This past February marked the three year anniversary of the release of Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big, the seminal memoir of former MLB player turned author, José Canseco. For the cave dwellers out there who aren't familiar, in Juiced Canseco proclaims himself the "Godfather of Steroids" and discusses how, during a career that spanned three decades, he introduced some of Major League Baseball's biggest stars to steroids. From his old Oakland bash brother, former home run champ Mark McGwire, to everyone's favorite member of the lovable losers, Sammy Sosa, to the greatest pitcher of his generation, Roger Clemens, no name proves too sacred for mention in Canseco's tell all memoir.
Juiced became a New York Times bestseller, simultaneously rescuing Canseco from bankruptcy and hurling him into the national spotlight. At first the media discredited him, calling him out as an exaggerating opportunist, as he had recently been so broke that he sold his Rookie of the Year trophy and World Series ring for quick cash. It wasn't until one of the key players he named, Rafael Palmeiro, failed a drug test in August 2005 that people finally started to believe Canseco. They figured if he was right about Palmeiro,then maybe he was right about the others too. From that point on Major League Baseball focused all of its energies toward the still ongoing purge of steroids from the sport. The investigation culminated this past December with the release of the now infamous Mitchell Report, a convoluted, 310 page, he said, she said account of steroid use in baseball.
Now Canseco is peddling a new book called Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and the Battle to Save Baseball. A continuation of Juiced, Vindicated is Canseco's attempt to clarify the names left out of the Mitchell Report, among them two more of America's favorite players, Ken Griffey Jr. and Álex Rodriguez.
Some might question the real motive behind Canseco's new publication. Does he genuinely want to help clean up the sport? Or is it all about keeping his name in the headlines and making more money? While some signs may point to the latter, given how after Juiced, Canseco's publisher told him he didn't have enough facts left for another book, we have to keep in mind that this is the same Canseco who once hit forty homers and stole forty bases in a single season. Any guy who sets a record like that, must truly care about his sport. Therefore, perhaps the title says it all for the book. Vindicated
5 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Tom R about 1 year ago
I'd love some feedback, if anyone out there has read Vindicated yet.
Edit Comment Cancel
Anonymous about 1 year ago
I have yet to read vindicated but i have read juiced i found it to be quite honest and a good read I for one am not a "hater" of Jose Canseco like most seem to be I respect the man for having the guts to do what no one else in baseball seems willing to do and thats tell the truth about steroids in the sport sure Canseco juiced up but at least he didnt try to lie about it like Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds and so many others I believe Canseco has been telling the truth from the start I believed what he wrote in his first book and I will likely believe what he writes in his next book as well.
Edit Comment Cancel
Rob Calonge about 1 year ago
Tom,
Great title! One of my favorite commercials and sayings.
Great read. I do disagree with the statement "José Canseco is fighting for the integrity of the league."
While Canseco and McGuire are two of my favorite A's of all time, they cheated. Now Canseco is looking for the payday that he probably couldn't get otherwise. Don't get me wrong, he is doing what you say, but only indirectly. Jose is 'fighting for' a paycheck.
Edit Comment Cancel
Tom R about 1 year ago
I appreciate the comment. Thank you. That line is actually meant to be tongue in cheek, as is the entire article, which is a satire. I completely agree with you that Canseco is just looking for a payday.
Edit Comment Cancel
Anonymous about 1 year ago
While I believe that SamMe Sosa was on the 'roids I didn't think he was mentioned in Canseco's book. Did I miss something?
Edit Comment Cancel
Leave a Comment
You must register to post a comment.