Juicing Your Ego

Well it's nice to see Jose Canseco has managed to convince another publisher to peddle his poorly ghost written drivel again. Bad enough we had to suffer through his first rag "Juiced" in which he not only ratted out former team mates but glorified the use of steroids, crediting them and growth hormones for his career, but now with his new book "Vindicated" he not only pats himself on the back but gives more names and now acts like he's trying to solve the problem.

Look I'll give Canseco some credit. Although his first book was completely self-serving and smacked more of a man trying to get back at a sport that won't give him the accolades he thinks are owed to him, it did get the ball rolling on the steroids investigations. Indeed had Caseco not taken such a selfish approach it is likely the Mitchell Report never would have even been conceived. Canseco managed to embarrass MLB into finally doing something about a problem it had been fully willing to turn a blind eye to in previous years for the sake of ratings and revenues. But that doesn't mean I'm going to congratulate Jose, or let him get away with more self-centered preening.

Like his previous book Canseco has a list of big name players he wants to expose. These are Roger Clemens, alleged blackmail victim Magglio Ordonez(more on this later) and Alex Rodriguez. He offers up a Presidential conspiracy to keep Clemens in the clear, accuses Rodriguez of trying to get with his wife and even hints at "converting" 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace to the HGH cause. And it's all true, because Caseco took not one, but TWO lie detector tests to prove it. Hey Jose, you know there's a reason polygraphs aren't admissible in a court of law right? Just checking.

What is so laughable about all this is that Canseco continues to try and put himself in the position of a tragic hero. The flawed man trying to do right by the sport that made him and woe to those who deny him his moment in the sun. Canseco admits as much himself when he rages about being left out of the George Mitchell investigation. What Canseco could have contributed I don't really know considering he's been a pariah in baseball circles for years. while his contention that Mitchells report is biased because of his affiliation with the Boston Red Sox, may I point out everyone was already saying that when it was announced Mitchell would be the one heading up the investigation?

As for the book itself, well if you like tattle tales you'll love this one. The Ordonez story has been out for a while now. Canseco says he injected Magglio with steroids like he did with MacGuire back in his Oakland days. He also touches on a report that Canseco had tried to blackmail Ordonez into investing 5 million dollars into a documentary he was making in exchange for keeping Magglios name out of the new book. Canseco denies this happened but at this point I've long given up taking players words at face value. What really happened we may never know, and honestly I don't care.

Then we come to Clemens. Now this one is interesting because because Canseco admits he has no evidence that The Rocket ever took steroids, just suspicions. He then gives us a lovely little conspiracy theory involving President Bush. Apparently Jose had wanted to include Clemens in his first book but had not been allowed to by the publishers, and comments he made about Clemens during his 60 Minutes interview and on ESPN were subsequently deleted. Jose's explanation?

"Roger Clemens was from Texas. He went to play for the Astros, to be close to his family. George W. Bush, a former owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team, is, like Clemens, a proud Texan. Clemens is a personal friend of Bush Sr. and his wife, Barbara. Clemens still has a standing invitation from Bush Jr. to visit the White House anytime. Getting the picture? Maybe the president of the United States, or his daddy, the ex-president, made some calls and took care of things for good ole Roger."

Oooookay then. I guess I should get my tinfoil hat out and stop drinking tap water while I'm at it.

Then we come to what is easily the most personal part of the book, Canseco's attack on Alex Rodriguez. Now I may have my issues with A-Rod, but I've never even suspected he was on the juice. Much like Ken Griffey Jr. Rodriguez has simply never fit the mold of a player who took steroids or HGH. He was never a marginal player who suddenly exploded with huge power numbers. His body has never gone under any drastic changes and his output has been consistent his entire career. So why would Canseco write that he introduced Rodriguez to a known steroid supplier. So why not mention him in the first book? He certainly is a much bigger target then a reired Mark MacGuire or a marginalized Sammy Sosa.

Canseco tells us he did not include Rodriguez the first time around because he thought that no one would believe him or as he put it "question his motives". Well people did that without a-Rod's name in your book Jose, so you might as well have gone in for a pound. So why now? Well it turns out Canseco has an issue with Alex. In his own words he "hated the bastard" because shortly after he allegedly introduced Rodriguez to a steroid supplier the MVP began chasing Jose's wife. Once again I'll let Canseco use his own words here.

"So A-Rod, if you're reading this book, and if I'm not getting through to you, let's get clear on one thing: I hate your f***ing guts"

Bitter much? Well they really don't come much more bitter then Canseco these days. Ignored by Cooperstown, alienated by his former team mates and coaches, berated by fans and reporters and then there's that whole home-run-off-his-head moment of glory. The man spent his entire career using illegal drugs to boost his performance, spat on the game that made him rich and famous then turned around and lashed out at the people who told him to leave the party like the drunken guest he had turned into. There are no altruistic motives behind Canseco's outing of alleged cheaters, no gallant crusade to rescue baseball. Just a bitter man's vendetta against the people who want nothing to do with him anymore.