Canseco's Nightline pitch far from overpowering

Jose Canseco claims to have introduced Alex Rodriguez to a known steroids dealer. Heinz Kluetmeier/SI

Jose Canseco took his story to late-night television on Thursday, an appropriate time slot for a man selling questionable goods.

In an exclusive interview with ABC's Nightline prior to today's release of his latest tell-all, Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars and the Battle to Save Baseball, Canseco told interviewer Martin Bashir that a decade ago he introduced Yankees star Alex Rodriguez to a steroids supplier from Canada whom he identifies as "Max." He claimed that Rodriguez (who has publicly stated that he never took steroids or human growth hormone) approached him about steroids. "I cannot bet my life on it, because I was not involved, that Alex Rodriguez ever used steroids," Canseco told Bashir. "But in my opinion, I suspect he has, yes."

Who is this mysterious "Max"? The man who tells all isn't telling. "We'll keep him out of it until the time is proper," Canseco told Bashir. "The time is not right now."

Thankfully, Bashir challenged Canseco to produce some sort of evidence. "The implication you are making in your book is that Alex Rodriguez... was interested and intent on using steroids and you introduced him to a known steroid dealer," Bashir said. "And yet, somehow, you won't produce any evidence to support that allegation. Now why not?

"The timing is not right," said Canseco.

"You see," Bashir said, "that's just not a good enough answer, because if it was true..."

"Sure it is," said Canseco.

Why?" Bashir pressed.

"It's the only answer," said Canseco.

"Why didn't you produce the evidence? Bashir again asked.

"The timing is not right," said Canseco. "Let's see how Alex reacts to this. Let's see if they call me a liar again. How's that for you? Let's see if all of a sudden they're going to call me a liar again."

As far as drama, the interview was far more entertaining than Canseco's stay on VH1's The Surreal Life. Canseco told Bashir that money was not a motivator for his book. Revenge is another story. "My motive, and I will make it clear and look you in the eyes, is to attack major league baseball," Canseco said. "That's my motive."

Canseco appeared equal parts oily, smug and desperate. Of course, he's been called all that before, and some of his claims in his previous tell-all (the 2005 opus, Juiced) had validity. The biggest news to come out of the Nightline interview was Canseco's claim that he supplied steroids and HGH and injected Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez when they were teammates on the White Sox in 2001 (Ordonez issued a non-denial denial yesterday).

Alas, Nightline won't be the end of the Canseco interviews. Publisher's Weekly reports that Vindicated publisher Simon Spotlight is planning a 250,000-copy first printing and Canseco will be hitting David Letterman, Hannity & Colmes and Howard Stern, along with a coast-to-coast six-city tour. Perhaps "Max" will join up along the way.