Posted on 02/08/2005 9:15:05 AM PST by presidio9
President Bush was unaware that some of his players allegedly were using performance-enhancing drugs when he was the general managing partner of the Texas Rangers, the White House said yesterday. As the Daily News first reported Sunday, Jose Canseco claims in his upcoming book, "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits and How Baseball Got Big," that he introduced Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez and Ivan Rodriguez to steroids after he was traded by the Oakland A's to the Texas Rangers in 1992.
Canseco claims Bush must have known about his players' illegal drug use but did not address it.
"If there was (steroid use), he was not aware of it at the time," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said of Bush. "He has recognized, for some time now, that steroids is a growing problem in professional sports, particularly Major League Baseball. That's why the President has made addressing the issue a priority in his administration."
Palmeiro and Gonzalez, meanwhile, denied ever using steroids.
"I categorically deny any assertion made by Jose Canseco that I used steroids," said Palmeiro, now with the Orioles, in a statement released through the Baltimore public relations office yesterday. "At no point in my career have I ever used steroids, let alone any substance banned by Major League Baseball."
The Orioles said Palmeiro has the club's full support.
"The Orioles will do everything we can to be of assistance to Raffy in meeting these allegations that have no foundation," owner Peter Angelos said.
"Juan has never used steroids," said Gonzalez's agent, Alan Nero. "He's always been against their use. In 2000, when Major League Baseball did its survey, he was one of only two players who volunteered to be tested at that time."
Nero said the right fielder, who signed a minor league contract with the Indians earlier this year, felt sorry for Canseco. "Juan's initial reaction was of disappointment and pity that Jose felt he had to do this. He feels bad for everyone implicated in this," Nero said.
Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, said he has not seen the book and declined to comment on it.
"Juiced" had been scheduled for a Feb. 21 release, but the New York Times reported last night that HarperCollins has pushed that up by a week, to Monday. Canseco's scheduled appearance on "60 Minutes," which was slated for Feb. 20, has been moved up to Sunday, according to the Times.
In the book, now at No. 44 at Amazon.com, Canseco claims he was almost solely responsible for spreading steroid use throughout baseball during the 1990s. He also claims he used steroids with Mark McGwire and Jason Giambi.
Palmeiro says they weren't even friends, never mind steroid partners. "As I have never had a personal relationship with Canseco, any suggestion that he taught me anything, about steroid use or otherwise, is ludicrous," Palmeiro said. "We were teammates and that was the extent of our relationship. I am saddened that he felt it necessary to attempt to tarnish my image and that of the game that I love."
It's all Bush's fault.
lol
"BUSH KNEW!"
I bet it now becomes the lead story on the CBS Evening News.
Canseco admitting he used steroids is news only because it allows him to attack the President.
Canseco always was / is / ever shall be a punk.
Plus, he can't let go of the spotlight. I had thought he thoroughly embarassed himself with his comeback attempt. I was wrong.
CBS really knows how to pick 'em! The Reagan movie, the '04 SuperBowl, the Rather memos and now Jose-Can-You-Pee? At this rate CBS will beat Al Jazerra to bankruptcy.
Is this the same Jose that calls all the talk-shows?
It's beginning to look like Canseco really won't go away until he has assumed room temperature.
He's just a wife-beating, assaultive criminal punk piece of garbage with zero credibility.
Which can't happen too soon as far as I'm concerned.
He caught too many baseballs to the head while in right field. One of the most hilarious things I saw was when the ball bounced off his cement head for a home run while trying to catch it.
Also remember he is an ex-con AS WELL AS A "roid droid"
Jose shouldn't try to run with the big dogs! Baseball? Sure go after Pres. Bush! What a putz!
Bush must have known. He just must have.
Tell us how, Jose...
I wonder if Canseco is a democRat?
Jose Canseco is a joke down here in his home town of Miami.
A few older Cubans still like him because, well he's Cuban, but the rest of us got tired of reading about his latest stupidities..
I knew from "inside sources" about his juicing, and this was like 15 years ago, so its been going on for a long time.
(Juice vs No Juice, Jose vs brother Ozzie)..
What's the over/under on the number of questions about Dubya "knowing?"
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