I've refrained from talking about steroids in baseball up until this point because, frankly, I really don't know where or how I come down on it. In my opinion, there is no right answer about what to do about steroids and the people that used them, though, admittedly, I find that I am far more lenient with guys that are implicated in connection with PED's than most baseball fans are. It is such a complicated issue to tackle, not nearly so cut-and-dried as many would like to believe, that I can't seem to come up with a definitive answer in my own mind as to what should be done about ballplayers that are accused of, or convicted of, using steroids, HGH, greenies, and whatever other so-called performance enhancing substances may be available. I do know one thing though.
I absolutely refuse to give the time of day to anyone that seeks to make a buck off of exposing a PED user. I just won't do it. In fact, concerning Alex Rodriguez, I know the name of Selena Roberts, the lady that wrote the "tell-all" book about Rodriguez, but I have no idea what the name of the book is. There are many that disagree with me, but to me, if I believe that using PED's is wrong, it pales in comparison to somebody exposing the story of a player that used them. That, to me, is a crime worse than any in professional sports today (and for the record, I'm talking about sports-related crimes, not Michael Vick or Dante Stallworth-type crimes).
By now, there have been many articles, blogs, and even books written about PED's in baseball. To my knowledge, there have been none written about them in any other sport, aside from an Associated Press article here and there about a player being suspended, which is far different than seeking out a story and trying to make a buck off of it. I refuse to read any of them. Game of Shadows, Juiced, Vindicated, or any other book about players using steroids are books that will never, ever be on my shelf. It's not because I don't want to know about it; truth be told, I think that Game of Shadows would probably be a very interesting book. In 20 or 30 years, when somebody writes a book about the "Steroid Era" in baseball, then I may consider picking it up for a historical baseball reference, but not now, and not a book that is written with the intent of trying to make a buck off of exposing a player.
There is a stark difference between a player using PED's and a person writing a book about that player using PED's in my mind. At the end of the day, both the ballplayer and the author are making money off of PED's in their own respective ways. However, the author of the book, whichever book you should choose to insert here, is far, far worse. It is simply hypocritical of the author to write the book. The fact is, authors of all of these books, aside from Jose Canseco whose position is unclear, condemn the use of PED's as "cheating the game" and "cheating the fans". However, they go on to describe a player's use of PED's and try and make money and gain notoriety off of it, meaning that the authors' careers are tainted by PED's just as much as the players' careers. In my mind that is wrong, and it does not deserve my entertainment dollar.
It would be different if a player were to write a book about himself. On one hand, the player stands to make money off of the book. On the other hand, he stands to shame himself and come clean, which no amount of money can overcome with someone that is truly remorseful. I simply cannot, and will not, respect a person that shames somebody else by "exposing" that person. If someone is found guilty of and/or admits to using PED's, then it would be acceptable to write a book on that person, writing strictly from the standpoint of retrospect. That is an entirely different situation. It then becomes a case study, one that is far more credible. It would then be more comparable to a historical look at the 1919 World Series, similar to Eliot Asinof's tremendous book Eight Men Out.
This, of course, leads to the seemingly central figure in the steroid talk: Jose Canseco. Anytime another player is accused of using PED's, the first thing that happens is ESPN runs to Jose Canseco for an interview. The man that was initially laughed at now is said to be "the most credible source when it comes to steroids". Wrong. He may know an awful lot, but what is he doing with his books that he's written and every interview that he gets? He's taking money from everyone that gives him any attention for condemning players of doing something that he has been shown to be almost chiefly responsible for introducing to the game. I don't care one bit that Canseco could explain better than anyone how to go about a steroid regimen. I could not possibly care less that he probably knows just about every player that used PED's in the 1990's. The guy's motivations are all wrong, and he has no business talking about anybody else unless he is subpeonaed to give a grand jury testimony about it. He can talk about himself, but his credibility as a human being drops even further below the zero threshold every time he gives that smug grin and talks about another player using PED's.
Much of the talk about whether or not the list of 104 (or 96, or 83, depending upon whom you believe) ballplayers that tested positive for PED's in 2003 should be released makes no sense. Even if it weren't under a court-ordered seal (which apparently means nothing), there is absolutely no way that it would all be released at once. Large media conglomerates such as the Associated Press, ESPN, FOX Sports, and FanNation's parent company Sports Illustrated, understand that they could make a lot of money by slowly leaking names one by one every little bit. If you really want to know, and if you really want to put this era in the past, don't fuel the fire that drives the individuals that decide to leak these names and make a buck off of them. It's completely counter-productive. These people are not stupid. They know how to make money, which is what they will do, if the fans allow it.
Ladies and gentleman, don't feed the wildlife.
Jessica White
Deanna Clover
Yankees World Series Parade
Notable Cuban Defectors 
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I did read Canseco's first book (took about 30 minutes) and found it pretty unremarkable. Jose felt he was "black balled" by baseball, but the fact is, as long as he could play the game reasonably well, he had a job. Whatever his feeling about the owners and GMs he certainly broke "the code" (similar to Bouton's book Ball Four regarding "greenie" use) and will forever be viewed as a "traitor" in many baseball circles. None of what Canseco wrote surprised me, and none of the names that came out recently have surprised me either. BTW, Canseco certainly comes out in favor of ped use and makes no bones about what it did for him and his career. Watching Sosa and McGwire in the epic '98 Summer of Love was certainly fun, but I recall thinking at the time that they were not doing it "naturally". As a life-long baseball fan, I think I have reached a point that I really don't care that much about the subject now. As for the list, my understanding is it is in the hands of the Lawyers and will continue to trickle out as they choose to (illegally) do so.
Great stuff as always Chief!
Go Broncos!
