Reaction to Jose Canseco's "Last Shot" on A&E
Jose Canseco's "Last Shot" aired on A&E this week, a short documentary about the man known as "The Godfather of Steroids," in Major League Baseball and his quest to kick the 'roids after over 20 years of use.
First segment reaction:
Canseco spends a good amount of time recollecting the events that led him to become an elite player in baseball and how steroids helped that cause. Fast forward to the present and that man is gone. All is left is an broke, aging, slow-pitch coed softball player who's been reduced to playing on the municipal diamonds of Fullerton, just nine miles from Angels Stadium where he once roamed the outfield during his 16 year career with 7 different teams. I can't imagine a fall from grace like that. Slow pitch softball? Don't get me wrong, I love the game, but I'm ME, he's played in all the great ballparks in America, and a shabby muni field is as close to the action the first player ever to hit 40 homeruns and steal 40 bases in one season can get. He's ready to kick the 'roids...fade to commercial.
Second Segment reaction:
I respect Canseco's decision to try and quit steroids after 25 years on the stuff, I think this is mostly coming from his girlfriend however who has laid down the "roids or me" ultimatum. At this point in his life I don't think Canseco can afford to lose anything else, especially a stable girlfriend. Canseco also takes the camera crew on a tour of his foreclosed multi million dollar home, he goes into the backyard that was once something out of the movies, now and algae filled pool is all that's left. It's as if Julius Cesar were still alive and he was looking over the ruins of the fallen Roman Empire, you can't help but feel sorry for the man, but then again, this was all self-inflicted. I wonder how someone who made of 43 million dollars in his career can now be foreclosed upon, living check-to-check with no stable form of income. Several divorces and bad investments later and the man who I idolized growing up, is worth less than I am, unbelievable.
Third Segment Reaction
Canseco's home life is jacked up. He's a father to one daughter Josie from a previous marriage, but refuses to be a father figure to his live-in girlfriend's seven-year old because of guilt. Canseco claims he doesn't see his daughter enough so he doesn't want to have a relationship with another child because it makes his think of his kid. What? I know this guy has a few neutrons missing because of drug abuse but come on, seriously? I don't think I would be able to imagine a more selfish and dastardly position. Why his girlfriend hasn't left him is beyond me, I think she knows he's in a fragile state and leaving would only make it worse, but he needs help outside of steroids, he's got emotional scars that are adding to the baggage, and it starts with his family. I respect the fact that he loves his real daughter so much, but how about spreading the love a little, I think it's one thing that might help him through this difficult journey.
Fourth Segment Reaction:
That didn't take long, his girlfriend and he have split up, he prepaid a years rent on his third residence in the last 5 months. He returns to baseball to watch the Long Beach Armada of the Golden Baseball League, a team he played for but didn't finish his contract. He can't get tickets to a big league game because he's not welcome so he goes to watch the Armada where fans line up to take pictures and get his autograph, but the team serves him with papers. Can this dude's life get any more messed up? Just when things are looking up, he gets sued again. In Jose's words "I can do no right." You just said a mouthful.
Fifth segment reaction:
"This is the worst time of my life," says Canseco as the documentary winds down. "But I believe I can beat it, but I've got to fight." Say what you want about Jose Canseco, and Lord knows I have, I can't help admire the hell out of the guy for sticking it out. He points out that all his life he's fought against the odds, granted he took a few shortcuts along the way, shortcuts he's still feeling the effects of, but I admire his willingness to move forward, it's all any of us can do. The mention of his recent detention by federal authorities at the Mexican border for possessing an drug to restore testosterone without a prescription, is mentioned at the end of the piece. Just one more thing he has to deal with. Without a job, without his livelihood (baseball), without any real money to speak of, he's digging in one more time in the proverbial batters box, and staring down one more pitcher, no doubt another curve ball is on the way.
