Q4 Outside Reading #6

For my last blog of the year, I finished reading the book Juiced, by Jose Canseco. This was one of those books that people think never end. Not like it's bad or anything, but there are a lot of different stories within the novel. The final chapter/section of the book was about the future and how baseball will change in the years to come. Like I have already stated, Canseco believes that many more young athletes will rely on steroids to get their chance in Major League Baseball. Before it was only a couple of people, but he was the most well-known for it. An analogy he gives occurs when he says, "I love playing baseball, but sometimes I feel like the gorilla in the zoo. People watch the gorilla, stare at it, point at it, trying to figure out why it's doing what it's doing" (269). This quote is significant because that was what the past was like if somebody used steroids. He compares that to now, where most people are using steroids because of the effects. Now there isn't one specific gorilla, there are many and it isn't out of the ordinary present day. When I started reading, I was completely against steroids, but after reading I'm still against them, but now I can see both sides of the argument, and see why so many people use them.

Q4 Outside Reading #5

For my fifth blog of this quarter I read Juiced. I'm not quite finished with the book, and there wasn't very many important details this section, but there was one. Jose Canseco was traded to the Rangers and that is when steroids started to get really popular. This movement changed baseball forever because now people rely on drugs to get better. When I first read this it made me a little disappointed in the Major League players, but then Canseco gave a really good analogy. He said, "If you're an editor at a newspaper, and you can get a souped-up computer that's faster, more reliable, and can do things the old one couldn't, of course, you're going to want an upgrade" (137). I think that this gives the reader a good idea on how steroids are thought of. To them it isn't messing with their body, but part of their job. Although, the other side of me thinks that there is no way that you can compare your body to a computer. There are limits to what is right and wrong. Overall, I think that even though it is thought as a good idea, it is morally incorrect.

Q4 Outside Reading #4

This week, while reading Juiced by Jose Canseco, I came across an interesting quote that was a great lesson for everyday life. The quote is "Sometimes, players need to maintain their intensity on the field by being intense off the field" (118). This is a great quote because there are a couple of meanings that it could have. The first meaning is that to succeed, you need to work hard to get there. The point to this is that nothing comes without practice or hard work. For example, you need to "practice like you play." One would think that the previous meaning is what he meant, but really, he means that to be successful on the field, you have to do significant things in society. He used this quote while talking about how some great ball players are jerks off the field. There are some people not like that though. to be productive on the field, they have to help society. Jose Canseco sure got ripped apart for being one of the original steroid users, but there is a lot more to him. He just wanted to do whatever it took to be successful, and that doesn't mean he is a bad person. Actions are taken according to circumstances, and they don't always reflect on the person who took them.

Q4 Outside Reading #3

During the chapters I read this week in Juiced, Jose Canseco talked about the media a lot. The primary subject was the way it changes the outlook on a person but also that nobody acts as they normally would. People like Alex Rodriguez and Cal Ripken would act like perfect people. He also said that in theory, this wouldn't be any fun to interview, but the reporters keep going back because they just might slip up. This is so true in today's society. If anything goes wrong with an interview, it is seen all over the place. The editing used to put stories together turns a statement in a way that isn't even close to the true meaning. The other element of the media is changing the public appearance of somebody. In the novel, Jose Canseco has the media turned against him because he is a minority in the MLB. People didn't like to have the greatest player be Latin-American, so why not make a true American the best. This is a particularly key element of today's media. For example, politics. In political campaigns the media is used to make people think one way about the candidate that is supported, and another for the opponent. This book covers many different sides of baseball and I found these chapters gave me a good idea of how reporters really change things.

Q4 Outside Reading #2

This week in my outside reading book I learned more about Jose Canseco's first few years in the major league. There was one moment in particular that really stood out though. He says how in his first full year he won rookie of the year with 33 home runs and 117 runs batted in and nobody had really done that before. Because of his steroid use, getting those stats were like hitting 45 home runs now. That kind of hit me. If you take that idea and compare it to today's major league players, there is a big change. In 1986 there were probably 3 people with 35 home runs. Now, there are probably like 8. Taking this into consideration, that means there must be dozens, if not more, people that use steroids. That just isn't right. If you have to take an illegal substance so you can succeed, then there isn't as much point in succeeding. Many people think the same way as I do, so testing has greatly increased and some big name players like Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, David Justice, and many more. It's a very unethical decision, but it's their risk to take.

Q4 Outside Reading #1

For my fourth quarter outside reading project, I decided to read "Juiced," by Jose Canseco. This book tells about the ups and downs of Canseco's life starting with his childhood until his major league experience. As of now I'm around page 30 and he is talking about what is was like playing baseball as a kid. He wasn't the fastest or the strongest in his age class but he worked hard. There was another part of his childhood baseball career that I felt I could really relate to. He said that his dad would go to every single game and yell at them if they made a mistake or done anything that wasn't perfect. My dad sure doesn't act like this, but I had a coach who was close to the same way. If you did something wrong he would let you know. Originally I didn't like this coaching style, but it makes you try harder. When I had this experience I worked my hardest and had the biggest increase in skill, similar to Canseco. He admits to not liking it and even crying, but the determination gave him the MVP of both the JV and varsity teams in consecutive years. I have enjoyed this book so far, and even though I don't usually get as attached to biographical novels, I think I will really enjoy this one.