Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and the Battle to Save Baseball

by José Canseco

In 2005, Jose Canseco blew the lid off Major League Baseball's steroid scandal -- and no one believed him. His New York Times bestselling memoir Juiced met a firestorm of criticism and outrage from the media, coaches, clubs, and players, many of whom Canseco had personally introduced to steroids -- with a needle in the ass. Baseball's former golden boy, Rookie of the Year, onetime Most Valuable Player, and owner of two World Series rings was called a liar. Now, steroids are back in the headlines. Record-breaking athletes are falling from grace, and the infamous Mitchell Report confirmed the names of major leaguers who have indeed used steroids while others remain under investigation. The answer is Jose Canseco told the truth. And why wouldn't he? He started it all. Finally, in Vindicated , Canseco picks up where Juiced left off, revealing details even more shocking than in his controversial first book. He spills never-before-implicated names -- arguably the biggest in the game of baseball -- and explores the mystery of one celebrated player about whom key information was suddenly excised from Juiced at the last minute. He talks candidly about what the Mitchell Report did -- and didn't -- get right, why steroid use became so rampant, and how his life has changed since he tore the lid off Pandora's box. Lest there be any doubt about theveracity of his claims, Canseco subjected himself to three lie detector tests, one of which was conducted by a former FBI special agent and top polygraph examiner who investigated the Unabomber, Whitewater, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. Transcripts of those taped interviews are also included in this straight-talking examination of the current state of baseball. This time, he's not just out to clear his name. He's out to clean up the game.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction, Biography

259 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

José Canseco y Capas, Jr. is a former outfielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball, and is the twin brother of former major league player Ozzie Canseco.

In 2005, Canseco admitted to using anabolic steroids in a tell-all book, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big. Canseco also claimed that up to 85% of major league players took steroids, a figure disputed by many in the game. In the book, Canseco specifically identified former teammates Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi, Rafael Palmeiro, Iván Rodríguez, and Juan González as fellow steroid users, and claimed that he injected them. Most of the players named in the book have denied steroid use. Giambi has admitted to steroid use in testimony before a grand jury investigating the BALCO case.

At a Congressional hearing on the subject of steroids in sports, Palmeiro categorically denied using performance-enhancing drugs, while McGwire repeatedly and somewhat conspicuously refused to answer questions on his own suspected use. Canseco's book became a New York Times bestseller. On August 1, 2005, Palmeiro was suspended for 10 days by Major League Baseball after testing positive for steroids.

On December 30, 2007, it was announced that Canseco has reached a deal for his sequel to Juiced. The new book is Vindicated, which Canseco's lawyer, Robert Saunooke, says will hit bookstores by Opening Day 2008. This book is said to have "stuff" on Alex Rodriguez, and Albert Belle as suggested by Canseco. The book will be a "clarification" of names that should've been mentioned in the Mitchell Report. On January 5, 2008, a potential editor for his upcoming book, Don Yaeger, a former Sports Illustrated associate editor, said he would not edit the book. He told the New York Daily News that he thought Canseco didn't have a book in the material he gave him.

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of this book gives the whole story== the central theme of this book is to prove to us the readers that he was correct in his first book and the Mitchell Report and other baseball books since printed have proven his claims [along with a couple of lie detector tests]. I did find that Canseco was no longer singing the praises of steroids as curing everything but cancer. He seemed just a little more humble in this book also. I think he was shocked that everyone was so upset with him after his first book was published. I'm shocked he was shocked!
Actually I feel a little sorry for all the players that have been linked to steroids- and the way they have been thrown to the wolves. After reading so many of these books dealing with the issue I think blame should be shared with the owners, managers, commissioners, MLB, player's union etc... Most of these guys did what they 'thought' they had to in order to keep their job and compete. It wasn't right and needs to be stopped, but no one in the higher ranks enforced the rules.

[Hope2chat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Informative book. However once again Conseco is very protective of his own behavior. He just makes himself look to good. I wanna believe the guy but he needs to practice some humility.

[Reid Mccormick · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am definitely not hesitant to give a book a bad review, however I am very reluctant to suggest someone should totally skip a book just because I disagreed with the author or found the material to be boring or irrelevant.

Having said that, you should skip Vindicated by Jose Canseco.