Mondo Jay
Fan Nation, HQ
Total Comments (11201)
Great blog! And I totally agree with your take on Canseco.
Marlins Fan
Albuquerque , NM
Total Comments (3060)
Interesting. Very nicely written and I will reward that.
But on a note, Jose Canseco has to be looked as a credible source. He has been right on SO many occasions as I showed on my Guess Who article.
He may be wrong for revealing these players just to make money, but think about what these players are doing and its basically the same thing or possibly worse. The using players are getting money they don't deserve for their talent and cheating a game everyone loved. Even worse they are stealing money from talented players. Jose Canseco isn't stealing from anyone.
Gu3 - I BELIEVE!
Birdland, MD
Total Comments (52114)
Thanks for the response. I only sent the link to you after reading your blog, thinking that you'd be interested in it.
For pure knowledge, Canseco probably is the most credible source out there. To me, though, credibility goes much deeper than just knowledge.
wtnelson = Big Chief
Fort Collins , CO
Total Comments (3649)
Very interesting take, and nicely written as always.
I guess my take on steroids is that while it's hard to recognize how much it was happening to so many of our 'heroes', every baseball fan needs to be realistic, and in order to do so, some type of clarification needs to come...which is where Canseco comes in.
His big thing seems to be that he was one of the first who came out and said that he took steroids, and I guess a lot of people view that as good or honorable or whatever and see him as a link between them and their favorite player.
Anyway, can't say I agree with him on everything, but you certainly make some very valid points and I will agree that he's all about the money. Nice job again!
0x NBA/NFL Champion
Saint Paul, MN
Total Comments (5072)
Interesting and very well written. I respect your opinion, however I don't agree with all you have stated here. For me it is cut and dried, you break the rules you don't play, 3 strikes and you're out, and I mean out of the game forever. Using PED's is against the rules its that simple. You do make some very good points that I do agree with, again, well written! No more time to type ...
TigerBait10
Hold On Tight, MS
Total Comments (1078)
wt - I agree that the issue is very complex and that you have tried to steer a nonjudgmental path through the maze. I am one who believes in civil disobedience to protest rules and laws, but only if the challenger is willing to pay the specified price for violating a rule. This is where I would disagree with your take. Those who are challenging theanti-PED rules should do it openly and be willing to accept the consequences.
Appleseed
Detroit, MI
Total Comments (947)
I definitely agree with you about the fact that salacious tell-all books about PED use are boorish and only in there to make a buck. However, I would direct you too books like Steven Ungerleider's fabulous Faust's Gold which delved into the endless documentation by the East German sports program of its steroid program for its athletes, especially swimmers. There have also been some fascinating works by guys like Ivan Waddington and Paul DiMeo that take a more nuanced approach to the subject that you might also really appreciate. And indeed, I'm even working on a book about the long history of performance enhancement in sport; but rather than try to cash in with an expose, I am like you -- I intend to show the human side of performance enhancement and why an athlete might turn to artificial means to get better...
I've written a lot about the subject of drugs and sports (they're two things that just naturally come to me, I guess... ;-) and I am of a similar mind as you on the subject. There is never a black-or-white answer to doping; just as in every other facet of life, we live in the full spectrum of grayscale. Not one of us fans could definitively say that we would deny ourselves a supplement to get better, to make more money, or to help our team win. Especially in team sports, the goal is always to be the best athlete possible to assist the team toward victory -- and in a world where one supplement is banned while another yields an endorsement deal, we live in hazy times.
Thanks for giving us your take, as I have noticed your silence on the issue in the past. You've always got a fresh take that gets people's wheels spinning, and I will always appreciate that about your writing...
Bigalke
Springfield, OR
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Wow... typo. I inserted an extraneous "o" in my second sentence...
Bigalke
Springfield, OR
Total Comments (22305)
Taking certain drugs is cheating. Cheating the players (their teammates and opponents). Cheating the paying fan. Cheating the legends.
You guys wanna know why they took drugs? I dont care why they took drugs.
TAKING DRUGS = CHEATING. Simple as that. Just cause they're professional athletes, doesnt make their reasons justified.
Thats one of the reasons why i ditched baseball. Too many cheaters and the Blue Jays will suck for all-time.
The Comedian
Total Comments (2967)
Kudos to the article. Nice to see fellow baseball fans speaking what everyone agrees about behind closed doors.
Charlie Weis:Don't…
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Great blog. Better than most "real" articles from the paid staff on this site.
I tend to agree with you: Steroids ARE cheating but there's almost nothing lower than a rat.
BUBBLES
Total Comments (1464)
Then you must have stopped following sports altogether. From NASCAR to tennis, baseball to cycling, football to swimming to track and field, there is use and abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in all sports...
The real question, then, is what is legal and what is not. Aspirin is a drug... but we're hardly going to banish someone for taking 60 mg a day for heart health. Cortisone shots are drugs, and are banned on an international level... yet we see NFL stars take their shots every week before a big game. To categorically and blindly assert that taking "drugs" is cheating is to try to pin this into a yes-or-no, black-or-white dichotomy when it is readily apparent that there is so much more to the story.
For some backstory on my own thoughts on this issue, check out a couple of old articles I wrote for this site last year:
http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/235156
http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/282155
Bigalke
Springfield, OR
Total Comments (22305)
here is why they did it
Army of Adam
Total Comments (7222)
Did i say i ditched any other sport? Dont assume things Alke. I said i ditched baseball. I also said "certain drugs". Sure there's drugs everywhere but name another sport where so many superstars have regularly been caught. To get caught in the game of "why" they took drugs is to get sucked into their rationalizations of cheating, and thus, making their reasons more bearable when in fact its still WRONG.
The Comedian
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