March 19, 2005

In the Batter's Box

with Eric LeBlanc

Jose makes them see

With his new book, Jose Canseco has never been more famous since 1988 when he recorded the first 40 home run, 40 stolen base season in baseball history. He is also a bitter man. Maybe it is because of the treatment he received from baseball his last three seasons as a player. Maybe it's because of the jail sentence he had to serve for charges that he and many others felt were a little shady. Or maybe it's because he has been made the scapegoat for baseball's steroid struggles for the past few years.

Whatever reasons Canseco had for writing Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big, he has certainly got the nation's attention. With a congressional hearing taking place on Thursday, Canseco achieved the largest audience possible for his book and the subject that he is thrusting upon the baseball world.

Last season we had inquiries on Barry Bonds and BALCO. This year, we have Jason Giambi admitting to steroid use in leaked grand jury testimony and Canseco's book which is currently overshadowing spring training.

Now we know why Canseco was being blackballed in 2001 and 2002. Maybe he was too open with his steroid use. Maybe he was sharing too much juicing information with the younger players. Maybe old-school managers Mike Scioscia (Angels) and Frank Robinson (Expos) would not tolerate Canseco's steroid use. Whatever the reason, Canseco had to languish in an independent league and in the minors before the Chicago White Sox gave him a chance in 2001. And then in 2002, the slugger gave up while other now alleged steroid users were being lifted up as heroes.

Canseco, over the past year, has sold most of his baseball memorabilia and his awards because he didn't want anything more to do with baseball. He felt betrayed by the sport and wanted to get rid of everything that reminded him of it. Now, he may be the most important thing to happen to baseball in quite some time. Representative Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland may have put the whole thing best during Thursday's hearing by stating , "I guarantee you that Jose Canseco is not going to win a popularity contest with the players, but Jose Canseco might be the best thing that has happened to y'all."

Canseco will never again be welcome in a Major League clubhouse, but it's often the insider who blows the whistle that is the one who causes things to be changed. Canseco admitted that he used steroids. He named names. He pointed fingers. Baseball is like a fraternity. You can't rat out your frat brothers. And that is exactly what Canseco did.

Thursday's hearings may not have found any answers to the pertinent questions that need answers. But what was not said was much more important. Former slugger and national hero Mark McGwire, who had repeatedly denied using steroids, was reduced to stating, "I would rather not talk about the past," throughout the entire hearing. He never said he did steroids, however he never denied it either in his testimony. And that was the blow that threw everything we knew about baseball's last decade out the window.

By avoiding the questions from the committee, McGwire essentially confirmed what Canseco stated in his book: that McGwire used steroids. And if Canseco was right about McGwire, who was vehemently defended by former teammates and managers prior to Thursday's hearing, who else is Canseco right about in this book? How many other people are accusing Canseco of lying and are lying themselves?

I think the statement that gave Canseco the best credibility in my eyes was made well before Thursday's hearing, however. Former teammate Dave Stewart who had a rocky relationship with Canseco (sometimes rocky enough that he would refuse to pitch if Canseco was in the lineup) recently defended Canseco by stating, "Jose Canseco is a lot of things, but he is not a liar." If someone who had such an explosive relationship with Canseco can make that statement, it says something about Canseco's character.

With Canseco, Giambi, McGwire and the late Ken Caminiti outed, who else is there that used steroids? I can think of one player who many suspect that was not supoenaed in Thursday's hearing. That player would be Barry Bonds. With Bonds poised to challenge Hank Aaron's home run record, it is in baseball's best interest to solve this before he gets there.

Baseball has definitely been stained by steroids, but it's not a life-threatening blow. The record books may or may not need asteriks, but it takes more than steroids to have talent. Steroids never helped Canseco, McGwire, Giambi or even Bonds to hit the ball. Steroids just made it travel farther. These men made mistakes, now let's allow baseball to learn from those mistakes.

Eric LeBlanc still won’t sell or trade any of his Jose Canseco baseball cards But he will accept offers for his Barry Bonds cards at (985) 758-2795 or by e-mail at EricL@heraldguide.com.