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Canseco's merely a sideshow now

Arthur Staple

10:42 AM EDT, April 1, 2008

Jose Canseco has a book signing Tuesday afternoon in Ridgewood, N.J. A few hours after that major baseball event, the Yankees' season opens in The Bronx.

Which will you be paying closer attention to?

That's a question you really don't have to answer, especially if you're a Yankees fan. The Mets play Tuesday night too, so that takes care of the rest of you.

Canseco slapped together another book and is whirling his way through the area this week. Letterman and ESPN Monday, Howard Stern and Keith Olbermann Tuesday, some print interviews and a couple book signings. His targets in "Juiced" were on-target; his latest, "Vindicated," takes aim at Alex Rodriguez, to whom Canseco claims he introduced a steroid supplier and who coveted Canseco's ex.

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An intriguing tale, true or not. Canseco is a funny storyteller. He's also a little nuts, which doesn't help his case much, but makes some of these stories even more entertaining.

Too bad big baseball fans aren't listening right now. If there is a time of year that contains more hope, more belief and more willingness to ignore reality for a sports fan, show me.

The Royals gutted one out over the Tigers Monday in extras? Rejoice, Royals fans! You're still in it!

The Nationals are 2-0? Xavier Nady has two dingers for the Pirates?

Sorry, Jose. You've got no shot now. Everyone's team is still on the upswing, everyone's fantasy team still has a shot and there are unsigned guys all over the league waiting for that first fantasy waiver wire.

OK, maybe they're not waiting, but fantasy owners are.

All of this combines to make Canseco a sideshow. He does that pretty well all by himself, focusing more on how A-Rod wanted Canseco's ex more than A-Rod's possible steroids link during the Letterman appearance.

Canseco will sign his books Tuesday and continue bashing A-Rod. If A-Rod bashes a couple balls over the wall at Yankee Stadium Tuesday night, the questions about Canseco's allegations will wait until after a few curtain calls. Fans will skip right over Rodriguez's no-comments about Canseco and go right to the stuff about his homers.

Even the Roger Clemens-Brian McNamee congressional showdown from Feb. 5 feels like a faded memory. Clemens is usually scarce this time of year, preferring to make a dramatic return.

If the Yankees are struggling in May, you think Clemens won't take their calls because he's worried about a perjury charge? Please.

The lasting image for me of that bizarre day with the House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform was the last thing I saw before the cameras cut away: North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx coming over to hug Debbie Clemens. People love their sports stars (and their wives), even when charged with trying to root out the truth.

Many greater writers than me have waxed poetic, beautifully so, about the beginning of a baseball season.

Canseco's poetry is of a different sort, and it's designed to bring down some of the game's big stars.

Not going to happen now. It's time to believe, not be miserable.