McGwire Responds to Canseco

Jose Canseco’s book arrives today containing his version of baseball’s so-called steroids era.

It gets here the morning after his coming-out television interview, the day before the first pitchers and catchers report to spring training, and his message is unchanged and unapologetic.

“[The] national pastime is juiced,” he told “60 Minutes.”

To which, Mark McGwire, the retired slugger accused by Canseco of taking steroids and contributing to Jason Giambi’s abuse of steroids, issued his second statement in eight days.

In an e-mail to The Times, McGwire wrote: “I feel sorry to see someone turn to such drastic measures to accomplish a personal agenda at the expense of so many. The relationship that these allegations portray couldn’t be further from the truth.

“I also worry how these false allegations will taint the accomplishments of the Oakland Athletics’ coaches, players and executives who worked so hard to achieve success during the era in question, along with the other players and organizations affected by this book.

“Most concerning to me, is the negative effect that sensationalizing steroids will have on impressionable youngsters who dream of one day becoming professional athletes.

“Once and for all ... I did not use steroids or any other illegal substance.

“I am enjoying one of the happiest periods in my life with my wife and children, and I will not allow false accusations to hinder that.”

It is not known if McGwire -- or any of those named by Canseco, most of whom have denied the allegations -- will pursue a libel suit.

“I can’t comment on that,” McGwire spokesman Marc Altieri said.

In an interview taped Feb. 1 and aired Sunday night, Canseco said, “I’m just basically telling a story of my life,” and then claimed to detail the lives of many others, as well.

Asked if he were ashamed his career was “fueled by illegal drugs,” Canseco said, “That’s a tough question. Because, I tried to do everything possible to become the best player in the world. Do I believe steroids and growth hormones helped me achieve that? Yes. Were there a lot of other players doing it that I had to compete against? Yes.”

Were it not for steroids, Canseco said, “[I would] maybe not accomplish the things I did, the freakish things I did, being 6-4, 250 [pounds], running 4.3 40s, the 40-40 [home run-stolen base season in 1988]. Hitting 600-foot home runs. Who knows? A lot of it is psychological. I mean, you really believe you have an edge. You feel the strength, and the stamina.”

As he wrote in his book, Canseco said he personally injected steroids into McGwire, Giambi and former Texas Ranger teammates Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez and Ivan Rodriguez. They have denied it.

The names and details of Canseco’s book trickled from manuscripts and transcripts for more than a week. That steady dribble was interrupted by Giambi’s news conference in New York on Thursday, in which he issued vague apologies and said little else, other than, “The one thing I’ll tell you is that when I went in front of the grand jury I told the truth.”

Since the details of his federal grand-jury testimony in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative investigation were leaked in December, in which he reportedly admitted using performance-enhancing drugs, Giambi has not denied taking steroids.

Canseco also wrote that Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, Bret Boone, Miguel Tejada and others appeared to be users of performance-enhancing drugs.

Bonds, who also testified before the BALCO federal grand jury, has repeatedly denied using steroids. He was accused again recently by a former girlfriend and mistress, Kimberly Bell, who is writing a book -- “Bonds’ Girl” -- about their nine-year relationship, since ended by Bonds, who is married.

She told Fox News that Bonds told her he had taken steroids to recover from an injury, and that he feared the drug’s effects -- bloating and acne -- would betray his usage.

“He used the word ‘steroids,’ ” she told Fox. “He said ... this was something everybody was doing.”

Bonds’ attorney, Michael Rains, called Bell a “gold digger” who cried steroids when Bonds refused to buy her a house.

“This is strictly an attempt to promote a book when her effort at extortion failed,” Rains told Fox.