By Mark La Monica
Jose Canseco is a dangerous man. More so with his mouth than with a bat these days.
Sure, he holds a bit of a grudge against Major League Baseball and has no problem admitting it. And sure, some of the things he wrote in his 2005 book "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big" were a bit embellished and a bit questionable.
He endured plenty of public criticism from current and former big-leaguers, baseball-related people, fans and the media. But when he talks now, baseball fans should listen. The events of the past 17 months since his book hit the shelves have given Canseco an impressive amount of credibility. He swings a bigger microphone than he does a bat.
So, when Canseco said on Monday before his first game in the independent Golden Baseball League, “I think what we’re seeing is just the tip of the iceberg. I know for a fact that’s what we’re seeing,” then there's a good chance that is fairly accurate.
Canseco made more claims that MLB plays favorites with big-name players when it comes to positive drug tests. MLB refuted the claim as “complete nonsense.”
Between Canseco, MLB commissioner Bud Selig and Players union chief Donald Fehr, who do you think the public should believe? The "Godfather of Steroids in Baseball" who admitted to using steroids, or the former Brewers owner who now is in charge of the entire sport, or the guy whose job it is to protect the players and get them the most money possible?
I'm going with Canseco. Maybe his calling Major League Baseball "the mafia" was a bit extreme, but if he claims there is more to come with steroids and positive tests and the like, I'll side with Canseco until proven otherwise.