Jose Canseco Renews Hall of Fame Criticism, Calls MLB Hypocritical on PED Era

Jose Canseco, the former Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox star, has once again taken aim at Major League Baseball’s handling of Hall of Fame eligibility for players linked to performance-enhancing drugs. In a recent appearance on the All The Smoke podcast, Canseco argued that the league’s selective approach to induction amounts to hypocrisy, given what he describes as widespread PED use during the late 1980s through the early 2000s.

“If you’re going to let one individual that you know used PEDs that I injected personally into the Hall of Fame, which you have several, you’ve got to let them all in. It’s either all or none. Stop being such a hypocrite,” Canseco said during the interview.

His comments revive a debate that has simmered for years, as voters and the Hall of Fame continue to weigh the careers of players from baseball’s so-called “Steroid Era” against known or suspected PED use.

Key facts
| Topic | Detail |
|——-|——–|
| Source of criticism | Jose Canseco on All The Smoke podcast |
| Core argument | Either induct all PED-linked players or none; current approach is hypocritical |
| Era referenced | Late 1980s to early 2000s, when Canseco says PED use was widespread |
| Previous statements | Canseco criticized Hall of Fame inductions of Tim Raines, Jeff Bagwell, Iván Rodríguez in 2017 |

Canseco’s case for context

Canseco, who admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs during his own career, has long been one of the most vocal figures on the subject. He has repeatedly claimed that many players, coaches, and even umpires used substances during the era he played. On the podcast, he argued that because use was so common, singling out certain players for exclusion while inducting others is inconsistent.

He pointed specifically to players he says he knows used PEDs and are now in the Hall of Fame, claiming there are at least four such inductees. Canseco did not name them during the interview, but his broader point was that the voting process lacks a clear, enforceable standard.

“Given that most of the players are on substances, he believes it makes no sense to highlight someone and overlook a few others,” the podcast summary noted.

Why players used, according to Canseco

Canseco offered an explanation for why players of his era turned to PEDs, framing it as a matter of endurance rather than simply building muscle. He described the grueling MLB calendar — roughly 20 spring training games, a 162-game regular season, and up to about 190 games if a team reaches the World Series.

“It was about sustaining the stamina, the strength you came in with because baseball is a game of quickness, hand-eye coordination, and depth reception,” Canseco said. “And if you lose strength during the season, they may blow that fastball right by you. The bat might be a little bit heavier. Your coordination might be gone. Because hitting a baseball takes a tenth of a split of a second and you can make a mistake.”

His argument suggests that PED use was not primarily about gaining an unfair advantage, but about maintaining performance over a long season. That framing has been echoed by other players from the era, though it remains controversial among fans, journalists, and Hall of Fame voters.

History of Canseco’s Hall of Fame criticism

This is not the first time Canseco has made such allegations against the league. In 2017, ESPN reported that he voiced similar frustration after the Hall of Fame inductions of Tim Raines, Jeff Bagwell, and Iván Rodríguez. At the time, he posted a series of tweets criticizing the voting process.

“It’s a great day for the hypocrisy of the Hall of Fame voting induct all that used Peds or induct none,” one of those posts read. He also specifically questioned why players like Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, and Rafael Palmeiro were not in the Hall, calling it “a travesty.” He also made a case for Barry Bonds, another player whose candidacy has been heavily debated due to PED links.

Nearly a decade later, Canseco is making the same argument again. “I think the hypocrisy of Major League Baseball has to change,” he said on the podcast.

What this means for Hall of Fame debates

Canseco’s latest comments arrive as the Hall of Fame voting continues to evolve. In recent years, some players with PED connections have gained more support, but the standards remain unclear. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America, which votes on induction, has no formal rule excluding players with PED ties, but individual voters apply their own judgments.

The result has been inconsistent outcomes. Some players linked to PEDs, such as Rodríguez and Bagwell, have been inducted. Others, like Bonds, Clemens, and McGwire, have not received enough votes despite statistically dominant careers. Canseco’s argument — all or none — highlights the lack of a uniform policy.

For fans and observers, the debate touches on broader questions about how the sport and its institutions should reckon with the PED era. Canseco’s persistence in raising the issue ensures it remains part of the conversation.

Source: Yahoo Sports — “Stop Being Such a Hypocrite”: Ex-Pro Rips Into MLB for Letting ‘Steroid’ Users Get Into Hall of Fame (https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/stop-being-hypocrite-ex-pro-044114745.html)

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