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Canseco, Jose. Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball
Got Big. Regan Books, 2005.

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In July of 1964, Jose Canseco (and his twin brother) was born in Havana, Cuba.

Quote 1: "My parents and older sister, Teresa, were living in Regla in July 1964 when my mother gave birth to me and my twin brother, Osvaldo."

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Jose Canseco and his family moved to America

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Jose Canseco and his family moved to America

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Jose Canseco and his family moved to the state of Florida in 1965, he and his brother were just babies and flew on a propeller plane. He grew up in a family that strived for him and his brother to do great things.

Quote 2: "The Castro government announced in 1965 that it would allow an airlift of people from Varadero, Cuba, to Miami. Ozzie and I were just babies when my parents took us and Teresa to the airport, where we climbed into a smaller propeller plane. There was only room for about twenty people inside, and apparently it was stuffy. I don't remember any of that, but it was an important day for the family and we heard about it later."

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The father of Jose and his brother started to teach them, the sport of baseball

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The father of Jose and his brother started to teach them, the sport of baseball

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At a young age, Jose's father was a very busy, hardworking person. Extra time was something Jose's father never had. But Jose's father would start to take some breaks from his work to take his sons to a nearby school to teach them baseball.

Quote 3: "He never had much extra time, but sometimes he would take a break from his work win the afternoon and drive Ozzie and me to a nearby school in Opa-locka so he could teach us baseball. He started this when Ozzie and I were real small, just three or four years old, and continued for years, helping us develop."

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Jose Canseco started to play organized baseball

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Jose Canseco started to play organized baseball

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Jose Canseco and Ozzie (his brother's nickname) started to play organized baseball at around the age of 12-13 years old. They didn't play great though.

Quote 4: "Ozzie and I started playing organized baseball when we were twelve or thirteen. You could say we were both late bloomers. We were always just average baseball players, and that was really frustrating for my father."

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After 3 years of baseball for his high school team Jose Canseco finally gets called up to play varsity baseball for his senior year.

Quote 5: "I didn't even make the varsity team until my senior year of high school."

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Jose Canseco was named MVP for his varsity team

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Jose Canseco was named MVP for his varsity team

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After a season of many well hit baseballs and pitchers scared when he comes up to bat, Jose Canseco was named MVP for his highschools varsity squad.

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Jose Canseco was drafted by the Oakland A's

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Jose Canseco was drafted by the Oakland A's

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Jose Canseco was drafted in the 15th round in 1982. This was a big surprise that Jose was not expecting.

Quote 6: "The Oakland A's ended up drafting me in the fifteenth round of the 1982 amateur draft, and that came as a surprise to me. I didn't think I was going to get drafted, and I was amazed even to be picked in the fifteenth round."

Outside Proof 1: https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=cansejo01

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Jose Canseco joins a Pioneer League in Idaho which was way far away from his hometown of Florida.

Quote 7: "I played in Idaho Falls in the Pioneer League that first season as an eighteen-year-old, and that was a big change."

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Jose Canseco makes the All-Star team for the Northwest League

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Jose Canseco makes the All-Star team for the Northwest League

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11 home runs and a batting average of .270, Jose Canseco gets to play in the All-Star game.

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1984 Jose Canseco finds out that his mother is very sick

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1984 Jose Canseco finds out that his mother is very sick

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Jose gets a call from his sister to get home because their mother is very badly sickened.

Quote 8: "But in 1984 I got a call from my sister, Teresa, and I knew that this time it was different."

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Jose Canseco flies back to Florida but his mother is in a bad place health-wise

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Jose Canseco flies back to Florida but his mother is in a bad place health-wise

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Jose Canseco flies back to Florida only to find out that his mother has been in a coma.

Qoute 9: "I flew back to Miami to see her and went right to the hospital, but by then she was in a coma."

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Jose Canseco is told that his mother is dead

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Jose Canseco is told that his mother is dead

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Jose's mothers hasn't seen one of his minor league appearances and he realizes that she never will because the doctor told him that his mother's brain is dead, and basically told him it was over.

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Jose Canseco started to use steroids and was really nervous, he then found out thought that it would be very important to him.

Quote 10: "I didn't know what it was going to do to me. But after a while it becomes so easy, it's incredible. Steroids become like a friend."

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Jose Canseco was elected to play in the MLB's All-Star Game as a rookie

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Jose Canseco was elected to play in the MLB's All-Star Game as a rookie

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After many uses of steroids and a call up to play in the big leagues from the Oakland Athletics Jose Canseco got to play in the MLB All-Star game.

Outside Proof 2: https://www.mlb.com/athletics/history/all-star-players

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Athletics players that have participated in Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game.

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1986 Jose Canseco wins the MLB's Rookie of the Year Award. One of the highest prized awards for young players in the MLB.

