What I remember most of all, from when "Juiced" came out three years ago, was how passionately the baseball establishment tried to discredit it. Both sides, management and the players, worked aggressively in the media to portray Canseco as a dishonest, money-grubbing rat who should be ignored.
This time, as Canseco releases his second book, "Vindicated," it figures to be different. My bet is that the powers that be opt to no-comment this one, instead of militantly speaking out against it.
Part of that is because "Vindicated" is pretty thin. I speed-read it yesterday and last night, and for the most part, it's a 259-page victory lap. But mostly, it's because Bud Selig, Don Fehr and the rest of the Canseco-bashers came out looking so foolish the last time.
Is Canseco money-grubbing? He concedes that point in "Vindicated." But is he dishonest? Nowhere close to 100 percent, that's for sure. Look at who he accused in "Juiced," of illegal performance-enhancing drug usage: Jason Giambi, Juan Gonzalez, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and Ivan Rodriguez. Since then, Giambi has fully confessed, Gonzalez made the Mitchell Report (down in this story), McGwire had his day in Congress, and Palmeiro failed a drug test. That's four out of five, with only Pudge coming away clean (although Canseco's book caused skeptics to raise eyebrows at Rodriguez's weight loss).
You could argue, authoritatively, that Canseco has done more to clean up baseball than Congress, Selig and the Players Association. It was his work that spurred the rest into action.
In his sequel, Canseco offers just one eyewitness account; he writes that he injected Magglio Ordonez with steroids and HGH when they were teammates on the 2001 White Sox. The A-Rod stuff, as detailed in my story linked above, is amusing, but pretty flimsy. Can I envision A-Rod asking Canseco hypothetical questions about purchasing steroids? Sure, I can envision pretty much anyone asking that of Canseco. But I certainly wouldn't use this material when contemplating A-Rod's Hall of Fame candidacy down the line.
A-Rod shrugged it off yesterday, and this book definitely won't have the same impact as the first one. Yet down the line, history will remember Canseco somewhat fondly. He's a dirtbag, but, like the people who brought down Pete Rose for gambling back in 1989, he's a dirtbag who accomplished something impressive.
Bart: But why, Mr McGwire?
Mark McGwire: Do you want to know the terrifying truth? Or do you want to see me sock a few dingers!
Everyone: Dingers! Dingers!
(a reminder - the "why" was in reference to an MLB satellite spying on us)
Yet another reason to worship this show.
Comments (22)
Ken-
Now you've done it. Because of this chock-full-of-juice entry, I am far more interested in steroids gossip than your '08 predictions. Anybody have Max's phone number?
Canseco's first book should have been met with a shrug. Everyone in baseball knew those guys did steroids (especially Giambi, McGwire, Gonzalez and I-Rod). The only revelation was Palmeiro -- and ironically it was Raffy's reputation as an honest guy that made Canseco look like a possible liar. Raffy getting busted in a lie made Canseco seem like this shining hero of truthfulness, but honestly he was just saying something everyone knew.
"But I certainly wouldn't use this material when contemplating A-Rod's Hall of Fame candidacy down the line."
I find it scary that this is even a consideration. We have no way of knowing if what Canseco says about A-Rod is true. And in the book Canseco gives his motivation to lie (because of A-Rod liking his wife). He flat-out says he hates the guy. I give his A-Rod accusation zero credibility.
A-Rod was a beast in high school. He was benching 400 pounds at 17 years old. He was the first overall pick and was great from the moment he started playing pro ball. A-Rod didn't need steroids.
To let an angry guy trample A-Rod's rep with the ultimate hollow accusation would be a real tragedy. Though that's exactly what will happen -- since anyone who played pre-2004 will forever be thought of as a user. Hell, even Howard and Pujols have to deal with steroid chat. It's never going to end -- people simply don't want to believe that these athletes are so much better than them so they have to shrug it away by saying "whatever, they're all on 'roids."
I prefer to view it in a more positive light, baileywalk. I think it's good that we view everything in sports more skeptically than we did 10 years ago. In a way, it has helped detach us from ridiculous hero worship.
I don't think it's a positive that being good is grounds for an accusation. What has Ryan Howard ever done to suggest he's done steroids? Nothing. It's because he's great. What has Albert Pujols ever done? Nothing. He's been great from when he first entered baseball.
When being good means people think you're cheating, what's the point anymore? Why even watch or care about these players? Everyone dismisses their accomplishments by accusing them of steroid abuse. I think it sucks the fun out of the game.
I should have been a Met.
I grew up a Mets fan.
I'm with A-Rod on this one and think he should ignore Canseco to the extent he can. This book looks pretty pathetic. I guess Canseco really needs money. What he did to A-Rod is pretty sad. A-Rod is one of the all-time greats. I think he's a real pro. I can't imagine anyone even remembering this nonsense when A-Rod comes up for the HOF. If A-Rod stays clean, this will be long forgetten.
1. Canseco is making money from his crime - while he was a player and now as an author. Too bad the statute of limitations has probably run out on drug charges - maybe we can test him during the book tour?
2. The book title should be "Vendetta" not "Vindicated".
3. He had a chance to tell the truth in front of Congress in 2005 and clammed up. I guess it is easier to write a book about public figures who can't win a libel suit against you (and make more $$) than testify under oath for nothing.
4. A-Rod seems to make better contact off the field than on it.
Ken, I for one minute dont agree with this logic, but based on this logic, Canseco should be a HOF himself.
