The Chris Moeller Archives

The Trash Brother

Jose Canseco's claim in his new book that he injected Mark McGwire with steroids hardly merits a response, but unfortunately many people believe there's fire where there's smoke.
As an unsigned free agent in the spring of 2002, Canseco announced he would enter the Hall of Fame representing whichever team signed him to a contract for that season. The offer revealed two things about the man that are pertinent today. Number one- to what extent the slugger felt he was a lock for induction at that time; and number two, how much he's willing to whore himself to keep his name before the public.
Former Oakland manager Tony LaRussa also questions Canseco's motivation. "The more sensational the actions, obviously the better chance he has to recover some of his money. My guess is that he's in dire straits for finances," LaRussa said. "And it's almost a human condition that he's probably jealous as hell of Mark- that Mark's kept his life together instead of what Jose did to himself. I think it's a matter of needing money and being jealous."
According to LaRussa, McGwire's strength came from hard work and disciplined workouts. "He was probably in the gym 10 times more than Jose, and Jose was bigger."
Former teammates of both players seem to agree on this point. Dave Stewart says he's not willing to call Canseco a liar, but says he didn't like his work ethic and didn't like him as a teammate. On Sunday, he revealed that he told LaRussa before the final game of the 1990 World Series that he wouldn't pitch if Canseco was in the lineup. "He was weak-spirited... He was one disturbance after another, and this book is typical Jose."
Terry Steinbach says McGwire was in the gym regularly and Canseco wasn't, "Jose? No. At least not in the gym at the Coliseum or the gyms set up for us on the road... It frustrated us as teammates. It was frustrating that 24 men marched to the same beat, and Jose didn't."
Proving green is still his signature color (green with envy, thank you), Canseco also claims to have supplied steroids to former Texas Rangers teammates Ivan Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, and Rafael Palmeiro. The latter of which claims he never even had a personal relationship with Canseco.
Even to an outsider, Canseco's story seems ridiculous. The idea that these two guys- who by anyone's account were not close friends- would be sticking needles in each other's backsides in the locker room is preposterous. His claim that President Bush, former owner of the Rangers, knew about the steroid use and looked the other way seems like a strained attempt to implicate another prominant person. Few if any owners spend a significant amount of time in the clubhouse.
The most laughable claim made by Canseco is that McGwire put androstenedione in his locker in 1998 so that it could be discovered by the media and cover up his use of steroids. Since this claim is clearly conjecture, it may illustrate better than anything else that the disgraced slugger has an axe to grind.
Longtime LaRussa coach Dave McKay, who headed Oakland's strength and conditioning program, says it best. "I'd be absolutely shocked to hear that Mark used a steroid or anything that would hurt him-- he was always so careful with what he put in his body."
That's the Mark McGwire everyone else remembers-- one of the most health-conscious human beings on the planet; a player who earned a reputation for focus, discipline, and social responsibility in every other aspect of his life. It's a Mark McGwire described by all of his other teammates and coaches; and a Mark McGwire that couldn't be hidden beneath a very bright public spotlight.

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Congratulations to the New England Patriots. Not my favorite team, but professional to the core and a damn sight better on the victory stand than the classless Eagles. In a perverse way, I have enjoyed the negative media coverage of the Patriots, evidently too boring and workmanlike for many Americans. Those people can stick their Terrell Owenses up their backsides. We saw T.O.'s true colors in the waning moments of the game chewing out Donovan McNabb on the sideline. Bet he wished he had ole' Jeff Garcia back in the huddle at that point.

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America lost a commanding actor and tireless human advocate last week in Ossie Davis. You know what that means, fellas. Ruby Dee is back on the market!

posted by CM @ 9:12 PM