Outside Proof 3: https://whitecleatbeat.com/2014/12/26/the-athletics-rookie-of-the-year/

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Since the inception of the Baseball Writers Association of America's Rookie of the Year award in 1947, the Athletics have been fortunate enough to field several winners of the award.

In 1952, Harry Byrd won the rookie of the year award as a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics. Byrd went 15-15 in his first full season with the team and posted a 3.31 ERA in 228.1 innings of work. He had 15 complete games, including three shutouts and a pair of saves.

Time was not particularly good to Byrd, though, and his numbers in the 1953 season took a steep turn down the wrong road with his ERA jumping to 5.51, his win count dropping to 11-20, his total earned runs spiking from 84 to 145, a career high, and hitting twice as many batters with balls. This was the final year that Byrd played for the Athletics and he would spend the next four seasons playing for the Yankees, Orioles, White Sox and Tigers to mixed success.

Following Byrd's honors, the Athletics went through an extended dry spell in terms of the Rookie of the Year award, including their entire stint in Kansas City. That drought would end in a big way with three consecutive award winners beginning in 1986 when Jose Canseco was given the honor.

Jose Canseco, in his award winning rookie year, hit 33 homers, drove in 117 runs, stole 15 bases, and got an All Star invitation. Canseco's OPS was an above average .775 but would, remarkably, dip below that number only once in his 17 major league seasons. His rookie season ranked him second in RBI's, fourth in home runs, and ninth in extra base hits. His defensive ability, in 1986, left something to be desired but unlike Byrd, this Athletics rookie of the year was not peaking in his first season. Canseco would go on to have a 40/40 year, six all star appearances, a world series victory and an MVP award.

The following year, 1987, saw the rookie of the year honor go to Mark McGwire who also enjoyed a trip to the all star game during his rookie season. McGwire, who quickly became every bay area kid's hero (including this writer), hit 49 home runs, drove in 118, and had a .987 OPS. His rookie season saw him post a 5.1 WAR and a league leading .618 SLG%. His career requires little recap for the readers of this site. McGwire, when healthy, was a phenomenal player with several seasons of record breaking success. Of course, despite all the accolades he received during his tenure as a player, the BBWAA still refuses to acknowledge his greatness in the Hall of Fame due to his connection with performance enhancing drugs for which he has admitted sporadic use.

The third consecutive rookie of the year for the Athletics was awarded to Walt Weiss who, in 1988, lacked the power at the plate that Canseco and McGwire had but ranked in the top five in nearly every defensive category as a shortstop. His defensive play earned him the rookie of the year award in 1988 but his ability at the plate, which was a hair above average, made him a critical component to the A's success for five seasons.

Ben Grieve brought the Rookie of the Year honors back to Oakland in 1998 with a solid season at the plate and a strong showing in right field. At the plate, Grieve was good for .288 batting average with 18 home runs and 89 RBI's. In right field he posted a .993 fielding percentage (league average was .983. He ranked in the top ten for doubles, walks, win probability added, and fielding percentage in his first season and would go on to have success, although not an all star career, through nine major league seasons.

In 2004, Bobby Crosby received the honor for his rookie season at shortstop. Crosby ranked ninth in defensive WAR (1.4) for the season and ranked in the top five for many defensive categories. Crosby's rookie of the year honors were followed by another Oakland Athletic in 2005 when Huston Street grabbed the award.

Street, in 2005, was good for 23 saves in 27 opportunities and, through 78.1 innings, maintained a 1.72 ERA. To say that he had a good rookie year is a bit of an understatement but Street continues to have an excellent career on the mound.

Andrew Bailey, from 2009, is the most recent Rookie of the Year recipient for the Oakland Athletics. In 83.1 innings with the A's, Bailey went 6-3 with 26 saves in 30 chances while posting a 1.84 ERA. Including his rookie year, Bailey represented the A's two times as an all star but in his final year with the team, 2011, his ERA began to rise while his inning count sank (although he did maintain a 25 save average in all three seasons) and in 2012 he posted a career high 7.04 ERA in 15.1 innings with Boston, where he was traded to obtain Josh Reddick.

Will the Oakland Athletics bring up the next great rookie in 2015 or 2016? It's very possible. With the number of prospects that Beane has acquired in this off season, we may very well see the title return to Oakland but until then, let's just hope that the next Rookie of the Year isn't playing in the AL West!

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The Athletics' Rookie of the Year History

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Since the inception of the Baseball Writers Association of America's Rookie of the Year award in 1947, the Athletics have been fortunate enough to field several winners of the award. In 1952, Harry Byrd won the rookie of the year award as a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics.

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Mark McGwire was called up by the A's in 1987. He went on to have a historic season with Jose. Mark wins the ROTY just like Jose. The duo was then named The Bash Brothers. The two made one of the best MLB duos of all time.

