Can Steroids Ruin Baseball?

Jay Gibbons and Rick Ankiel Scandals Indicate HGH Use Was Widespread

Sep 11, 2007

The recent burst of HGH and steroid links to Major League baseball suggest that the game's performance-enhancing drug problem is as bad as Jose Canseco claimed.

In his 2005 book, entitled Juiced, former major leaguer Jose Canseco claimed that he had either provided steroids to, or injected steroids into, teammates like Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Jason Giambi and Juan Gonzalez. He also claimed that in his estimation, 80% of major league players had taken performance enhancing drugs.

People said he was crazy. They said he was desperate for cash. They said he was getting back at baseball. But now, less than three years later after the book was released to almost universal ridicule and derision, it looks like Canseco was a heckuva a lot closer to the truth than anybody thought.

Just a few months after the book was released, Rafael Palmeiro tested positive for Winstrol, which doctors described as a powerful anabolic steroid. Although the Orioles' slugger claimed that he never intentionally took steroids and that the positive test was the result of "a tainted supplement," Palmeiro was suspended near the end of the 2005 season. His career ended shortly thereafter.

Mark McGwire testified at the now-famous March 17, 2005 steroid hearing on Capitol Hill. Although McGwire had an opportunity to speak out against the scourge of steroids in the game, he chose to take the equivalent of the Fifth Amendment. His exact quote to the Congressional Committee when asked about steroids was: "there has been a problem with steroid use in baseball," but responded to questions about his own involvement by saying, "I'm not here to discuss the past," or, "I'm here to be positive about this subject."

Furthermore, the New York Daily News reported in May of 2005 that a reliable source detailed McGwire's playing day steroid use and doseages to the newspaper.

When he made the claim less than three years ago, it did seem to many that Jose Canseco was, at best, way off base in his estimations, and at worst, outright lying for profit. At the time, Major League Baseball claimed that a maximum of 7% of players had taken the sauce. But many of Canseco's statements have proven true, and not just the accusations against Palmeiro and McGwire.

It's Juan Gonzalez and Bret Boone going from baseball's top sluggers to falling out of the game completely once testing began.

It's the New York Mets clubhouse attendant who seems to have doled out the stuff like it was operating a juice bar right inside of Shea Stadium.

It's borderline players like Neifi Perez testing positive for performance enhancing drugs.

Canseco is working on another book. He claims that in his next tome, he will divulge inside information about the soon-to-be three time American League MVP, Alex Rodriguez.

In a July 28, 2007 interview with Boston's WEEI-Radio, Canseco claimed he had "other stuff on Alex Rodriguez that will be coming out" in a book he is shopping to publishers. Asked if Rodriguez used steroids, Canseco said, "Wait and see."

Canseco's lawyer told the New York Times that, "Jose has information about A-Rod and the Yankees that will be in the book. But, I am not sure if Jose is willing to disclose it at this point."

When asked by reporters Saturday if he was aware of Canseco's remarks, Rodriguez said, "Nope. I haven't, and I have no comment."

Oh boy, here we go again. Is baseball's best player going to be the game's next disgrace? As Canseco said, we will have to "Wait and See."

The copyright of the article Can Steroids Ruin Baseball? in Baseball is owned by James Lincoln Ray. Permission to republish Can Steroids Ruin Baseball? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.