Re: The Mitchell Report
Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:47 pm
Canseco Caught in Lie with Steroid Pusher "Max"
As the Justice Department pursues its perjury investigation of Roger Clemens, Jose Canseco may put his credibility at risk during a scheduled interview with federal agents next week if the author of Vindicated discloses the identity of "Max."
Canseco uses that pseudonym on page 184 of his latest book to describe the trainer and alleged steroid pusher whom he claims he introduced to Alex Rodriguez. In a Miami-area restaurant on Tuesday night, trainer Joseph Dion read the passage in front of two SI reporters and instantly identified Max.
"That's gotta be me," Dion said.
Dion said that Canseco is partially accurate in his portrayal of Max. Yes, Dion is a Canadian-born trainer who knew Canseco during his Toronto Blue Jays days. And it's true that Dion moved back to Miami, where he was raised, and was introduced to Rodriguez by Canseco in the late '90s. Dion said he worked with Rodriguez for four years when the current Yankee played for the Seattle Mariners.
"That's really, really funny because I am the one person that hates steroids," Dion said. "I'm against it 100 percent. And, A-Rod, at the time that I trained him -- and this I swear to God -- was 100 percent against steroids. He was one of the hardest working guys, and most natural guy, that I've met in my life. He hated steroids. We talked about it."
An associate close to Canseco confirmed that Dion is "Max" in the book.
By his account, Dion is a simple fitness devotee and instructor who runs five miles a day, eats brown rice with his sushi and doesn't push protein powders on his clients, much less steroids. If Dion is telling the truth, why would Canseco fabricate a steroid identity for him?
"I'm hurt in every way because it's not right and it's not true," Dion said. "I don't know if he is [writing Vindicated] for business or for fame or what."
Source: Sports Illustrated
As the Justice Department pursues its perjury investigation of Roger Clemens, Jose Canseco may put his credibility at risk during a scheduled interview with federal agents next week if the author of Vindicated discloses the identity of "Max."
Canseco uses that pseudonym on page 184 of his latest book to describe the trainer and alleged steroid pusher whom he claims he introduced to Alex Rodriguez. In a Miami-area restaurant on Tuesday night, trainer Joseph Dion read the passage in front of two SI reporters and instantly identified Max.
"That's gotta be me," Dion said.
Dion said that Canseco is partially accurate in his portrayal of Max. Yes, Dion is a Canadian-born trainer who knew Canseco during his Toronto Blue Jays days. And it's true that Dion moved back to Miami, where he was raised, and was introduced to Rodriguez by Canseco in the late '90s. Dion said he worked with Rodriguez for four years when the current Yankee played for the Seattle Mariners.
"That's really, really funny because I am the one person that hates steroids," Dion said. "I'm against it 100 percent. And, A-Rod, at the time that I trained him -- and this I swear to God -- was 100 percent against steroids. He was one of the hardest working guys, and most natural guy, that I've met in my life. He hated steroids. We talked about it."
An associate close to Canseco confirmed that Dion is "Max" in the book.
By his account, Dion is a simple fitness devotee and instructor who runs five miles a day, eats brown rice with his sushi and doesn't push protein powders on his clients, much less steroids. If Dion is telling the truth, why would Canseco fabricate a steroid identity for him?
"I'm hurt in every way because it's not right and it's not true," Dion said. "I don't know if he is [writing Vindicated] for business or for fame or what."
Source: Sports Illustrated