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After many seasons with the Oakland Athletics the teams office decided to trade him to the Texas Rangers.

Outside Proof 4: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-01-sp-6719-story.html

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In a stunning gamble designed to bolster their pitching for September and beyond--and, perhaps, lower their $40-million payroll in time--the Oakland Athletics on Monday night traded right fielder Jose Canseco to the Texas Rangers for outfielder Ruben Sierra and pitchers Bobby Witt and Jeff Russell.

The A's also received cash, believed to be $400,000, the maximum allowed.

The deal came on the final night for acquiring a player who would be eligible for postseason competition. Sierra, Witt and Russell join a team that leads the American League West by 6 1/2 games. Canseco is going the other way. The Rangers trail the A's by 15 1/2 games.

"I'm in shock," said the often-controversial Canseco, adding that he thought it was April Fools Day when he was removed from a game with the Baltimore Orioles shortly before his first at-bat Monday night and informed of the trade by manager Tony LaRussa.

"I guess the club figured it needed pitching or maybe the fans tired of Jose Canseco," he said. "Maybe I wore out my welcome, but I hope they miss me as a player and person.

"I'll definitely miss the players here."

Said A's General Manager Sandy Alderson:

"It was a difficult transaction in many respects. I mean, trading Jose, in a sense, represents the end of an era here that he personified, but we felt strongly going into the last month that we needed to improve our team. We needed to improve our pitching."

Witt and Russell should contribute in that regard, but the gamble for the A's rests in their ability to re-sign Sierra and Russell, both of whom will be eligible for free agency when the season ends.

The A's now have 14 players in that category, including Dave Stewart, Terry Steinbach, Ron Darling and Mark McGwire.

Of the unsigned status of Sierra and Russell, Alderson said: "We'll add them to our baker's dozen and deal with it when the time comes."

The A's, of course, have another option. It would provide the payroll with a quick fix, but defuse the offense.

Canseco, 28, making $3.6 million this season, is signed through 1995 at salaries of $4.1 million, $4.4 million and $5.1 million. Sierra, who will turn 27 in October and is currently sidelined because of chicken pox that he caught from his son, had already rejected a Ranger offer of about $25 million.

General Manager Tom Grieve said he felt his chances of signing Sierra and Russell were diminishing.

"We had some reservations about giving up Bobby Witt," he said, "but you have to give up more than just players for September to get an impact player who is signed for three more years. Jose Canseco gives us a fourth-place hitter who is going to the Hall of Fame. It was a trade that made sense for both sides."

Sierra, batting .278 with 14 home runs and 70 runs batted in during an off-year that might stem from his contract problems, issued a statement in which he thanked the Rangers for his six years with them and said he was looking forward to making major contributions with the A's.

Witt and Russell voiced similar sentiments.

"This comes as a total surprise," said Witt, "but all I can tell you is that going to Oakland beats sitting here with a fourth-place team."

Witt, 27, was a 17-game winner in 1990 before arm problems reduced him to 3-7 last year. With Bob Welch sidelined because of injury, the A's rotation consists primarily of Stewart, Darling and Mike Moore. Witt joins it with a 9-13 record and 4.46 earned-run average and is signed through next year at $3 million, with a 1994 option at $3.5 million.

Russell, 31 today, is 2-3 with a club-leading 28 saves and a major league-leading nine blown saves. He becomes a set-up man for Dennis Eckersley, but said he hopes to be more than that.

"Eck is getting a little older. He might be ready for a rest now and then," Russell said.

Canseco leaves Oakland with a .246 batting average, 22 home runs and 72 RBI. In his six seasons with the A's, he hit 209 home runs and drove in 647 runs. Texas Manager Toby Harrah compared his power to that of Reggie Jackson.

Agent Dennis Gilbert said: "Jose is still the best player in the American League. What I don't understand is how a team with weak pitching like that of the Rangers can give up its best two pitchers."

Canseco also presents the Rangers with a problem. As a player traded with a multiyear contract, he can demand a trade after the first year. If the Rangers do not respond to the demand by the following March, Canseco could become a free agent.

Grieve said he was confident that Canseco would be comfortable in Texas and that the Rangers could replace Witt and Russell from within. He again cited Russell's imminent free agency, the inconsistency that has plagued Witt's career and the opportunity to get a hitter of Canseco's stature at a time when Sierra seemed unsignable.

"I don't think you can turn your back on a future Hall of Famer when you're faced with a situation in which you have two players who are likely to become free agents," he said.

At one time there seemed to be little doubt that Canseco was headed for Cooperstown, but his destination now isn't as clear. Alderson wouldn't say it, but Canseco's behavior off the field is known to have slowly eroded the A's patience.

