How To Silence Ozzie

It seems that no one wants to talk about Jose Canseco's new book. Especially the players that are "named" in it or the people around those players.

Most players are giving the famous "no comment" speech, with various tweaks. Alex Rodriguez included "absolutely" to spice up his no comment. Others have declined to say anything at all. Not a "no comment" comment to be found.

You can always count on Ozzie Guillen to break the taboos and say something off the cuff. Right? Well, Ozzie does hold claim to one of the longest comments on this latest round of steroid talk. It also boasts the most information of any comment.

"Magglio isn't a player on my team anymore," said Ozzie.

Well, that about sums it up. All of that is true and is a clever way of saying no comment. It appears that Jose Canseco's second book is being taken a little more seriously by baseball personnel. Why else would everyone be so quiet about it. People seem scared by the accusations brought about in this book.

It should be interesting to see what happens after the release of this book. If a book can silence Ozzie Guillen, it stands to reason that it is powerful. There may be a few grains of truth in this book too.

Is Magglio In The Clear?

I hear that Magglio Ordonez was unsuccessfully blackmailed by Jose Canseco. If Magglio helped finance a movie that Jose wanted to promote, then Jose would leave Magglio's name out of his latest book. I don't know what to believe, but it sounds like a plot out of a bad Saturday morning cartoon or a Z grade movie.

Maybe that's the movie Jose wanted to get out. I can see it now. "Blackmailed" starring Steven Seagal as Jose Canseco and Vin Diesel (with a Magglio wig) as Magglio Ordonez. John C. Reilly would play Chuck Knoblauch, the comical clown who forgot how to throw and is now hiding out from the feds in the tropical paradise of Kokomo, Indiana.

Actually, I think that's upgraded to B movie, based on John C. Reilly alone. Will Ferrell could make a cameo playing Bud "Lite" Selig and Vince Vaughn could play Senator George Mitchell. Throw in a couple of bumbling, yet capable, FBI agents played by Hank Azaria and John Cusack. You've got yourself a comedy classic.

Unfortunately, that's the movies and this is real life. Did Magglio use illegal substances? I'd like to think no, but in this day and age, you never know. Sometimes being accused is enough to create a downfall. Did Jose Canseco try to blackmail Magglio? I could see him doing something like that to create more sales for his second book. Does Jose have the goods on Magglio and others? So far, he's pretty much been vindicated, in most claims from his first book. It took a few years to weed it out, but most of the accusations have a shred of truth to them.

Right now, everything is just hearsay. Until more substantial facts are brought to light, we have to believe the best in people. We should be past the witch hunts, but we sadly aren't. Just one hint at wrong-doing is enough to sink a player's reputation. Even if that hint is completely off base. I'm choosing to not believe this until more facts are brought out. That doesn't mean that I think everyone is innocent. Far from it.

Jose Canseco isn't the only baseball player that cheated. He's just honest about his steroid use. Many players aren't. There is the real problem. Did Magglio develop his ability naturally or was he helped by a teammate who was there, just before his abilities went to the next level? Would he lie about his use, if he used? These are unanswered questions, at the moment. Everyone should be innocent until proven guilty, but that doesn't mean we can't keep a closer eye on them.

Magglio Ordonez: A Resurrection Of A Career

I am a supporter of Magglio Ordonez. I was a much bigger supporter of Maggs when he played for the White Sox. Certain actions on his behalf before his departure left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm happy he has found more success and I don't mind that the success is with the rival Tigers.

Magglio is one of the reasons that I was drawn back to baseball. I remember listening to radio broadcasts of White Sox games around 1998 and 1999. Magglio always stood out as someone who will be very special when he finally breaks through.

Well, it didn't take very long for Maggs to break through. He started hitting consistently and started to make spectacular plays in right field. He seemed to get a little better each year. You could count on Magglio to hit around .300 and drive in around 100 runs and hit somewhere around 30 home runs each year. He was turning himself into one hell of a player.

On May 19, 2004, Magglio's career path took a nasty turn. He was injured in a collision with Willie Harris on a shallow pop up. He rehabbed it, came back briefly and went out again when complications arose. Magglio was to be a free agent at the end of 2004. That's when the real fun began.

Magglio hired Scott Boras to represent him. The Sox rarely see eye to eye with him, but are willing to work with Boras when needed. Then the Sox were refused a look at medical reports about Magglio's health. These reports would determine the type of offer Magglio would receive and his realistic time table for a healthy return. Then a workout that was scheduled was cancelled because Boras didn't want a media circus. The Sox doctors were barred from examining Magglio before the arbitration deadline.

The Sox got tired of being jacked around and withdrew all offers. I don't pretend to know everything that went on, but just know what has leaked out since 2004. The Sox instead picked up Jermaine Dye and retooled a few positions that drew a lot of criticism. The Sox also won the World Series the next year because of those changes.

Don't cry for Magglio though. He went on to bigger and better things. He made a World Series appearance in 2006 with the Tigers and won the AL batting crown in 2007 with a .363 average. That's 43 points higher than he ever hit with the White Sox.

The departure, although sad for the fans, was the best thing for both parties. Magglio was able to let his hair down, so to speak, and the White Sox ended 88 years of watching other teams win the World Series. It took a few years to realize, but it's a win-win situation for everybody in the end.