You can call José Canseco a whistle blower
an informer a stoolie or chivato which is
the word used by Cubans, but whatever
you call him you must call him right.
This 2005 season Home Runs dip to 1997 level.

Amaury Pi-GonzálezYes, José Canseco could be compared to people
like Sammy “The Bull”Grabbano who ratted on the
Mob(he was one of them) or to Linda Tripp whose
taped conversations with secretary Monica Lewinsky
led to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.
Canseco might not be very popular, but he might
be very right.

As of Sunday September 18, 2005 Home Runs
during this season in both leagues have dipped
to the levels of the 1997 season.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau an average
of 2.06 home runs per games were hit through
Sunday September 18. This is down 8 1/2 percent
from last season final average of 2.25.

This years figure hasn’t been so low since the
1997 season, the previous season to the mad
Home Run race between Sosa and McGwire.
(credited by many as the reason baseball made
a “comeback”after the cancelling of the 1994
season due to a strike)and then everybody hit
50 or more..

Remember a guy by the name of Brady Anderson?
He lead off(repeat lead off)for the Baltimore
Orioles in 1995 and finished the season with
56 Home Runs and 110 RBI. 1994 was his
previous high in his career with 24.

There are a few players this season in baseball
that have bucked the trend like Andrew Jones of
the Braves who hit 29 last season and has 50
as of this column. Houston’s Morgan Ensberg
who hit 10 last year and is at 35 today.
Forget Alex Rodríguez he should hit 40 plus
each year until he retires… Barry Bonds?
is the jury still out or in ? Barry might also
break the record for the guy most addored
at home and most hated on the road.

But Adrián Beltre,Vinny Castilla,Carlos Beltrán
have gone down, big time. Beltre in his first
year with Seattle is at 18, last season with
Dodgers he finished with 48, tops in both leagues.

Beltre,however, changed leagues for the first time,
playing at a difficult Home Run park like Safeco
in comparison to a much more homer friendly
Dodger Stadium.

Vinny Castilla of the Washington National finished
last season with 34 four bagers, he has 10 as
of this day. Jason Giambi has recovered from
injuries and is enjoying a great comeback season
with the Yankees after hiting 12 homers last year
has 30 today.

The chief operating officer of the players association
Gene Orza said that listing steroid use to these
statistics would be too simplistic. What else would
you expect him to say as a representative of the
players Union, one of the strongest in the world.

The biggest star to date to be suspended is Orioles
first-baseman and DH Rafael Palmeiro, who is
rehabing of knee injuries at his home in Texas.
What an irony ? José Canseco born in Cuba
and Rafael Palmeiro also born in Cuba are two
key people in this steroids scandal era we are
living in. One revealed the truth to the world the other one said “I did not used it”in front of
the politicos and investigaring commission in
Washington, D.C, and then days later he proved
positive. Steven Spielberg could not have a
better script. David Letterman doesn’t need writers
for stuff like this all he has to do is open the
Sports page.

In this world of Public Relations and spin-talk
perception is very very important. The perception
out there among the fans about these just released
statistics is very simple also, because most people
that attend baseball games are not attorneys,
are not Union representatives are not team owners
and the perception is that what José Canseco
wrote in his book is prophesy. Not hypocresy.

Are these statistics just a coincidence or is there
a trend here. It looks like a trend to me when
in the middle of September you have only one
guy among 30 teams with 50 Home Runs.

What do you guys think ? Am I loco or is this
just a coincidence ?

Your input is always appreciatted.
Adios.