Jose Canseco Is Suing Baseball

Posted Jun 17, 2009 8:39PM By Pat Lackey (RSS feed)

Filed Under: MLB PEDs

I often think to myself that Jose Canseco can't do anything new to surprise me. Whenever I think that, Canseco tends to end up surprising me. What's the next logical step for Canseco after recently being pummeled in his MMA debut? Why a lawsuit, of course. A class-action suit, in fact. Filed against Major League Baseball and the MLBPA. Yep, that sounds about right.

Anyway, if you're interested in the details (and at this point, why wouldn't you be?), Canseco is alleging that he's been blackballed from baseball for both his steroid use and his role as steroid whistleblower and that said blackballing has cost him money, job opportunities, a chance at the Hall of Fame, etc. etc. He's also planning on asking Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa to join him in the suit.

Here's the statement that Canseco gave to the AP:

"Because I used steroids and I came out with a book, I was kicked out of the game, but I have not been inducted into the Hall of Fame," Canseco said in a telephone interview.

"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. So there is 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."

This all very well may be true, but Canseco's missing the larger point. If we lived in an alternate universe where no one ever found out how widespread the steroid usage in baseball was in the '90s but was otherwise unchanged, Canseco would still be out of the Hall of Fame, he still wouldn't be managing or coaching, and he'd probably still be trying to start an MMA career. His steroid use just gave everyone a convienient excuse to do what they would've done anyways.

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Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez, top, takes a late throw as Boston Red Sox's Jacoby Ellsbury, bottom, steals second base during the fifth inning of a baseball game in the rain at Fenway Park in Boston, Thursday, June 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

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Florida Marlins third baseman Emilio Bonifacio (L) is charged with an error on this pop up hit by Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz after colliding with Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla during the fifth inning of their Inter-League MLB baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts June 18, 2009. REUTERS/Adam Hunger (UNITED STATES SPORT BASEBALL)

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

6-17-2009 @ 9:16PM

Adam said...

How may that be true? Last time I checked- Jose was not banned from baseball - he said he was kicked out of the game.

And Jose is not in the HOF because his career numbers just aren't that good. Not to mention that baseball has nothing to do with his induction because he is not banned - it's the sports writers. Is he going to sue them because they didn't vote for him? How is that mlb's fault?

Now I'm wondering - how many coaching jobs did Jose apply for? I wouldn't insult baseball coaches by saying that anyone could do it - why does he feel that he's qualified? Who says that he deserves a job? There are many HOF players who are not coaches at any level. I would venture to say that most HOF players are not nor have they ever been coaches - so I don't understand how he's being held back.

The real problem here is that Canseco made $45 million in his big league career and he's flat broke. Now he's desparate and grasping at straws. MLB owes him nothing and this will be tossed out by the first judge who has to waste his time with this suit crossing his desk.

6-17-2009 @ 9:14PM

Nelson said...

Jose,Jose,Jose, like they say in Little Italy, you rat bastard,low life ,^%#$*(8&&^^%%^(. You talk you no ^%*&#$^ good you rat ^%$(*&^. JOSE do you see. You rat ^%$&%*&^, lousy fink. Jose,JOSE< JOSE,you no good man. You talk you &^%. Maybe it was that fly ball that hit you on the head, remember that. Nah, amnesia or just plain stupidity, you rat bastard.

6-17-2009 @ 9:18PM

Glenn20 said...

As far as I know, MLB has NOT banned Canseco or McGwire from the Hall of Fame. It's the writers who are choosing not to vote them in -- which is their right. How can you blame MLB for it? He might have a case about being blackballed in some respects, but by that time his career was basically over anyway.

6-17-2009 @ 10:40PM

jedeleer said...

so basically jose canseco is suing baseball for not putting him in the hall of fame.

6-18-2009 @ 9:53PM

syl1969 said...

Perhaps he should sue the steroid makers since it obviously kills brain cells!

6-18-2009 @ 11:30AM

Everybody said...

Hall of Fame
Put up a special display - a steroid wall of shame

6-18-2009 @ 8:09PM

dduffy8737 said...

Jose needs a lead injection badly.

6-18-2009 @ 8:11PM

Brandy said...

I would rather see Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame the Jose. Pete Rose "disgraced the Game of Baseball" by gambling on the outcome of games. Jose disgraced himself, the sport, and brought down many other player before and after him as well. If he wanted to confess his sins and come clean, fine. But don't be a snitch. Which one should be allowed in the Hall of Fame? Pete.

