Second-Guessing: Canseco's Book Goes From Fiction To Insightful, By: Don Amore

January 28, 2007

Jose Canseco was ridiculed as a money-grubber. The information he revealed in his book was called everything from delusions to outright lies, and he was excoriated for breaking baseball's sacred, if archaic clubhouse code to keep what's seen and heard in the "family."

But if Canseco was disowned by the baseball family, and if some of his recollections in his book "Juiced," released during spring training of 2005, proved to be exaggerated or flawed, time has shown that we can second-guess all those who said Canseco was off his rocker.

In his book, Canseco mentioned Rafael Palmeiro as a steroids user, and many cited this as proof he was pumped up with baloney as well as steroids. Palmeiro had never appeared especially big, never seemed to grow in girth and his power numbers were consistent over a long period of time. No one using the conventional telltale signs had suspected Palmeiro of using banned substances.

When Canseco, Palmeiro and others appeared before the House Government Reform Committee on March 17, 2005, Palmeiro pointed a finger at the congressmen and denied using steroids. His testimony was so emphatic - especially in contrast with Mark McGwire's refusal to answer the same questions - that Palmeiro was believed and considered one of the winners of the hearings.

Within months, he tested positive for steroids.

Canseco did not bring Palmeiro down. Only Palmeiro could do that, by using banned substances and getting caught, but Palmeiro's positive test put Canseco and his credibility in a new light.

Canseco identified McGwire as a steroids user, too, and McGwire's non-answers before Congress and his two years of silence cost him a first-ballot election to the Hall of Fame. Again, Canseco did not hurt McGwire. Only McGwire could do that.

But no one is laughing or sneering at Canseco or his book anymore. Perhaps his reasons for writing the book were not the purest. Perhaps he did it strictly to make money as he had fallen on hard times. Perhaps he did it out of bitterness, because he believed the steroids issue had fallen on him and his career was cut short by an unspoken boycott. To many in baseball, Canseco is still slugger non grata.

Still, the truths he revealed indicated that the use of steroids, human growth hormone and other performance enhancers was widespread, and maybe still is. And in part because of "Juiced," we can no longer assume that only sluggers with bulging biceps are suspect. The advantage in recovery made steroids an enhancer to players of all shapes and sizes, including pitchers.

Canseco was neither the first nor the last to blow a hole in the brick wall shielding the truth about steroids from the public, but the opening he created with his book two years ago was illuminating and has helped the process of clearing and cleaning things up.