Canseco Somewhat Fingers More Players

[Crash Course]

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/bre...p-239878c.html

Clemens, Boone, Sosa...........basically the ones we all think about............

[KCBOOMER]

I believe his accusations the same way I believed Pete Rose's denials.

[nyy26wc]

This is getting to be like Yankees trade rumors.

If you're male, you're on the list.

[mainsr]

I'm not the first one to say this, but (1) the visual evidence that some sort of performance-enhancing stuff is going on should be obvious to anyone who watches 1970s or 1980s baseball and ESPN Classic; but (2) the accusations we're hearing would be a lot more credible if the people making them weren't trying to make a buck or avoid prison.

[Crash Course]

I think the $ angle is over blown on Canseco - in terms of his motive. How much is he getting for the book? $250,000? $500,000? A million bucks?

What's a million bucks to someone with his lifestyle?

[captain_napalm]

A million bucks that he didn't have before, to do whatever his "lifestyle" dictates.

[captain_napalm]

Originally Posted by mainsr

I'm not the first one to say this, but (1) the visual evidence that some sort of performance-enhancing stuff is going on should be obvious to anyone who watches 1970s or 1980s baseball and ESPN Classic

I don't know... There's a lot more money being thrown around now, enough that players can have access to the best equipment, the best personal trainers, the best nutritionists, the best workout programs, etc, etc, etc.

Maybe access to the best steroids too... I don't know

[SteveP]

Originally Posted by Crash Course

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/bre...p-239878c.html

Clemens, Boone, Sosa...........basically the ones we all think about............

Let's drag them under the pond - Salem all over again!!!!

[nyy26wc]

Originally Posted by Crash Course

I think the $ angle is over blown on Canseco - in terms of his motive. How much is he getting for the book? $250,000? $500,000? A million bucks?

What's a million bucks to someone with his lifestyle?

According to the Daily Herald, he's broke--

By most accounts, Canseco is broke, having blown a fortune most people couldn't spend in five lifetimes. He's been divorced twice and arrested several times.

http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/co...intid=38403176

[hopbitters]

According to the Berkshire Eagle, he owes about $32k in taxes in Massachusetts.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1995184

According to his agent, the taxes were paid, but his accounting firm didn't file a return for him. Who at an accounting firm would have figured that you need to file tax returns on income?

[mainsr]

Originally Posted by captain_napalm

I don't know... There's a lot more money being thrown around now, enough that players can have access to the best equipment, the best personal trainers, the best nutritionists, the best workout programs, etc, etc, etc.

Maybe access to the best steroids too... I don't know

Yeah, but I figure it's not that much different now than it was in the 1980s. 1960s and before, when guys used to deliver milk or whatever in the offseason, sure. But ever since the advent of free agency, the stars--that's who we're talking about here, the guys putting up the big numbers--have made enough money to afford all that stuff. I have a friend who has a personal trainer and a nutritionist, and he doesn't make a fraction of what a ballplayer makes. And workout programs haven't advanced all that much in the past couple decades either.

[nyy26wc]

Originally Posted by mainsr

Yeah, but I figure it's not that much different now than it was in the 1980s. 1960s and before, when guys used to deliver milk or whatever in the offseason, sure. But ever since the advent of free agency, the stars--that's who we're talking about here, the guys putting up the big numbers--have made enough money to afford all that stuff. I have a friend who has a personal trainer and a nutritionist, and he doesn't make a fraction of what a ballplayer makes. And workout programs haven't advanced all that much in the past couple decades either.

I don't believe that "offseason careers" stories. I'm sure some players had them, but not as much as popular myths would indicate.

If you look at player salaries vs. national average salaries, baseball players have always been extremely well paid. Even in the days when the players made what we consider to be nothing, it was still big money in those days.

[Crash Course]

I honestly believe that these guys - back in the day - had second jobs. Yes, the ecomomy is all relative, but, if you were making $15,000 a year playing ball - and it came from April to September, and you had a family of four, I would bet that they would have had to get something for October to Februray - - just like in 1965 when my Dad had a full-time job, plus a night job two days a week, and then a third job where he just worked Saturday all day. Remember, in the old days, it was one income families - Moms stayed home. I could see a ballplayer having to work the winter - no question.

Did Jimmie Foxx and Joe D and Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth do it? No. But, I bet that at least 1/2 of the league had to do it.

[Crash Course]

Also, just a hunch, a lot of the old ballplayers - with wives and kids - probably took second jobs just to get out of the house in the winter and get away from the nagging spouse and crying babies. Throwing boxes on to the back of a truck for 8 hours a day is cake compared to staying home sometimes.

[nyy26wc]

Originally Posted by Crash Course

Yes, the ecomomy is all relative, but, if you were making $15,000 a year playing ball - and it came from April to September, and you had a family of four, I would bet that they would have had to get something for October to Februray - - just like in 1965 when my Dad had a full-time job, plus a night job two days a week, and then a third job where he just worked Saturday all day. Remember, in the old days, it was one income families - Moms stayed home. I could see a ballplayer having to work the winter - no question.

When the run of the mill player was making $15,000 a year, it was during the days in which $15,000 was a lot of money. When it became time for $15,000 to not be much, the run of the mill player was already up to a much higher plateu.

The fact that the money only came from April to September doesn't mean anything. Saying it matters is like saying that, if someone is making big bucks working 40 hours a week, he needs a second job to make up for the fact that he still has 75% of the week that is incomeless.