The overt Steroid Era of Major League Baseball is a very interesting subject. I was a young boy during this era and like most young boys my age baseball players were my heroes. So to look back on this era and see how much of the game was influenced by illegal steroids and other performance enhancing drugs is sort of like watching my entire childhood vanish.

I read Juiced by Canseco and I was pretty impressed. Though I think Canseco is rather egotistical and delusional. I did feel like he was being honest about the corrupt the world of professional baseball. After reading a few more exposés on steroids, I turned back to Canseco’s newest book to hear his response.

What I got was rehash of old material: a summary of his first book, transcripts of his testimony before Congress, a copy of some speech he gave to some school in Florida, a play-by-play of a couple of voluntary lie detector tests, and excerpts of the Mitchell report. The only “new” material from the book consists of Canseco petting his ego and justifying why we left out damning material from his first book. Too many times he describes some conspiracy yet he states that he is not suggesting it.

I simply cannot recommend this book, unless you get it for free. There are only a dozen pages of new material and even those pages are just Canseco being ridiculous.

[Robert Finnan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jose Canseco's followup book to Juiced is basically a rehash of the original book with a couple of more players named to be PED users.
I'll save you the trouble of reading the book and name the players - Magglio Ordenez and Alex (A-Rod) Rodriguez.
Canseco, it seems, doesn't like A-rod because he hit on his wife and Ordenez because he didn't support him when his first book came out.
There's a lot of self-serving blather that leaves Canseco appearing like a narcissist.
On the other hand, you can't blame Canseco for rubbing it in. He was vilified and treated shamefully in the press when Juiced! first his the stands.
All-in-all, Juiced is the better book. If you've read it, there's really no need to read this.

[Seanp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book if you like true stories and baseball books.

[RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN · Rating 2 out of 5]

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIKE HIM TO KNOW HE’S TELLING THE TRUTH, BUT WHAT AN EGO!” (2.5 STARS)
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I live about five minutes away from where Jose lived during his heyday with the Oakland A’s and knew a person very close to him before any of the official announcements about steroid use came out. Because of this I had pretty good information that Jose was using steroids before he ever owned up to it. So when “Juiced” was released in 2005 I wholeheartedly believed everything Canseco said in the book and on the air. The fact that he became “honest” in “Juiced” despite denying his steroid use earlier in his career did not make him a saint. As former A’s pitching ace Dave Stewart said after the release of “Juiced” to the best of my recollection: “There’s things I may not like about Jose, but he always told the truth.” As time has passed since Canseco’s first book was released many things have happened regarding Jose’s claims: Congressional hearings, mea culpa’s, the Mitchell Report, more Congressional hearings, etc. If you are a sports fan that has followed all the aforementioned drug investigations, confessions and reports, there isn’t a whole lot of new information in this book, and please rest assured Jose’s ghost writer is definitely not going to win any Pulitzer Prize.
Jose names names: but haven’t we heard the accusations against Mark McGwire, (who Jose mercilessly denigrates during his playing days and especially regarding his Congressional embarrassment, with torments such as “THERE’S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!”), Jason Giambi, Rafael Palmeiro, Ivan Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, Wilson Alvarez, Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Tejada, Sammy Sosa, etc. What stands out more than the famous names in this book, unfortunately is the authors unabashed “LOVE-AFFAIR-WITH-HIMSELF”! Jose cannot go more than five minutes without telling you how big he is, or how other people can’t believe how big he is, or the fact that he was the first player with 40 homeruns and 40 stolen bases in the same season (40-40), (I stopped counting the fifth time he mentioned it.), he tells us twice that Barry Bonds was so aghast after seeing Jose with his shirt off before a homerun contest that he kept pestering Jose for all the information he had about steroids, and the reader is led to believe that Canseco’s physique is what led Bonds to steroids. Towards the end of this biographical love affair between Jose and himself, he unloads every last bit of ammunition in his arsenal against Alex Rodriguez. Once again, just like with Barry Bonds, the road to alleged steroids for Alex started when he was working out with Jose and marveled at Jose’s physique (and Jose’s wife’s beauty) and started grilling Jose about steroid use. “So, Alex said. The “roid’s” do they “EXPLETIVE” you up?” “Do I look like I’m “EXPLETIVE’d” up?” At their next training session Jose writes: “He looked at me. I could see him checking out the definition; the way my veins popped with every curl.”Alex said: “Man, you are kicking ass, he said. That stuff is unreal.” That later, according to Jose, led to Alex asking where he could get steroids, and Jose put him in touch with a trainer who Jose knew supplied such things. Did Jose ever see him inject? No. Towards the very end of this chapter Canseco openly states to A-Rod: “So A-Rod, if you’re reading this book, and if I’m not getting through to you, let’s get clear on one thing: I hate your “EXPLETIVE” guts.”
I cannot in good conscience end this review without sharing a couple of statements by Jose with you that are not only egotistical, but create a new definition of narcissism! On page 23 Jose writes: “When someone gets around to writing the REAL history of baseball, I’m going to be remembered as the guy who did more to change the game than any other player. And I did it TWICE. I fundamentally changed the way the sport is played.” SO MR. CANSECO… do I understand you correctly, that you changed the game of baseball more than a guy named BABE RUTH?… UH? MR. CANSECO… I guess that also means you made a bigger impact on baseball than a gentleman by the name of JACKIE ROBINSON?...
One more humble comment by the author regarding another Hall of Fame Legend, Cal Ripken Jr.: “And I’m happy for Iron Man Cal. But Cal played for like a thousand years, and did he hit more homeruns than me? I don’t think so.” The author and this book belong in the self-absorption hall of fame.

