updated 11:19 p.m. ET March 19, 2005

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Curt Schilling believes that Jose Canseco told the truth in parts of his book and said Saturday that the slugger’s career was “a sham” because he used steroids.

The Boston Red Sox pitcher spoke publicly for the first time since testifying Thursday at a congressional hearing on steroids and baseball.

Canseco’s lawyer, Robert Saunooke, responded by noting that steroids were not banned by baseball when Canseco used them. Saunooke also questioned the credibility of Schilling, who backtracked at the hearing from his earlier claims of rampant steroid use in baseball.

“Curt’s inconsistencies indicate that he has no clue but supports baseball so he can keep his high-paying job,” Saunooke said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

In his book, “Juiced,” published last month, Canseco named several players, including himself and Mark McGwire, who he said had used steroids.

At the hearing, Schilling sharply criticized Canseco.

“What you saw Thursday, unfortunately, was the result of someone who didn’t think a lot in a lot of different instances before he ruined some people’s lives,” Schilling said Saturday. “That’s not to say that he lied. I don’t believe his book is all lies.

“I believe that there’s some truth in it, but that’s for each and every one of us to decide.”

Schilling said he was wrong in some of his past comments that indicated steroid use in baseball was greater than what he told the committee.

“I made a mistake,” Schilling said. “Being called on that (at the hearing) made me actually start to look at the subject matter instead of guess about it.”

But Saunooke said Schilling “was brought to Washington with the sole purpose that he believed (steroid use) was rampant, and he changes his story.”

Schilling said Saturday that 98.3 percent of players passed their tests for steroids. Saunooke said “that number is totally misleading” because it was based on a small, random sample.