6-18-2009 @ 8:14PM

kevludwig1 said...

ahh yeah,jose is a meat head,rat bastard..but he has a point.he is banned from any mlb events meaning baseball card signings and so on.owners and bud knew all about the steroids they used these guys to the leagues advantage,and when it all came out the league tossed them aside...
why is'nt anyone talking about A ROD any more?

6-18-2009 @ 8:16PM

Keith said...

First off the HOF is a joke. It will continue to be one until Pete Rose is inducted.

MLB is very hypocritical. They banned Pete for gambling. The blacksox fixed games. Pete never did. They banned Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays because they took jobs at a casino. There was no sports betting. They were greeters. They were reinstated after they left that employment.

MLB says they want NOTHING to do with gambling in any form. Now they have contracts with state lotteries. How can anyone take them seriously?

6-18-2009 @ 8:21PM

jmaneuv011 said...

Rules are rules and Rose broke them. Canseco just wasn't good enough statistically to make it if you consider he was a corner outfielder with a .266 career average, not a great OBP, and didn't get to the 500 career HR mark despite being on steroids. I don't even know if these 550+ HR steroid guys will get in never mind a guy with Canseco's numbers

6-18-2009 @ 8:20PM

Dahoss65 said...

I think he did the right thing. I mean somebody had to come forward, otherwise, the cheating would be continuing to this day unchecked. I think cheaters are worse than rats.

I mean think about it for a second. If you knew somebody cheated to get your job or to beat you in a ball game or in a card game or whatever, would you not speak up and say "hey! that guy cheated?"
Cheating is not cool. It ruins everything that is good and needs to be brought to the attention at all costs.

6-18-2009 @ 8:22PM

kduncan725 said...

Jose, Your just a spoiled person,That craves attention. Why don't crawl back under the rock you came from. No body give a crap about you. Except you. You stabbed all your friends in the back. So you could write a book. You sucked as a Baseball player

zeebro1 said...

Someone should give him (another) good pummeling!

6-18-2009 @ 8:23PM

Canseco's reasons for ratting people out bothers me just as much as him being a rat. He basically was jealous of McGwire and Sosa getting attention in the media and wanted to drag down everybody else-do you think he really cared about the "right thing"?

6-18-2009 @ 8:32PM

heezgawn said...

Canseco is an idiot

6-18-2009 @ 8:36PM

baseballfanno1 said...

true the MLB did not ban him, but the media always portrayed him as the bad guy cause he brought steroids into baseball. So to make themselves look beter, the GM's did not approach canseco after his last contract expired. They didnt want him playing cause he brought steroids into baseball, even though steroids was wat revived baseball after the 1994 World Series was cancelled, so the gm's thank him by shunning him and saying you cant play anymore.
granted his numbers werent the best, but could any of you hit 450+ HRs? i dont think so

6-18-2009 @ 10:39PM

uhlerrobertj said...

Would it have been 450 HRs or 40-40 without the juice? A .266 average is HOF material to you? Not to most others. He was a disaster in the field as well. Off the field, well it would be charitable to say that he was a distraction and leave it at that. MLB looked the other way for McGwire because in the 2 years before '98 he had 52 and 58 HRs, respectively. '98 was an expansion year and he was expected to challenge Maris anyway. And, it was no secret that he took Andro. Heck, a reporter saw it in his locker. Mac is not in the HOF because he made a rear end of himself with his Congressional testimony.

6-18-2009 @ 8:49PM

REALLONGDRIVER said...

Alot of people have short memories.In 1998, Sosa+
McGwire, when they both went after Maris. MLB looked the other way and did nothing. Say what you want but he was the first 40HR/40SB. In the end he did get screwed. He would have had 600HR
no problem. He told MLB about the steroids, and they did not want to do anything, because too much $$$ was at stake

6-18-2009 @ 8:52PM

pmoschetta said...

Pete Rpse broke rules as a Manager, not a player. He should be inducted into the HOF as a PLAYER, for goodness sakes!
Wait and see. Joe Torre will be inducted into the HOF one day as Manager, yet he played 15 years in Majors as a 3rd Baseman and Catcher, yet he won't be inducted as a Player, nor will his credentials even mention it.
What is the difference?