When Jose Canseco strived to bounce back from the shadows to become an MLB manager 

Jose Canseco ended his controversial MLB career after taking early retirement on May 13, 2002. Canseco believed he might have continued to play for another five years but was banned from the game due to his close ties to performance-enhancing chemicals, as he detailed in the 2005 book Juiced.

In the book, he came out strong and accused prominent athletes of using performance-enhancing drugs, including former teammates Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez, and Jason Giambi. He made many statements that were eventually proven true.

In an interview with USA Today in 2017, Jose Canseco opened up on his desire to return to MLB, albeit in a different capacity. He said:

“I’ve gone through so many ups and downs that I believe there’s a chance I might be a major league manager one day. No matter how small it is, I believe there’s a chance. I truly do. And that’s my dream, to eventually do that. Because I love baseball. I’ve always loved baseball. That’s the best job in the world for me, to be a manager. I would rather be a manager of a baseball team than win the lottery.’’

Canseco admitted that the second half of his 17-year career did not generate enough for him to be seriously considered for the Hall of Fame, but he made a passionate argument for other steroid-affected players.

Jose Canseco's many controversies

In 1989, while playing for the A's, he was detained for illegally possessing a firearm. Three years later, he was accused of aggravated violence after reportedly slamming his wife's BMW with his Porsche. When accused of hitting his second wife, Jessica, Canseco entered a no-contest plea in 1998.

Jose Canseco, former MLB player

In addition, he admitted guilt to criminal violence charges related to a 2001 pub brawl in Miami Beach in which his twin brother Ozzie also participated. A decade later, Jose dispatched Ozzie to represent him in a boxing contest in South Florida where he was scheduled to compete.

Canseco's career, which included 6 All-Star Game invitations and 462 home runs, was tarnished by all those scenes. Also, the home run ball that hit his head, the shady post-baseball appearances in an MMA battle, and celebrity boxing contests resulted in his downfall.