So many media members (you included I believe though not sure) say Marvin Miller should be in the HOF because of how much he's changed the game. And as you may know by now, I think he's helped ruin it.
But Canseco, is the #1 reason that baseball is trying to clean up steroids. If it wasn't for this book, NONE of this would be happening. Even when Steve Bechler died in 2003, that story was done in a week.
Again, I dont think either one of them should be in the HOF, but Marvin Miller gave the players more freedom, and in turn made it too expensive for an average fan like myself to attend games. And he made it that few great player will ever stay on a small to mid market team past five years.
Canseco? He may bring these super humans back to human form. It's not as crazy as you think it is.
I personally believe the HOF should be reserved for those in uniform. But, if they are going to allow owners, etc., in there, then Marvin Miller should definitely be elected/inducted. I wish baseball was played/conducted like yesteryear, but I don't think that would be the case even without Miller. I don't like the DH, 3 divisions, overexpansion, exploding scoreboards, loud music, synthetic turf, etc., but they are all here. (Some are here for not much longer - I hope - i.e. the DH.)
Richie, I really think it's a stretch to connect Canseco to Marvin Miller. I think Canseco has played an important role in baseball history, but his blatant violation of the rules makes it a slam-dunk "no" on Cooperstown.
I'm sorry that Miller's actions make tickets more expensive, 40 years later, but the lordship that owners held over players prior to that time was nothing short of despicable. Miller should be in the HOF.
While on a long drive from LI to Connecticut last Sunday I listened to Ken Burns' "Baseball" on tape. The parts about how the owners kept the players under control and basically made them into indentured servants was very illuminating, even for this four decade long fan. How the owners acted during that era is shameful. If they weren't so despicable, there wouldn't have been any need for a Marvin Miller to exist.
Does anyone think that owners would gladly reduce ticket prices if they could mandate player salaries under a hard cap?
They have a monopoly and all that a cap would create is excess profits to be shared among management, not with the fans.in the form of reduced ticket prices.
MLB wanted "cost certainty" in their pursuit of salary caps/restraints over the past 15 years - they never mentioned cheaper seats.
The owners are and always have been a greedy lot. O'Malley's Brooklyn Dodgers were immensely profitable, just not profitable enough compared to what he could make in LA.
Selig pocketed his revenue sharing money instead of spending more on players, plenty of others have done the same. The owners have shaken down cities for new stadiums all over the country, to inflate the value of their francishe.
To quote Gordon Gheko: "It's all about the bucks kid, the rest is conversation."
A cap is ridiculous. If a city can't afford to support a competitive team, they should have a team. Contraction!!
Hey everybody, please dont misunderstand what I mean. I absolutely agree the owners were and are greedy and even if the players went back to playing for a million dollars, the seats would stay the same. However they would not go up as high as their going.
And thats not all. The strikes were disgusting. The worst strike was the one in 2002 that almost happened. A year after they all take bows for helping America heal, they say, what does 9/11 have to do with us and threaten to strike. Please dont stand for the National Anthem then.
This is the distance between the players and the fans and its all because of Marvin Miller and Donald Fehr.
Rickey being Rickey, Bonds staring at his long fly singles for 10 seconds before jogging to first base, and players routinely snubbing children for autographs.
As for if a team cant afford players they should contract, well it will sure be a fun league of around 10-12 teams.
Miller in the HOF?? Then Bud Selig, Don Fehr certainly belong there as well.
Seat prices are set by supply and demand - if the Yankees could charge $ 2000 per ticket and draw 50,000 fans, they would do it.
I can't take the Hall of Fame seriously when Joe Morgan is a senior member of the board and Bowie Kuhn was voted in as a member.
You're right RMT. More than Miller, Fehr, and the players I blame the fans for continuing to come back.
I haven't forgiven the players for 94 and 2002 and never will. I cant afford to go to many games but many years I've chosen to go to zero. Only free tickets or special games peak my interest at this point. As Turk Wendell once said about Mets fans, "Be true to your boo." Meaning dont boo me if I do bad and then cheer me when I di well.
I'm pretty true to my boo.
And you are right about the HOF, it has become a high school popularity contest, and therefore a joke.
Both owners and players are greedy.
As far as ticket prices go, when adjusted for inflation box seats at Yankee Stadium stayed basically the same from 1967 to 1994. Salaries went up tremendously in that time. A star player went from $100,000 to $5 million. Ticket prices began to rise sharply in 1994 when attendance really began to surge. The Yankees will draw 4 million again this year. Ruth, DiMaggio, Mantle and Jackson never played before such crowds.
Have any of these sports that have salary caps lowered ticket prices?
Jim, baseball seats will always be the cheapest because of the amount of games they play. The Yankees would not sell out if they charged 200 bucks for the worst seat in the house.
Hey, wasn't it a MLB satellite that was spying on the good folks of Springfield?
You are correct, Karl. Thanks for the correction. I'll change it.
Canseco is a liar who should be in jail One instance he says in a statement to Congress that Roger Clemens wasnt at his house and now in his book he says he was He is a weiner He woul;d have never made it into the Hall of Fame anyway This was his way to make sure we wouldnt forget his sorry ass
LOSER with a capital "L"
ALL RECORDS SHOULD BE ERASED
Just as they did to Marion Jones Fair is Fair
BUD SELIG should NOT be the Commisioner of Baseball Cinflict of Interest Big time
He knew about steroids and it was good for business
He should be Cansecos cell mate