Hey Cansecoites,

I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little frustrated with the
Yankees. They have Jose Canseco - past his prime, but still a solid power
hitter - and they won't let him play. Not only is he not starting, but
he's not getting ANY playing time. He's not even pinch
hitting. Nothing. For some reason Joe Torre would rather have Luis Sojo,
Chuck Knoblauch, or Glenallen Hill in the game. I don't understand it.

Anyway, the Yankees beat the A's yesterday and have moved on to the next
round of the playoffs vs. Seattle. To be perfectly honest with you, if
Jose's just going to be on the bench, I hope the Yankees lose. It annoys
me too much to see him just sitting there on the bench doing nothing...

On a lighter note, the 2000 Jose Canseco Home Run Contest is
over. Congratulations to Emilie Serino of Lake Hiawatha, NJ who correctly
guessed Jose would hit 15 home runs this year. Sadly Emilie had the second
lowest guess of everyone who entered the contest
(http://www.canseconet.com/entries.htm). Oh well, congratulations anyway,
Emilie...

Here's hoping Joe Torre will wake up and start Jose sometime...
Mark

==========
From the Tampa Tribune:
Notebook - Healthy Canseco rides the bench

Jose Canseco missed 46 games with the Devil Rays because of injury. Now
with the Yankees and fully healthy, he's still struggling to get into the
lineup. The 36-year-old slugger returned to Tropicana Field on Tuesday -
the first time since New York claimed him off waivers Aug. 7 - unsure ``if
I'll even play this series.'' Manager Joe Torre chose Chuck Knoblauch over
Canseco and Glenallen Hill as his DH for the opener of the three-game series.

Still, Canseco said he left 15 tickets for friends and family.

Since leaving the Bay area, he has struggled to settle in New York. Besides
living in a temporary apartment that is under renovation - `the noise is
incredible' - he had just two hits in his last 20 at-bats entering this
series. Nonetheless, he arrived with a team poised to clinch a division
championship at the Trop.

``It's very strange obviously because I came from Tampa,'' he said. ``It's
strange for a lot of reasons. I've been an every day player my whole life
and now I play once every four or five days.

``Even if you're an every day player and you don't perform, you don't feel
you're part of the team, you don't feel like you're helping. So imagine not
playing at all. It's going to be awkward when we clinch the division - I'm
not sure how to react.''

==========
From the St. Petersburg Times:
Canseco, Gooden return 'home' to Trop
Former Rays' slugger, pitcher adjusting to the view from the Yankees' side
of the field.
By MIKE READLING
September 27, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- Jose Canseco sat in the visitors' clubhouse at Tropicana
Field, his legs stretched out, those big, bulging arms folded across his
thick chest and got sentimental.

"It's kind of strange," Canseco said. "I miss the old place."

Tuesday marked the first time Canseco returned to Tropicana Field since the
New York Yankees claimed him on waivers from the Rays on Aug. 7. He was
joined in the happy homecoming by pitcher Dwight Gooden, signed by New York
shortly after the Rays released him May 25.

Though he didn't quite get lost on the way to the clubhouse, Canseco said
he still was getting used to wearing Yankees colors.

"It takes a little while to get used to it," Canseco said. "It's very
strange to come to a team in the middle of the season. Especially for me, a
guy who's used to playing every day, and now I'm playing every four or five
days. It's gonna be awkward when we clinch the division. How do I react?
I'm definitely happy for all the guys who have been here all year, but I
haven't contributed that much at all."

Canseco has hit six home runs and has driven in 18 runs since becoming a
Yankee. He made a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth, but popped up to
shortstop Felix Martinez. He has not forgotten his Rays roots, however.

Canseco said he left about 15 tickets at the gate for family and friends
and was looking forward to seeing some old buddies.

"I'm definitely going to see some of the guys," he said. "Some of the fans
I knew pretty well, the groundskeepers, say hello to a few of the old
teammates."

Oddly enough Canseco finds himself in the same predicament with the Yankees
that he had with the Devil Rays -- getting on the field.

Canseco missed 46 games with Tampa Bay with a strained left heel. Since his
pickup he has appeared in 32 of 48 games for New York, which has a plethora
of designated hitters to choose from each night.

"The whole year I was waiting to get in the lineup over there. Now I come
over here and I'm healthy and I'm still trying to get into the lineup,"
Canseco said.

Gooden has had the opposite problem.

Since signing with the Yankees he has gone 4-2 with a 3.43 ERA and recorded
two saves. His only question is whether he's going to pitch out of the
bullpen or in the starting rotation.

"I have no problem with that, it's all about what I need to do to help the
team," Gooden said. "I can go back and forth as long as I do my work on the
side."

For Gooden, the road trip to St. Petersburg meant a night in his own house
and a chance to spend time with his six children.

"It feels good to be back here," said Gooden, who probably won't pitch
against Tampa Bay because of the 22/3 innings he threw Monday night. "It
might be good I'm not pitching here since I've been running around with the
kids a little bit. Taking them to school, having lunch. It's been fun."