First segment reaction:
Canseco spends a good amount of time recollecting the events that led him to become an elite player in baseball and how steroids helped that cause. Fast forward to the present and that man is gone. All is left is an broke, aging, slow-pitch coed softball player who's been reduced to playing on the municipal diamonds of Fullerton, just nine miles from Angels Stadium where he once roamed the outfield during his 16 year career with 7 different teams. I can't imagine a fall from grace like that. Slow pitch softball? Don't get me wrong, I love the game, but I'm ME, he's played in all the great ballparks in America, and a shabby muni field is as close to the action the first player ever to hit 40 homeruns and steal 40 bases in one season can get. He's ready to kick the 'roids...fade to commercial.
Second Segment reaction:
I respect Canseco's decision to try and quit steroids after 25 years on the stuff, I think this is mostly coming from his girlfriend however who has laid down the "roids or me" ultimatum. At this point in his life I don't think Canseco can afford to lose anything else, especially a stable girlfriend. Canseco also takes the camera crew on a tour of his foreclosed multi million dollar home, he goes into the backyard that was once something out of the movies, now and algae filled pool is all that's left. It's as if Julius Cesar were still alive and he was looking over the ruins of the fallen Roman Empire, you can't help but feel sorry for the man, but then again, this was all self-inflicted. I wonder how someone who made of 43 million dollars in his career can now be foreclosed upon, living check-to-check with no stable form of income. Several divorces and bad investments later and the man who I idolized growing up, is worth less than I am, unbelievable.
Third Segment Reaction
Canseco's home life is jacked up. He's a father to one daughter Josie from a previous marriage, but refuses to be a father figure to his live-in girlfriend's seven-year old because of guilt. Canseco claims he doesn't see his daughter enough so he doesn't want to have a relationship with another child because it makes his think of his kid. What? I know this guy has a few neutrons missing because of drug abuse but come on, seriously? I don't think I would be able to imagine a more selfish and dastardly position. Why his girlfriend hasn't left him is beyond me, I think she knows he's in a fragile state and leaving would only make it worse, but he needs help outside of steroids, he's got emotional scars that are adding to the baggage, and it starts with his family. I respect the fact that he loves his real daughter so much, but how about spreading the love a little, I think it's one thing that might help him through this difficult journey.
Fourth Segment Reaction:
That didn't take long, his girlfriend and he have split up, he prepaid a years rent on his third residence in the last 5 months. He returns to baseball to watch the Long Beach Armada of the Golden Baseball League, a team he played for but didn't finish his contract. He can't get tickets to a big league game because he's not welcome so he goes to watch the Armada where fans line up to take pictures and get his autograph, but the team serves him with papers. Can this dude's life get any more messed up? Just when things are looking up, he gets sued again. In Jose's words "I can do no right." You just said a mouthful.
Fifth segment reaction:
"This is the worst time of my life," says Canseco as the documentary winds down. "But I believe I can beat it, but I've got to fight." Say what you want about Jose Canseco, and Lord knows I have, I can't help admire the hell out of the guy for sticking it out. He points out that all his life he's fought against the odds, granted he took a few shortcuts along the way, shortcuts he's still feeling the effects of, but I admire his willingness to move forward, it's all any of us can do. The mention of his recent detention by federal authorities at the Mexican border for possessing an drug to restore testosterone without a prescription, is mentioned at the end of the piece. Just one more thing he has to deal with. Without a job, without his livelihood (baseball), without any real money to speak of, he's digging in one more time in the proverbial batters box, and staring down one more pitcher, no doubt another curve ball is on the way.
posted by Corey Costelloe at
10:33 PM
1 Comments:
Everything about baseball is hard for me! I Loved it as a kid, but that died with the strike! As for Canseco, that is depressing. I havent seen the special I doubt I could watch, cause like you I idolized him. I'm a life long A's fan, even supported Modesto A's over our own B'Dodgers. I modeled my bat swing after Canseco, my base running after Henderson. To see him fall as far as he has is indeed sad. What makes this story worse is the possibility that Canseco has agreed to a celebrity boxing match. He cant produce his own testosterone, how is he gonna "be man enough" to get in the ring with Bonaducci, alledgedly? There's another guy with issuses. He's practically a small time bodybuilder with a HUGE chip on his shoulder. Thats not a fair fight. The 1st 40/40 player, which is still a rare club, needs some kind of change of luck for the better?
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home