[Chase Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and the Battle to Save BaseballJosé Canseco

José Canseco's biography is about how the game of baseball was and still changing to this very day. He goes on to state how even though he was one of the many players using performance enhancing supplements, he was one of the only players to be kicked out of the league entirely.

In my opinion I enjoyed the book, José had very good points on why if he got kicked out of the league why others should be kicked out also. Another thing that i liked about the hard cover edition is that there were pictures of some players transformations because of performance enhancing supplements

I feel that José is a credible source for information on players that use steroids or other performance enhancing drugs because in his book he stated that he injected some players with performance enhancing drugs. Some problems he faced when he got kicked out of the MLB was when he tried to accuse other players no one wanted to believe him. My favorite part of the book was the lie detector portion. I would definitely recommend this book to people who like baseball or sports in general and would like to get a deeper understanding of the sport.

[Mike Mackley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book stunk. Thankfully it wasn’t a long one and I got through it pretty quickly. It’s basically just Jose Canseco flaunting about himself and how he was right about guys doing steroids and his first book “Juiced” being accurate. Good for you Jose, you actually felt the need to write a second book just to tell people you where right.

This book was so bad I actually feel dumb for wasting the time it took to read it. If I could give you any advice.. don’t waste your time.

[Aly Meadow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, although quite repetitive at times. Sophomoric writing, which is not so terrible, but there was a serious lack of proper editing. At times it felt like I was reading a college student's journal assignment. But kudos to Mr. Canseco for bringing this subject into the spotlight. Who knows how many other great baseball records would've been broken by "baseball greats" on steroids instead of just honest-to-goodness pure talent...

[Shari · Rating 1 out of 5]

While it was interesting to read some of the nitty-gritty details about the "steroid-era," I found the book to be very repetitive. Don't be fooled by Canseco's claim of wanting to spare some details because this is a "family book," there are multiple curse words throughout the book, many toward the end that are definitely not kid friendly.

[Marshall Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Canseco opens his heart and shares his experiences, thoughts and feelings with everyone.

His love of the game knows no bounds. This passion driven book takes you in a ride filled with truthful stories that MLB wants to keep hidden. Baseball fans should open this book and open their minds.

[Carol Sturm · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read his first book, Juiced, and as a baseball fan I found it very interesting. I didn’t really need to read this book because he pretty much said the exact same things as he did in the first book. He’s also very much in love with himself and his “truthiness”. (props to Stephen Colbert) I kind of got tired of him complimenting himself.....a lot. Yawn! 😴

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a weird rehashing of things we already knew including multiple public interviews and court cases. Jose was right but he’s always been egotistical and that hasn’t changed in this book. It’s saved by his humor and it would have gotten 3 stars if he didn’t mention how much he loves watching girls play volleyball… twice.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a baseball fan, it's interesting to hear of some of the dirt that goes on behind the scenes, but Canseco's second book, like many books of this ilk, is largely self serving and entirely too repetitive. It's almost like he had 50 pages of things to say and the editors made him stretch it out.

