Jun 24 2009
After Writing Steroid Books Canseco Plans to Sue MLB and Union
In the latest twist in Jose Canseco’s life after baseball, there are news reports that he is planning to sue his former league and the players union. He blamed the Major League Baseball and the players’ association for being ostracized for going public with stories on the rampant use of steroid in the league. It would be a class-action lawsuit which will focus on lost wages including cases of defamation of character according to Canseco.
Canseco said in a phone interview with SI, that because he used steroids and he came out with a book, he was kicked out of the game. He also blamed the league for his failure to be inducted in the Hall of Fame and as well as other star players. “A lot of these players have not been inducted into the Hall of Fame- Mark McGwire and so forth. They’re losing salaries, because obviously when you’re inducted into the Hall of Fame, you get asked to do certain, you know, appearances and shows and so forth, which incorporates income,” he said.
With his current situation, he considers it as a major income loss. “Not even that, baseball blackballs you from their family, meaning you can’t have a future proper reference from them, a job, no managerial jobs, no coaching jobs, nothing. They completely sever you,” Canseco added.
Although Canseco appeared in the Hall of Fame ballot in 2007 but he only received 6 votes which is way below the number necessary to remain in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot in future years. On the other hand, Mark McGwire was also affected by his steroid tainted profile. He was voted in the Hall of Fame but his vote did not get him into the Hall. He only got almost 22 percent of the votes for this year’s selection but still below the 75 percent requirement. His previous nomination got the same fate.
Canseco said that as always, one individual has to make that stand. “And then I’ll obviously speak to other players and other individuals, see how far they want to go,” he added. For Canseco, players should not be stigmatized for using steroids before banning them in 2002 as agreed by players and owners. “I don’t see why people just don’t get it. I don’t understand the ignorance,” Canseco said. He said that it was allowed by the league during that time and giving punishment to players now is not fair. “Listen: It was allowed by Major League Baseball. It was endorsed by Major League Baseball. Why should the players now be reprimanded?”
Officials of the league declined to give comments on this latest action of Canseco. Executive vice president for labour relations, Rob Manfred and union’s general counsel, Michael Weiner both declined to make statements.
It is still uncertain whether the court will find some basis on Canseco’s claims.
[...] players’ out-of-control use of banned substance after the controversial tell-all “Juiced” by Jose Canseco, which accused several MLB players including Mark McGwire of using [...]
[...] out they drag me back in. And now it begins again,” Canseco posted on his Twitter account. Jose Canseco, who is now out of baseball and also testified before a congressional inquiry about his knowledge [...]