2008 Woodie Awards
MLB: You're Only Killing More Dreams
Jonathan Stone
Issue date: 4/6/05 Section: Perspectives
- Page 1 of 2 next >
The release of Jose Canseco's book Juiced sparked Major League Baseball's hearing concerning steroid use. Over the last decade, steroids have been a growing topic in baseball. However, why should Canseco's book be taken as reliable enough to be factual?
Steroids have bee a controversial topic in sports since Lyle Alzado stated that they were the reason he developed brain cancer, and he died because of it at the age of 42 in 1992. Lyle Alzado was a football star for the LA Raiders, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns. According to Canseco's Juiced, steroids weren't big until the late 1980's. Canseco claims he initiated steroid use in baseball, and that he introduced steroids to Mark McGwire after his rookie season. Keep in mind that McGwire won the rookie of the year award and hit 49 home runs that year, before he bulked up. There is no proof that McGwire took steroids at all though; the only proof is what Canseco says. McGwire's actions at the MLB steroids hearing suggested that he took steroids; he avoided giving answers to each question. He never admitted that he took steroids, but he never admitted that he didn't. His favorite response was "I'm not here to talk about the past. I'm here to be positive about this subject."
Canseco's book is written in the tone that he wants everyone to feel sorry for him. He says the only reason he took steroids was to live up to a promise he made to his mom just after she died. He promised to be the best athlete. He added how coming up through the minor leagues, both the Oakland Athletics and Major League Baseball looked down on him and tried to suppress him because he was Latino. He used McGwire as an example of this by saying McGwire was an All-American because he was white, unlike him because a Latino being an All-American would have been taboo. McGwire could have gotten away with anything, but Canseco was under a microscope. Basically, Canseco comes off jealous that he was not treated the same. Who can say that Canseco is being honest about what happened, and who can say that Canseco's point of view is the right point of view? It really comes down to whether Canseco is trying to get revenge on MLB and McGwire because they made it harder for him to persevere, or if he really does want to reveal the truth.
Steroids have bee a controversial topic in sports since Lyle Alzado stated that they were the reason he developed brain cancer, and he died because of it at the age of 42 in 1992. Lyle Alzado was a football star for the LA Raiders, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns. According to Canseco's Juiced, steroids weren't big until the late 1980's. Canseco claims he initiated steroid use in baseball, and that he introduced steroids to Mark McGwire after his rookie season. Keep in mind that McGwire won the rookie of the year award and hit 49 home runs that year, before he bulked up. There is no proof that McGwire took steroids at all though; the only proof is what Canseco says. McGwire's actions at the MLB steroids hearing suggested that he took steroids; he avoided giving answers to each question. He never admitted that he took steroids, but he never admitted that he didn't. His favorite response was "I'm not here to talk about the past. I'm here to be positive about this subject."
Canseco's book is written in the tone that he wants everyone to feel sorry for him. He says the only reason he took steroids was to live up to a promise he made to his mom just after she died. He promised to be the best athlete. He added how coming up through the minor leagues, both the Oakland Athletics and Major League Baseball looked down on him and tried to suppress him because he was Latino. He used McGwire as an example of this by saying McGwire was an All-American because he was white, unlike him because a Latino being an All-American would have been taboo. McGwire could have gotten away with anything, but Canseco was under a microscope. Basically, Canseco comes off jealous that he was not treated the same. Who can say that Canseco is being honest about what happened, and who can say that Canseco's point of view is the right point of view? It really comes down to whether Canseco is trying to get revenge on MLB and McGwire because they made it harder for him to persevere, or if he really does want to reveal the truth.