MLB Is Being Mean To Jose Canseco

I just had to comment on this story in the Globe and Mail by Ronald Blum. Lets look at some of it:

Jose Canseco plans to file a class-action lawsuit against Major League Baseball and the players’ association, saying he’s been ostracized for going public with tales of steroids use in the sport.

Interesting idea, I'm not the local lawyer but I'd have to guess he doesn't have much of a case.

Canseco said Wednesday that he has discussed the suit with lawyers and intends to enlist Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro to join in the suit.

I'm not either of those two but I think if I were I'd be far more likely to want to sue Jose for continuing to bring my name up in stories about steroids.

Canseco said the basis of the suit would be "lost wages — in some cases, defamation of character."

Shouldn't that be definition of character? I think the man has shown us more about his character that we ever really wanted to know.

"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.

I guess I missed the part where baseball guarantees you a place in the Hall after your career is over. Why is he so broke anyway? Didn't he make millions playing and didn't he make some money off those books.

"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.

Raise your hand if you figured Jose Canseco would get a manager job in the major leagues. Yeah I didn't either.

Whether a judge would think Canseco has a case remains to be seen.

I'm not a judge, nor do I play one on TV but I think I can guess that a judge would just throw it out quickly.

"Always, one individual has to make that stand, which is me," Canseco said. "And then I’ll obviously speak to other players and other individuals, see how far they want to go."

How far they want to go? Likely as far from you as posible, Jose.

"I don’t see why people just don’t get it. I don’t understand the ignorance," he said. "Listen: It was allowed by Major League Baseball. It was endorsed by Major League Baseball.

It was endorsed by MLB? Now there is something I'd like to see proved in court.

"Like I’ve said all along, in my era 80 per cent of the players were using steroids and why would Sammy Sosa be excluded from that?" Canseco said. "I think people are going to be amazed how, you know, extensive that list is that Major League Baseball is holding back right now and who are on it."

If 104 names were on that list of players that tested positive, how do you go from that to 80% of players were using? And no I don't think people are going to be 'amazed' to see who is on the list. I think most people are pretty much over being amazed to hear someone was using.  No one was amazed or even surprised when Sosa's name came out. I think we are all numbed to the whole thing by now.

I do wish that Canseco would have taken better care of the millions he made as a player, because then he could have disappeared into the obscurity he richly deserves.