They worried about his intensity and work habits, and he might have delivered the final blow two weeks ago when, unannounced, he left a game and the stadium during the eighth inning, citing injury. He was later criticized publicly by Steinbach and LaRussa, the manager who hugged Canseco when he told him of the trade Monday night. Canseco, the American League's 1988 most valuable player and a two-time league home run champion, appreciated the warmth of La Russa's gesture but had a tough time embracing the news.

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A's Trade Canseco to Rangers : Baseball: Oakland obtains outfielder Sierra and pitchers Russell and Witt for the American League's 1988 MVP.

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In a stunning gamble designed to bolster their pitching for September and beyond--and, perhaps, lower their $40-million payroll in time--the Oakland Athletics on Monday night traded right fielder Jose Canseco to the Texas Rangers for outfielder Ruben Sierra and pitchers Bobby Witt and Jeff Russell.

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After ups and many downs in many different relationships Jose becomes a father to his girlfriend Jessica which at the time Jose thought that they were going to be breaking up.

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After years of playing in the MLB, a drug test found Jose Canseco positive for using steroids and was then suspended by the MLB in 2005.

Outside Reading 5: https://www.sportscasting.com/jose-cansecos-promise-to-his-dying-mother-triggered-steroid-use/

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Jose Canseco was larger than life when he was one half of the Bash Brothers in the late 1980s and early 90s. Teaming with Mark McGwire, the duo led the Oakland Athletics to three straight World Series appearances with their power. The two were among many in that era caught up in a steroids scandal that rocked baseball. Canseco can attribute his PED usage to a promise he made to his dying mother.

Love him or hate him, Jose Canseco set baseball straight

Jose Canseco of the Oakland Athletics bats during an MLB game at the Oakland Coliseum during the 1990 season. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

RELATED: Jose Canseco Earned More than $45 Million But 'Divorce and Taxes' Destroyed His Net Worth
Canseco is labeled both a rat and a hero for a book published in 2005. "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big" is his book that claims up to 85% of major league players took steroids. Canseco named former teammates, including McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro, and admitted he injected him.

The book rose to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. Palmeiro vehemently denied using steroids after his name was mentioned. In August of 2005, he was suspended by Major League Baseball after testing positive. At a court hearing, McGwire refused to answer, saying he didn't want to talk about the past. He later admitted to using steroids.

While he didn't make many friends, Canseco did help clean up the sport. While PED suspensions are still happening, it's at a much lower level. His numbers are Hall-of-Fame worthy, but he likely will keep an entire era out of the Hall because of steroid use. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens would be sure-fire members with their numbers but will probably be excluded because of their ties to steroids.

His promise to his dying mother led to his steroid use
RELATED: The Many Misdeeds of MLB's Jose Canseco and His Twin Brother Ozzie
In a recent interview with VladTV, Canseco pointed out when his steroid use began. He said it was because of a promise he made to his mother after she was stricken with a brain aneurysm. It was midseason in 1984 when Canseco's mother passed away while he was working his way up the ladder in the minors. "My mother had never watched me play professional baseball," he said. "She was on her deathbed, already brain dead from a brain aneurysm.

"I promised her right there - something kind of switched to me. The switch went off, and I said, 'Mom, for you I'm going to become the best player in the world.' Right then and there, literally two or three days later, I found steroids."

That promise stuck with Canseco throughout his career. He did what he could do to fulfill it. "I started using PEDs, and I was obsessed, literally obsessed, with becoming the best player in the world."

Canseco went on to become one of the best in Major League Baseball
RELATED: Jose Canseco's Epic Fall From Grace Is Now Complete After Bizarre Fight Announcement
With the help of those steroids, Canseco went on to become the league's Most Valuable Player in 1988. He led the league in home runs with 42 and drove in a league-high 124 runs. He finished with a .307 batting average and led the Athletics to a berth in the World Series. That season, he also became the first player in MLB history to hit 40 or more home runs while stealing 40 or more bases.

Canseco was a six-time All-Star. He led the A's to a World Series title in 1989. He finished his career with 462 home runs and a .266 batting average.

During that 1988 season, he was the best baseball player in the world. He fulfilled the promise to his mother. Canseco did what he told his mother he would do even if he had a little bit of help.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.

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Jose Canseco's Promise to His Dying Mother Triggered His Steroid Use

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Jose Canseco was larger than life when he was one half of the Bash Brothers in the late 1980s and early 90s. Teaming with Mark McGwire, the duo led the Oakland Athletics to three straight World Series appearances with their power. The two were among many in that era caught up in a steroids scandal that rocked baseball.

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Jose believes that steroids is the future of sports

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Jose believes that steroids is the future of sports

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To this day Jose Canseco believes that steroids are the future of sports. Jose believes that

Textual Evidence 11: "Steroids are here to stay. That's a fact. I guarantee it. Steroids are the future."