Canseco names Boone in book
Jose Canseco’s tell-all book strongly implies that Seattle Mariners second baseman Bret Boone used steroids in 2001, according to an excerpt of the book, “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant `Roids, Smash Hits and How Baseball Got Big,” that was read to the Seattle Times.
Reached by The Times, Boone called Canseco’s allegations “absolutely ridiculous.”
Canseco’s book, which has drawn national headlines for steroids allegations involving Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi, Juan Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro, among others, won’t be released to the public until Monday.
But copies began being delivered on Friday to booksellers. The portion involving Boone is in Chapter 24, titled “Did He or Didn’t He?” Canseco relates an incident during a spring training game in 2001 between the Mariners, who had just signed Boone to a free-agent contract, and Canseco’s Anaheim Angels.
“I hit a double, and when I got out there to second base, I got a good look at Boone,” Canseco writes. “I couldn’t believe my eyes. He was enormous.
” ‘Oh, my God,’ I said to him. ‘What have you been doing?’ ” ‘Shhh,’ he said. ‘Don’t tell anybody.’ “
“Whispers like that were a sign that you were part of the club – the bond of a secret code or handshake. You were united by the shared knowledge and the experience of unlocking so much more of your body’s natural potential. Still, though, sometimes you just had to laugh – and it was that way with Bret Boone. Sure enough, Bret used his hulking new body to go crazy that season.”
Boone was a Most Valuable Player candidate in 2001 with a .331 average, 37 homers and 141 runs batted in – all career highs.
Responding to Canseco’s version of the incident, Boone said, “I don’t know him. He doesn’t know me. I don’t think I’ve ever exchanged more than two, three words with him. The whole thing is absolutely ridiculous. End of story. I’m not going to comment beyond that. It’s so ridiculous. That incident he writes about in the book is false. The most I’ve ever said to him is, ‘What’s up, Jose?’ “
Mariners spokesman Tim Hevly said, “We have no comment on anything in Jose Canseco’s book.”
A check of spring training records from 2001 shows that Canseco batted four times against the Mariners and didn’t have any doubles. He reached base once, and it was not clear if he advanced to second.
In the book, Canseco also criticizes Seattle reporters for overlooking the reasons for Boone’s transformation. Though he never uses the words “steroids,” Canseco writes, “The amazing thing was how obvious it was: All they had to do was open their eyes and take a look at this little guy, with his small frame and his huge arms - arms that were bigger than mine! His great season that year just goes to show you how a new set of muscles can help an athlete.”
Affeldt loses arbitration to Royals
The Kansas City Royals beat left-hander and Northwest Christian graduate Jeremy Affeldt in salary arbitration, leaving owners and players tied at 1.
Affeldt, eligible for the first time, will receive a raise from $350,000 to $950,000 instead of his $1.2 million request, arbitrators Christine Knowlton, Elliott Shriftman and Steven Wolf decided. They heard the case Friday.
Affeldt went 3-4 with a 4.95 ERA with 13 saves, eight starts and 30 relief appearances last season.
Right-hander Kyle Lohse defeated Minnesota on Friday and will get a raise from $395,000 to $2.4 million rather than the offer of $2.15 million.
Baltimore reliever Jorge Julio, who had been scheduled for a hearing, agreed to a $2.5 million, one-year contract. Julio had 22 saves in 26 chances last season, but lost his job as closer during a rough stretch in September. He finished 2-5 with a 4.57 ERA in 65 games.