Jose Canseco bragged about not having to work out as hard as other players on the Oakland Athletics because he had a "helper," his former manager, Tony La Russa, said in an interview with "60 Minutes Wednesday."
La Russa managed Canseco and the Athletics to consecutive AL pennants from 1988 to 1990, winning the World Series in 1989. La Russa's interview was broadcast last night on CBS, three days after the network aired an interview with Canseco, who has admitted using performance-enhancing drugs and accused several former teammates of the same.
Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa says Jose Canseco boasted about not having to spend much time in the A's gym.
(Charles Rex Arbogast -- AP)
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Sandy Alderson, executive vice president for baseball operations in the commissioner's office, said Major League Baseball has no record of being contacted during the mid-1990s by an FBI agent who told the New York Daily News he warned baseball about steroid use among players.
La Russa, now manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, told "60 Minutes Wednesday" that Canseco would boast about not needing a lot of time in the gym to build his strength.
"He would laugh about the time that other guys were spending there, and how he didn't have to, because he was, he was doing the other 'helper,' " La Russa said. "He was having help in a different way. You know, the easy way."
• RED SOX-YANKEES: Derek Jeter wasn't about to get involved in the sniping between Boston players and New York teammate Alex Rodriguez.
Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling criticized Rodriguez during the offseason, and Rodriguez said last month the talk was "going to give us great motivation to beat him up in the future." On Tuesday, Boston outfielder Trot Nixon praised Rodriguez's playing ability but said: "He can't stand up to Jeter in my book or Bernie Williams or [Jorge] Posada."
"I'm not getting into a war of words with them," Jeter said. "That's between Trot and Alex. You ask Trot what he meant."
Rodriguez has not yet arrived at spring training and has not responded to Nixon.
"I'm sure he'll address it," Jeter said.
Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman didn't think the Red Sox were trying to get to Rodriguez, a player they tried to acquire from Texas in December 2003.
"I just think that's how they feel," he said. "He's a lightning rod for a lot of things that took place for them last winter."
Posada and Boston closer Keith Foulke also declined to discuss Nixon's remarks.
