The buzz about Canseco
With his "tell-all" book coming out soon, suddenly baseballs biggest under-achiever is back in the news. With revelations of steroid use among baseballs biggest stars (including HOF's) being detailed, it makes for lurid reading. Regardless of how you feel about Canseco, it IS important.
Of course the first caveat in all this is simply that the book is not even out. There are conflicting reports about who is named and who isn't. So for now I'll ignore comments on players like I-Rod and Raffy and focus on McGwire. Yep, that big acne-scarred luggable lunk with red hair and the ability to break Babe Ruth's record at an advanced age.
When home runs began leaving the yard at an alarming rate in the 90's, baseball found itself conflicted. On one hand it was great for fans to see HR's hit in tiny ballparks facing expansion pitching. On the other some age-old records were being threatened. There were a number of theories, but steroids were simply not being seriously discussed outside the locker room.
Part of the reason steroids were not given more attention was simply to look at some the players hitting them- guys like Griffey didn't LOOK like steroid users. Those who knew him would tell you Griffey didn't even seem to know the team had a weight room, much less know how to inject himself with human growth hormones. Even guys like McGwire and Bonds in their early years were skinny guys who clearly weren't getting it done with steroids. No one would have foreseen Bonds adding 30 pounds of muscle and hitting more HR's the older he got.
Of course there WERE whispers. How did Brady Anderson suddenly have a career year when his arms grew three sizes during his contract year? How come Canseco is so huge and yet so out of shape at the same time? How come these guys are getting hurt so much?
Lots of questions competing with bad pitching, better science, improved scouting etc... baseball experts were divided on the real cause. Most seemed to agree it wasn't ONE thing, rather a series of factors were causing balls to leave the yard at an alarming rate.
Today we know a little bit more than we did during the 90's (like Rose bet on baseball; what an equally big shocker). Bonds IS a guy who has used steroids. So is Giambi. So is Sheffield. We know McGwire was not afraid to ingest non-FDA approved chemicals in his body (eg. andro) and we know guys like Canseco and Caminiti used them because they TOLD us they did.
We are talking MVP-winning players using steroids here. Bonds- yep. Giambi- yep. Caminiti- yep. Would it shock us if McGwire used them too?
Voters for the Hall of Fame are suddenly going to have to consider the steroid factor much more seriously when McGwire's name comes up. And it is coming up soon.
Also, I'd like to put to rest the idea that players aren't allowed to talk about important subjects outside the locker room. What is more important- the game or the players? I'll take the game thank you. If what Canseco is saying is true, he should be commended for telling the truth, not condemned.
We as fans deserve to know just what was happening during the 90's in baseball. I for one want the truth.
Don't you?
With his "tell-all" book coming out soon, suddenly baseballs biggest under-achiever is back in the news. With revelations of steroid use among baseballs biggest stars (including HOF's) being detailed, it makes for lurid reading. Regardless of how you feel about Canseco, it IS important.
Of course the first caveat in all this is simply that the book is not even out. There are conflicting reports about who is named and who isn't. So for now I'll ignore comments on players like I-Rod and Raffy and focus on McGwire. Yep, that big acne-scarred luggable lunk with red hair and the ability to break Babe Ruth's record at an advanced age.
When home runs began leaving the yard at an alarming rate in the 90's, baseball found itself conflicted. On one hand it was great for fans to see HR's hit in tiny ballparks facing expansion pitching. On the other some age-old records were being threatened. There were a number of theories, but steroids were simply not being seriously discussed outside the locker room.
Part of the reason steroids were not given more attention was simply to look at some the players hitting them- guys like Griffey didn't LOOK like steroid users. Those who knew him would tell you Griffey didn't even seem to know the team had a weight room, much less know how to inject himself with human growth hormones. Even guys like McGwire and Bonds in their early years were skinny guys who clearly weren't getting it done with steroids. No one would have foreseen Bonds adding 30 pounds of muscle and hitting more HR's the older he got.
Of course there WERE whispers. How did Brady Anderson suddenly have a career year when his arms grew three sizes during his contract year? How come Canseco is so huge and yet so out of shape at the same time? How come these guys are getting hurt so much?
Lots of questions competing with bad pitching, better science, improved scouting etc... baseball experts were divided on the real cause. Most seemed to agree it wasn't ONE thing, rather a series of factors were causing balls to leave the yard at an alarming rate.
Today we know a little bit more than we did during the 90's (like Rose bet on baseball; what an equally big shocker). Bonds IS a guy who has used steroids. So is Giambi. So is Sheffield. We know McGwire was not afraid to ingest non-FDA approved chemicals in his body (eg. andro) and we know guys like Canseco and Caminiti used them because they TOLD us they did.
We are talking MVP-winning players using steroids here. Bonds- yep. Giambi- yep. Caminiti- yep. Would it shock us if McGwire used them too?
Voters for the Hall of Fame are suddenly going to have to consider the steroid factor much more seriously when McGwire's name comes up. And it is coming up soon.
Also, I'd like to put to rest the idea that players aren't allowed to talk about important subjects outside the locker room. What is more important- the game or the players? I'll take the game thank you. If what Canseco is saying is true, he should be commended for telling the truth, not condemned.
We as fans deserve to know just what was happening during the 90's in baseball. I for one want the truth.
Don't you?
posted by Tom at
1:27 PM