[Barry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Juiced, but this book was repetitive to what was written in his first. There's a few interesting nuggets in this one, but if I could take a time machine back I'd tell myself not to waste my time.

[JT Klingenmeier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I good read. Loved Canseco's first book Juiced. He really did make a impact both on and off the field.

[Randell Carlton Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read, fun, nothing groundbreaking but enjoyed it. 6.1.18-6.2.18 6/10

[Jeff Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the trials and errors in Jose Cansecos quest to set the establishment right as to the use of steroids.

[Andrew Force · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hurried rehash of Juiced. An obvious money grab. It is not worth your time or money. Just read JUICED.

[Tom Sparrenberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jose Canseco follows up his first book to detail how he was "correct" with the players who were using steroids in baseball. While I find the book to be factual, there weren't any big revelations that came out versus his book. The overall theme of this book was Canseco patting himself on the back.

[Chip'sBookBinge · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't have a desire to read this because based on his ego from his first book Juiced and the title of his follow up Vindicated, I knew what was in store. Sure enough, Jose Canseco's ego is out of control. I don't know who has a bigger ego, Gene Simmons or this meathead. I will let Gene slide since he can actually back up his achievements. Jose, not so much. How can you really take this guy serious when he says that "Cal Ripkin has played for a thousand years, but does he have more home runs than me?"

Dude. Stop embarrassing yourself. Comparing yourself and saying your better than Ripkin is just asinine on your part.

I do believe that Canseco should have called this book "Nah nah nah nah, I was right and you were wrong, so you can go fuck yourself for doubting me". This pretty much sums up the entire book in a nutshell. The reason why this book exist is obviously to cash in on the first one by also promising to name even more players here: Roger Clemens and A-Rod.

These two guys are the only reason why this book was eventually turned into a book. The rest of Vindicated is a rehash of Juiced and stroking his ego ad nauseum. The book was a pretty fast read, but not very entertaining though. If you want a drinking game while reading this one, then I have a drinking game just for you. Every time Jose mentions his achievements in baseball regarding his 40-40 club, down a shot of hard whiskey. By the end of Chapter 4, you will be fucked up. By the end of the book, you will be dead if you continue playing this game and drinking.

About 3/4th of this book is a waste because he literally uses whatever means necessary to pad the book to make it appear bigger than it really is. Reprinting his congressional speech word for word or both his lie detector test and a good chunk of the Mitchel Report is not what I call good writing. It's a cop out if anything.

And the Epilogue at the end is another wasted chapter to add more pages to fill in for the fact that after the Roger Clemens and A-Rod chapters, there is no need for the book. Here's what you get in the Epilogue. You get to hear what Jose does now days. He likes to bowl. He likes to ride his motorcycles. He likes to play poker. And if that isn't enough, he launches into the virtues of playing poker. Oh brother.

I'm being very generous giving this book 2 stars, one for each Chapter on Clemens and A-Rod. I absolutely do not recommend this book.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

The follow-up to Juiced doesn't offer too much more. Basically, it's a 231-page "I told you so." The writing is repetitive and amateurish, and it seemed like Canseco and his ghost writer tried to pad the material as much as they could to get to the minimum word count required by the publisher.

With this book, Canseco is searching for his validation and vindication, and an ounce of respect from those who attacked him for publishing the first book. Maybe even an apology. It all seems a little needy and desperate. But I don't disagree with him. He really did blow the lid off the steroids scandal, named names, and got banished from MLB because of it.

First there was the Congressional hearings (where Mark McGwire didn't want to talk about the past), then there was the (very incomplete) Mitchell report on steroid use in MLB. Both named the same players as Canseco. Yet still, Canseco can't get no respect, as Rodney Dangerfield might say. So he wrote this book instead.

[✨ Anna ✨ | ReadAllNight · Rating 2 out of 5]

Also from Michelle. Don't remember. Will have to re-read. But, yeah, he's right. These guys are idiots, especially NOW after knowing it is against the rules and they will be tested and trying to get away with it anyway. I understood it from a player's perspective a bit better this season when one of our starters, Bronson Arroyo, was questioned about the topic in general. He referred back to the year he had mononucleosis and was very ill (I think 2010?) (it sucks--I had it at age 26 and it really ruined the entire year). Anyway, he said he was about 40 lbs. underweight at the beginning of camp. And how he had to recover. So he thought he could understand guys on the edge--between making the cut or not. He also mentioned "back in the day" that guys were probably doing stuff without even knowing what it was. But that it was a foolish thing these days. Hmm...Mrs. Bronson Arroyo...