==========
From the NY Post:
Jose Gives Jose DH Audition
By GEORGE KING

ST. PETERSBURG - Joe Torre doesn't know how he will fill the DH role next
week when the postseason starts. He can go with Chuck Knoblauch, hoping his
leadoff hitter can get on base. Or Torre can use the Jose Canseco/Glenallen
Hill combination and look for the home run.

Tuesday night Torre said he liked how the lineup looked with Knoblauch
DH-ing. Last night Torre turned to the slumping Canseco.

"I hope to get him a number of [at-bats] in an everyday situation and get a
little groove going," Torre said of Canseco, who had started four games
(one in right field) since Sept. 15 and was in a 2-for-21 (.095) slump. "He
is capable of giving us some punch and the ability to get a walk. Now it's
just a matter of getting at-bats with the way we have been doing it. Maybe
he will catch fire."

Not last night. Canseco went 0-for-4 and looked so bad doing it that Torre
will likely turn to Knoblauch tonight.

Canseco admitted the inactivity is difficult because, other than the times
he has been hurt, which is often throughout his career, he has been an
every-day player.

"I am taking it one day at a time," Canseco said.

Hill, who has more experience coming off the bench, started four straight
games (Sept. 16-19) as the DH but after a start in left field on Sept. 21,
hadn't moved off the bench in the past six games.

Knoblauch, who thrived in the DH spot, was back at second base last night
and went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

==========
From the NJ Record:

...With one out in the second and no score, Jose Canseco drew a walk. Tino
Martinez ripped a shot to center field over the head of Gerald Williams.
While Williams chased after the ball, Canseco chugged around third and
received the green light from third-base coach Willie Randolph.

Williams relayed the ball to shortstop Felix Martinez, who whipped it home
to Mike DiFelice. Replays showed that Canseco slid in safely, but home
plate umpire Ted Barrett called him out.

With Tino Martinez running to third on the throw, DiFelice fired to Huff,
who let the ball get away from him. It actually hit Randolph, who waved
Martinez home. Huff retrieved the ball and threw home, and there,
incredibly, DiFelice tagged out Martinez. The Yankees' rally, and their
inning, had ended in a most bizarre fashion....

==========
From the NY Time:

...And everything went wrong, again, bizarrely. Jose Canseco walked with
one out in the second inning, before Tino Martinez smashed a line drive to
center field, over the head of the Rays' Gerald Williams, probably the
hardest Martinez has hit the ball in weeks. Canseco broke well off first
base and, although he is not particularly fast, he proceeded toward home.
The throw from center field beat him to the base, but Canseco slid to the
third base side of the plate and seemed to touch the plate with his foot
before the tag was applied. He was called out.

But the play was not over: Martinez tried advancing to third on the play,
and when the throw from catcher Mike DiFelice rolled away from third
baseman Aubrey Huff, Martinez rose and broke for home in short, choppy
steps - and was cut down easily when Huff fired home. Two outs and no runs
on a double off the wall. Canseco stood at the plate, still waiting to
argue the call, as Martinez rose from the dirt. The Yankees were all
stunned, and perhaps 30 seconds to a minute passed before any of them
wandered on the field for the bottom half of the second inning."...

==========
From the NY Post:
Joe Looks For Consistent Punch, Names Chuck DH
Tuesday, October 3,2000
By GEORGE KING

OAKLAND - When Chuck Knoblauch arrived at the Coliseum three hours early
for yesterday's workout, Joe Torre was already ensconced in his office
putting together a lineup for tonight's Game 1 of the ALDS against the A's.
Having discussed the possibility of using Knoblauch as his DH with the
second baseman/leadoff hitter last week, Torre and Knoblauch spoke briefly
in the clubhouse and Torre told Knoblauch he would be DHing tonight against
righty Gil Heredia.

"I think it's great, but it wasn't a shocker," said Knoblauch, who hit .375
(6-for-16) in his last four games.

Torre, who will use Luis Sojo at second and bat him eighth in front of
ice-cold Scott Brosius, didn't ignore Knoblauch's throwing ills in making
the decision, but it was more to give the Yankees better chances of putting
the ball in play than with a banger like Jose Canseco.

"Just more contact," Torre said. "Hopefully we can do that."

As for Knoblauch's throwing yips, they have quieted lately. However, Torre
said they crossed his mind.

"I can't say [they] didn't," Torre said of Knoblauch's throwing problems.
"But I was more concerned with the type of offense."

If the A's use lefty Barry Zitto in Game 4, Torre said Knoblauch would go
back to second base. Torre would then choose between Glenallen Hill or
Canseco, both of whom hit lefties well.

When Torre used Knoblauch as the DH this year, something he did 19 times,
Jose Vizcaino was his choice at second. Sojo is a different twist but don't
read too much into it.

"That's a flip of the coin," Torre said of choosing between Sojo and Vizcaino.

"One thing for sure, it will take the pressure off Chuck," Sojo said.
"Every time he has been the DH, he has been on base three or four times.
They want me for my defense. If I get a hit, it will be a plus. But I know
I will get a hit."

As for Canseco, he finished the season in a 4-for-31 (.129) slump and
admits he isn't much a bench player. "I can't be disappointed by things I
can't control, so no," Canseco said when asked if he was upset by not being
in the lineup.