Jose Canseco

Did You Know?

• He was drafted in the 15th round, 392nd overall, in 1982, making him the seventh lowest-drafted player ever to win an MVP award.
• Canseco played baseball at Miami Coral Park High School and did not make the varsity team until his senior year.

Baseball career

The Oakland Athletics selected Canseco in the 15th round of the 1982 draft. He began his professional career with the Miami Marlins of the Florida State League and also played for the Medford A's, Madison Muskies, Idaho Falls A's, Modesto A's, and Tacoma Tigers. In 1985, while playing for the Class-AA Huntsville Stars, he earned the nickname "Parkway José" because his long home runs often landed near the Memorial Parkway behind Joe Davis Stadium. That same year, he won the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award and was called up to the majors in September. Canseco made his MLB debut on September 2, 1985, striking out in his only at-bat against the Baltimore Orioles. His first hit came off Ron Guidry of the New York Yankees on September 7, and his first home run off Jeff Russell of the Texas Rangers on September 9. In 29 major-league games that season, he batted .302 with 5 home runs and 13 RBIs. He was named Player of the Week from September 23 to 29, hitting .481 with 3 home runs and 7 RBIs. Canseco played left and right field, and on September 26 he appeared in center field for his only career game at that position. For the entire 1985 season across AA, AAA, and the majors, he posted a .330 batting average with 41 home runs and 140 RBIs.

Performance-enhancing drugs

In 2005, Jose Canseco came clean about his own steroid use in a tell-all book, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big. He also alleged that as many as 85% of major league players were using the drugs, a claim that drew heavy pushback from the baseball world. Canseco specifically called out former teammates Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Jason Giambi, Iván Rodríguez, and Juan González, saying he had injected them with steroids. Most of those players initially denied it, though Giambi later admitted to using steroids in grand jury testimony, and McGwire finally acknowledged his use in 2010. During a Congressional hearing, Palmeiro flatly denied ever taking performance-enhancing drugs, while McGwire repeatedly refused to discuss his past. Juiced became a New York Times bestseller. On August 1, 2005, Palmeiro was suspended for ten days after a positive steroid test. Canseco was named in the Mitchell Report in December 2007 and also appeared in an unsealed affidavit from former teammate Jason Grimsley as a steroid user. In 2008, Canseco released a sequel, Vindicated, which he said was meant to clarify names that should have been in the Mitchell Report. By 2010, he had changed his tune, speaking out against PEDs and telling young athletes to stay away. He argued that steroids get too much credit, pointing to his identical twin brother Ozzie, who used the same drugs and workouts but never made the big leagues.

Outside baseball

During his playing career, Canseco appeared as a guest star on The Simpsons in the episode "Homer at the Bat" and on Nash Bridges. After retiring, he made appearances on Late Show with David Letterman, 60 Minutes, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, Boomer and Carton, The Howard Stern Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, CMI: The Chris Myers Interview, and Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. In 2003, he was featured in the reality-TV special Stripper's Ball: Jenna Jameson. He was a cast member in Season 5 of The Surreal Life. Canseco had a film cameo playing himself in the 2017 basketball drama Slamma Jamma. In 2007, he received 6 Hall of Fame votes, 1.1% of the ballots, failing to reach the 5% threshold to remain on the ballot. In 2008, he fought former NFL player Vai Sikahema in Atlantic City and was knocked out in the first round, earning $35,000. In 2009, he fought radio personality Danny Bonaduce to a majority draw. Canseco claims black belts in karate and taekwondo and says he practices Muay Thai. He made his mixed martial arts debut at Dream 9 on May 26, 2009, losing to Hong-man Choi. In November 2009, he defeated Todd Poulton in a Celebrity Boxing Federation bout. In 2011, he was a contestant on The Celebrity Apprentice but quit on April 3, citing his father's ailing health; his father died shortly after.

Legal issues and controversies

On February 10, 1989, Canseco was arrested in Florida for reckless driving after allegedly leading an officer on a 15-mile chase; he was found guilty and fined $500. On April 11, 1989, he was arrested in California for carrying a loaded semi-automatic pistol in his car and pleaded no contest. On February 13, 1992, he was charged with aggravated battery for ramming his Porsche into a BMW driven by his then-wife Esther Canseco; he pleaded not guilty and later underwent counseling and community service. In November 1997, he was arrested for beating his then-wife Jessica Canseco, pleaded no contest, and received one year of probation and counseling. In October 2001, Canseco and his brother Ozzie fought two men at a Miami Beach nightclub, leaving one with a broken nose and the other needing 20 stitches; both pleaded guilty to aggravated battery and received probation and community service. In March 2003, he missed a court appearance while in California for a custody dispute, and the judge sentenced him to two years of house arrest followed by three years' probation. In June 2003, he was arrested for probation violation after testing positive for steroids and spent a month in jail. In May 2008, he revealed he had lost his house to foreclosure, saying his two divorces cost him $7 to $8 million each. On October 10, 2008, he was detained at a San Diego border crossing for trying to bring a fertility drug from Mexico; he pleaded guilty and received 12 months' unsupervised probation.