[LG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Also from Michelle. Don't remember. Will have to re-read. But, yeah, he's right. These guys are idiots, especially NOW after knowing it is against the rules and they will be tested and trying to get away with it anyway. I understood it from a player's perspective a bit better this season when one of our starters, Bronson Arroyo, was questioned about the topic in general. He referred back to the year he had mononucleosis and was very ill (I think 2010?) (it sucks--I had it at age 26 and it really ruined the entire year). Anyway, he said he was about 40 lbs. underweight at the beginning of camp. And how he had to recover. So he thought he could understand guys on the edge--between making the cut or not. He also mentioned "back in the day" that guys were probably doing stuff without even knowing what it was. But that it was a foolish thing these days. Hmm...Mrs. Bronson Arroyo...

[Taylor Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

my book vindicated was totally awesome!! it's mainly about the use of steroids by Major League Baseball player Jose Canseco and his journey of revealing what other big names were using steroids in an effort to break open Pandora's box about how many other big names in baseball have also used steroids, a terrible medicine that makes people gain muscle fast but it destroys their tissue and organs at the same time. I would definitely recommend this book to athletes. Those people that have a passion for a sport. The book ended with Canseco remembering his childhood and also not regretting all that has happened in his life and how he keeps moving forward in life with no regrets. So lastly, I found the book very interesting and if you're looking for a book with juicy, gossipy stuff this is one for you to read.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read Juiced about three weeks before I started this book. Both are easy, quick, entertaining reads. Odd as it sounds, you actually go through each book with MORE respect for him. His audacity to be so brutally honest in unreal and quite engaging. Still a scumbag and a dirtball, and he is at times extremely hypocritical, but you have to respect the guy for bringing this "era" to light and really standing up for himself. You see a different side to him after reading his books. He has extreme respect and love for the sport of baseball and definitely portrays himself as a "keeps to himself" kind of guy. I recommend this book in you're interested in a light read. Took my less than 4 days to read from cover to cover.

[Tommy · Rating 2 out of 5]

( this book counts as 2)
this book is depresing to read for a baseball fan. i mean i didnt want to read it but in a way i had to. i dont know if it is true or false, but finaly someone talked about the steroid use in baseball.

Jose Canseco is the one guy coming out a telling true stuff or fake stuff about the steriod use in baseball. he says the bigest names in baseball and he says peoples name that arent the big. but the thing is Jose like the steroids he thinks its good for baseball and for the human body. he thinks steroids is good because you recover faster from injuries you live longer and it helps with your eyes and other helth things.

this book is sad because Jose is like the little snitch that tells on every one. he injects people with steriods and then he rats on them.

[Treston Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Vindicated was an amazing book. The book is written by Jose Canseco. Jose Canseco was an Major League baseball player who was banned from the MLB because of steroids. This book talks about his journey with drugs and baseball and what happens when you get caught. The book also talks about his friends who he supplied steroids too and talks about how they turned their back on him when he was caught with steroids. I would recommend this book to anybody that loves baseball. It can sometimes get boring but you need to keep reading and you will hear his side of the story. This book talks about the life in MLB and how you can loss your spot in the majors if you make a little mistake, like Jose did when he did steroids.

[Hamera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was very good because there is a guy who use to take steriods and now he is amititing that he did use them. That is a big killer in the MLB because no one like players who do that because it is cheating. No one also likes a sore loser because all he wants is records which is stupid. That is one of the things he said in this book. He gives up most of his awards and other milestones to make sure that baseball turn back to normal or where it was before. Everybody is agaisnt him in this book and he battles through it to prove the goverment, fans and owners wrong to get baseball back to normal. I give this book a 5 stars just becasue what he did to the game of baseball.

[Adam]

A much hated dirtbag's tale of redemption. I haven't rooted this much for Canseco since he was "bashing" forearms with real dirtbag Mark McGuire. When he was hugely popular some local radio station had their own version of the Star Spangled Banner with the lyrics paying tribute to the man's awesomeness. Instead of beginning "Ooohh saay can you seeee" it was "Jooseee Can-se-cooooooo" and so on. This was 20 years ago... I can remember this, but now I have trouble remembering which trains I take to work in the morning.