of former teammate and, according to Jose, fellow steroid/human growth hormone user Mark McGwire. Like I said earlier I don’t want to spoil the book for you, but will say that Jose puts forth some very interesting info to support his case.
I am suspicious of the critics of this book who have simply decided to call Jose an idiot or a jerk rather than to address the issues that he raises. And the more we get of this name calling and the less we get in the way of factual rebuttals, the more we tend to believe Mr. Canseco. If anything, as we go we are getting confirmation from those who support the viewpoint of Mr. Canseco, and just more name calling from those on the other side of the issue.
Former Met/Expo/A’s pitcher Ron Darling weighed in on Canseco’s book when he said this about Jose in the Sunday February 27 issue of the New York Post, “he’s been an idiot for a long time. I think a lot of what he says is part of the game. That is just how it happened.” Huh?
Article comments
1 - Temple Stark
The guy is huuuuge. Saw him on Bill Maher Friday in a short interview segment. Very tall. Very handsome. Scepticism was writ large on Maher's face. But he said much the same things you did - respects the guy for coming forward to air out a real problem in the game and isn't there a shrunken testicle problem here?
Well you didn't mention testicles - but you wanted to I know :-)
2 - Richard Porter
You couldn't be more right. Sure, everyone is calling him an idiot or delusional, but since there no lawsuits against him as of yet it seems rather obvious. Homerun records have been beat up almost as bad as the baseballs over the years, certainly there is truth in the book somewhere.
What baseball should do is not only look at how to correct this problem for the future, but also how should we categorize all of these record holders throughout the 90's and through 2004.
3 - Eric Olsen
excellent points and very fine review Sal - you're right to bring up the legal angle: the lawsuits would be flying if these guys were as pure as they all claim. And the records do pretty much speak for themselves, but even now most fans would rather believe what they are told.
4 - Ronald C McKito
I give Jose props for coming forward, but dougbt he ever would if himself was not caught personally. He is probally mad that some of his fellow players did not stick up for him when he got banned form baseball, so he decided to bring everyone down with him.
5 - tf
Jose Canseco is an arrogant jerk. We met him in Scottsdale, Arizona last night. He talked to a group oof friends and I. He had his friends ask us to go to breakfast with him. We did not. He is orange from tanning too much and stares as if he is heavily medicated. A group of females asked to get pictures taken with him for their teenage boys, he obliged, but closed his eyes in all of the pictures. Once an asshole, always an asshole.
6 - Lord
If your health does not contain any fitness just take the tips of a personal trainer .