Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, aka The Bash Brothers, are famously and infamously known for their muscular arms. Their arrival played a vital role in the resurgence of the Oakland Athletics and their comeback to the World Championship in 1988. However, off the field, McGwire and Canseco were barely brothers. They brought the other side of their dynamic to light after Canseco’s transfer to Texas in 1992.

It started with Canseco winning Rookie of the Year in 86′ with 33 homers. In the following year, Mark McGwire won Rookie of the Year with 49 homers. This was just the beginning of a very lucrative but controversial career for The Bash Brothers.

After successfully sweeping San Francisco Giants in the 1989 World Series, the Athletics faced a clean sweep in 1990 against Cincinnati Reds. Despite poor performances by both Canseco and McGwire, the benching of Canseco in the fourth world series game hinted at the downfall of the “brothers”.

Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco – The Bash Brothers

In the middle of a successful season in 1992, the Athletics transferred Canseco to Texas as they needed pitchers. Eventually, they were both victims of injuries. While Jose suffered from a back injury, Mark had knee problems. By 1997, Athletics planned to reunite The Bash Brothers to tackle the weakening sales. In the same year, while Jose’s back problems persisted, they traded Mark to the Cardinals. Eventually, he went on to hit 70 homers that season, beating Sammy Sosa and the world record.

While both the players retired in 2001, their retirement was poles apart. While Mark retired selflessly, Jose failed to find a team in the Majors which forced his retirement. Jose claimed that the MLB blackballed him due to his association with steroids.

By 2005, Jose Canseco released his book, “Juiced”. Through this book, he named baseball players who used steroids, including Mark McGwire during his home-run race in 98′. McGwire had to appear in front of Congress because of these allegations. At the hearing, McGwire said, “I am not here to talk about the past.” This statement raised doubts about his innocence and contributed to tainting his career.

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Why Did Tony Larussa Defend Mark McGwire?

Tony La Russa, a father figure to McGwire, called Jose a liar. He defended Jose’s steroid allegations on McGwire by saying, “Mark McGwire, who has been in my opinion very seriously tainted — and unfairly — Mark agreed that he used a little bit for a short period of time. Most of the stuff that he used, yeast extract, he used HGH (human growth hormone) for his heels. It wasn’t a prescription.” 

To this, Jose responded by explaining the relationship between Mark and LaRussa and that, given their dynamic, he understood why LaRussa publically trash him and called him a “liar”.

Jose said, “He is very loyal to Mark McGwire.” He also continued to say: “LaRussa is like a father to Mark McGwire. The only reason Mark McGwire played with the Cardinals is cause LaRussa was there. He’s (LaRussa) like a second father to him. So, of course, like any father, you’re going to defend your son no matter what. If you have to lie for him, if you have to kill for him.” 

McGwire Comes Clean

Despite his decision to not talk about the past, over time, McGwire came clean. He said: “I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era.”

While McGwire eventually came clean, by 2014, Jose regretted writing that book altogether. He tried to apologize to McGwire multiple times, through a t-shirt and Twitter.

McGwire’s response to the apologies was: “It’s too late. I don’t care to ever speak to him again.”

Ultimately, it was the era of steroids that stained the careers of many players. For McGwire and Canseco, it has been a topsy-turvy relationship that often stole the spotlight from their careers. Who do you think was the greater player?

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