Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big

Jose Conseco writes an excellent article as life in the Major leagues. His stories are concise and to the point. The object of this book, it not to tell someone how to play better, but rather what life can be like in the Majors. Also, Jose is not the bad guy he is now days considered to be. He was a scapegoat for the commissioner of baseball, cold Bud Selig. His chapter on umpires is, in fact, exactly how I found it to be when I played and very informative. The book is entertaining and forthright and explains how the "haves" and "have nots" fare in the Majors. Highly recommended reading. His excuse for using steroids is weak, but overall, you can see how things basically destroyed one of the best Cuban hitters to ever step in the batter' box. Recently Conseco has said publicly he wished he had not written it. Why I wonder. I promise you that except for the personal parts in there, the actual game nuances are 99% accurate. There are inner parts of the game that even in my time, were not to be proud of. But I have an idea ALL sports are like that once a player goes past LL (little league). For all of you that don't know, even the greatest player of all time (Babe Ruth) was humilated and treated like a bum until the crowds saw him play a few months. I am telling you that if you can just forget all of the steroid junk in the book for a second, you will like it. The news media can make your life terrible, being like sharks and biting at anything that moves. This magnifies everything. Conseco was crushed and shamed by the fact that a 15 year old kid took his book and used it. This same kid killed himself by accident using steroids--or this is the analysis of our new gathering professionals. I recommend this book to all parents having kids in high school (or higher) that play any sport. I am glad this guy wrote it. Read it and learn something. guyairey

Is Jose Canseco baseball's answer to distinguished writers such as William Gibson or Frank McCourt? Is he the pharmaceutical baseball equivalent of Stephen Jay Gould, matching the latter's passion for baseball with a similar degree of literary eloquence? Of course, the answer to both questions is most definitely no, and yet this book - regardless of its hype - deserves to be read as a fascinating glimpse into the origins of what future baseball historians may call "The Steroid Era" from its patron saint - or devil incarnate (I'll let the reader decide which) - Jose Canseco, himself. There have been much better books on baseball from sports writers, historians and former players, but none have dealt succinctly with an ongoing issue which Major League Baseball is finally coming to grips with. Jose Canseco tries to portray himself as a likeable, thoughtful person. For the most part, he succeeds, especially when he discusses his family life with his parents, brother Ozzie, both of his ex-wives and his daughter. When he discusses steroids, he becomes a thoughtful, zealous advocate for them, emphasizing their usage only under strict medical supervision. For him, steroids are a fait accompli, an established fact, and a sound medical fact which bodes well for advancing human longevity. When Canseco discusses baseball players and personnel, he tends to be less likeable, coming across as a whining, insecure person with an ax or two to grind (I wasn't too impressed with Canseco's achievements when he was an active player, even when he was playing for my beloved New York Yankees.). I'm less shocked by his name dropping than by his character assassinations of some baseball players - perhaps deserved in one or two instances - which are covered in ample detail throughout the book. And yet, his criticism of Major League Baseball is relatively mild in stark contrast to his harsh criticism of some sports journalists covering baseball. Should you buy this book? The answer is absolutely yes if you are interested in hearing from one former player's perspective, how serious a problem Major League Baseball has with steroids. Canseco makes some credible charges that deserve much scrutiny; these aren't wild accusations from a former player who is angry with himself and former colleagues in Major League Baseball. Without question, Canseco's book has already caused a firestorm of controversy, fueling a debate on steroid usage which Canseco himself welcomes. I may not appreciate Canseco's positive view of steroid usage, but I do not frown on his right to publicize it.

...the impact (positive and negative) that this book is going to have upon Major League Baseball? I just finished it in one sitting, and I have to say that it was well worth the time. While it was a little higher-priced than I would have liked, that's just nitpicking. The book begins from Canseco's childhood and ends up in the current landscape of baseball. Throughout the book, there were many allegations made (among those Canseco states that use [or used] steroids in one way or another --- Mark McGwire, Juan Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro, Miguel Tejada, Wilson Alvarez, Dave Martinez, Tony Saunders, Bret Boone, and Brady Anderson) and a lot of great stories told throughout. A particularly touching chapter was when his baby daughter "saved his life" (chapter 17). In late 1997 after separating from his wife, he found out through a friend that she was in Kansas City seeing Tony Gonzalez (Kansas City Chiefs' tight end). He had a nervous breakdown, took out a gun from his closet, and was about to commit suicide when he heard a little scream/cry from his daughter. However, her room was on the other side of his very large house, the door was closed, and when he went into her room, she was sound asleep. So somebody or "something" saved him, according to Canseco. All that he asks in the book is to think about things with an open mind and answer these questions for yourself. Contrary to popular belief, Canseco is STRONGLY AGAINST abuse and misuse of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs, but makes a strong case for the use of them (which, according to him, saved his career on many occasions and is the reason he is healthy and strong today). Basically, he says the challenge is not to find a player who has used steroids, but to find a top player who HAS NOT. You will confirm (or throw away) your misconceptions about Jose Canseco, and you may learn something new. Whether you believe what he says in this book or not, the fact is that it is certainly going to create an ongoing discussion inside (and outside) of the game of baseball. Highly recommended!

Halfway through reading Jose Canseco's new book "Juiced", it occurred to me that my opinion of this man was changing with every page I turned. I went into this book thinking that this was a man simply out to make a buck at the expense of others. What I've learned is that this book isn't about Jose Canseco or any of the many run-in's with the law that tarnished the amazing persona he gave of in his hey-day. This book is about a story that no one in Major League Baseball wants told......This book is about the TRUTH. We've all heard the rumors from reporters about how steroids have been killing baseball for years......now hear the story from a man who knows what he's talking about from being there in the trenches. This is no different than what Jim Bouton went through in the 1970's with his book "Ball Four". It took until 1988 to invite Bouton back to Yankee Stadium. Canseco is being treated like a social leper, just like Bouton was. I hope it won't take 18 years for the world's eyes to be opened and focused on what Canseco is saying here. He may very well be the key to returning baseball as America's Pastime.

Jose Canseco is best known for several things: A fly ball bouncing off his noggin and landing over the fence, dating Madonna, having numerous run-ins with the law, being the first man to ever hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season, his tape measure home runs, and his bulging biceps. Even before the steroid craze in baseball's public eye began, we all knew he was a juicehead. But to actually come out like this, and admit that he was only a major league calibur player because of the juice was a pretty bold move. I couldn't wait to get this book, and I dove right into it, and read it cover to cover as soon as I got back home from the bookstore. I don't know what I was expecting, but I wanted some dirt... and dirt I received. The book doesn't name as many names as I thought it would, but it did enough to damage the reputations of a select few to last a lifetime. While the book is controversial, it points things out that have been pretty obvious, if you know anything about steroids, what they do, and how they work. As Jose points out, if you looked at McGwire and Sosa during their home run hitting peaks, they were very bloated, as they gained weight too quickly (water weight). Many say Canseco's credibility is shot (or non-existant), but I believe this book to be pretty much right on the money. Several issues may have been exaggerated to help sell more books, but overall, I believe it 100%. Excellent read, and I urge any baseball fan to take a look.