Bash Brothers - by Dale Tafoya (Hardcover)

About the Book

Mark McGwire and Jose Cansecothe Bash Brothersushered in a new era of muscle-bound power hitters in baseball in the late 1980s. Suddenly balls were flying out of the parks like never before, and the rest of baseball stood up, took notice, and followed suit. Baseballs bodybuilding revolution, with its resultant steroid infestation, was here to stay, and many experts today point to these two players as a large reason why.

Book Synopsis

Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco--the Bash Brothers--ushered in a new era of muscle-bound power hitters in baseball in the late 1980s. Suddenly balls were flying out of the parks like never before, and the rest of baseball stood up, took notice, and followed suit. Baseball's bodybuilding revolution, with its resultant steroid infestation, was here to stay, and many experts today point to these two players as a large reason why. Author Dale Tafoya has interviewed more than 150 teammates, coaches, scouts, and friends who knew McGwire and Canseco during that era, including former A's general manager Sandy Alderson, former team president Roy Eisenhardt, former commissioner Fay Vincent, Hall-of-Fame closer Dennis Eckersley, and 2004 Ford C. Frick award-winning legendary broadcaster Lon Simmons. They provide first-person commentary on what living and playing with the larger-than-life duo was like, and relate the shock and awe that followed both players and the team as well. Tafoya also investigates the players' pre-Oakland careers, how they exploded upon reaching the majors with the A's, and what happened when the two moved on. While Canseco has admitted his steroid use, McGwire ducked the question when Congress asked about his use by saying, "I am not here to discuss the past." Tafoya investigates the claims of each. The Bash Brothers revolutionized baseball; Tafoya discusses whether it was for better or for worse and paints a colorful portrait of the duo's rise to popularity and their ensuing exposure and shame. Bash Brothers: A Legacy Subpoenaed is the first book to fully investigate how these two players helped shape baseball for years to come.

Review Quotes

"A real work of journalism . . . a remarkable 'inside' work told in straightforward fashion, with some intriguing information and anecdotes about McGwire and Canseco."--Oakland Tribune-- (6/5/2008 12:00:00 AM)

"Dale Tafoya takes us back to a wonderfully enchanting time in baseball, particularly in the Bay Area--and, with exacting detail, tells the story we all missed."--Bud Geracie, sports editor, San Jose Mercury News-- (3/20/2008 12:00:00 AM)

"Incisive and compelling...a must-read...Tafoya tells their story in exquisite detail."--Modesto Bee-- (6/20/2008 12:00:00 AM)

"Rather than merely bashing the Bash Brothers--easy targets with their surreal size and steroid-fueled careers--Dale Tafoya treats them with a more gracious account of their deeds and misdeeds than they themselves have offered. By hewing to objectivity, Tafoya does the best job so far of trying to understand what motivated Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco during their dramatic rise and fall, from wildly popular superstars to disgraced outcasts who took baseball down a sordid path."--Steve Wilstein, former Associated Press sportswriter-- (3/20/2008 12:00:00 AM)

"The Bash Brothers, Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, are a human drama--or tragedy--starting as symbols of a new power surge in baseball and morphing into symbols of the steroids era. Dale Tafoya has captured the whole story in his engrossing book."--Glenn Dickey, San Francisco Examiner columnist-- (3/20/2008 12:00:00 AM)

"Wow! This was a trip through Memory Lane for me. A true blast from the past! The 1980s brought back to life; Jose and Big Mac, warts, glory and all. The transformation of McGwire from choir boy to Hells Angel. Canseco's ego was almost too big for the book, but Dale Tafoya harnessed it. Great work!"--Steven Travers, author of A's Essential and Barry Bonds: Baseball's Superman-- (3/20/2008 12:00:00 AM)