Hey Cansecoites,

Before I get into the details from this weekend, I want to say hello to all
the Canseco fans I met in Vegas - Karen (who I seem to run into everywhere
- stalker!), Cheryl and Taneal (Yankees fans, but I'll forgive them), James
(owns probably the most impressive Canseco collection I've ever heard of),
Joe (big fan who runs Sports Market Report magazine), Steve (a big fan from
Boston), Theresa and her Dad (I hope your sign made it on ESPN), Jeanette,
Steve, and Javier (from the Canseco Financial Group), and last but not
least (even though I'm sure he's not reading this), the guy in the Mets
uniform who along with my groups of friends was rooting against Jose the
whole weekend. That's right, you know who you are. Thanks for the beer
though, sucker. He actually bet me that Sheffield would beat Jose - Can
you believe it? haha.

Geez, I hope I'm not forgetting anyone. Meeting up with you guys is one of
my favorite parts about making weekend trips to see Jose. It's always more
fun to root for Jose in groups, especially in opposing cities where you get
a lot of heat. I don't have any definite plans yet, but I'd like to see
Jose in Anaheim sometime this summer... I'll keep you posted with my
Jose-related travels as always.

Ok, on to the weekend. First let me tell you that even though I fly all
the time and was in First Class, United still managed to lose my bag on the
way out there. To make matters worse, when it finally arrived the next
day, all my clothes were wet and needed to be washed. Perfect.

Since he won the derby last year, Jose had a first round bye and was the
4th seed. Gary Sheffield won in the first round and squared off against
Jose Saturday afternoon. Sheffield looked good, but he was no competition
for the man. Jose beat him 10-9 (without needing to bat in the bottom of
the 5th and final inning).

The semi-finals had Jose up against Todd Helton, who looked good in his
first two rounds. Jose made short work of him though, hitting 14 homers to
Helton's 8, again not needing to bat in the bottom of the 5th.

At the point, Jose was in a rematch with Rafael Palmeiro, who he beat in
the finals last year 28-15. Yes, 28. That's not a typo. Palmeiro had two
outs in the 3rd inning when he went on a tear. He snuck a ball over the
wall (which was nearly his third out) and proceeded to crank out another 6
straight homers. Jose had a lot to overcome, but going into the bottom of
the 7th inning (the final round is 7 innings instead of 5), Jose was down
only one home run.

I honestly thought Jose was a lock to win, and I think it's safe to say 95%
of the people in the stadium agreed with me - especially Palmeiro who said
so afterwards. Jose crushed the first ball to deep left center and I was
on my feet, knowing he tied it up. Don't ask me whayt happened, but that
ball somehow stayed in the park. I don't even think it hit the wall, but
it was close. I blame my friends for willing that ball back into the
park. Punks.

After that, Jose looked a little over-anxious and made two more outs,
losing to Palmeiro by one run. He was clearly disappointed, knowing he
could have and should have won the derby again. The final score was only
11-10. Jose had hit 24 homers in his first 8 innings, but only managed 10
in the final 7. Palmeiro better be worried next year. Jose's going to be
back with a vengeance.

Be sure not to miss the Big League Challenge when it's on ESPN. Jose may
not have won, but he definitely hit the best and longest homers of everyone
there. ESPN2 will be airing the show beginning on Monday, March 19 at 2:30
PM and running through March 30.

I added a couple of Jose photos from the event to the Canseconet.com Photo
Galleries. They are at the bottom of the main photos page, where quite a
few have piled up. I want to put them into nice galleries, but I just
haven't had the time. Maybe someday...

Lastly, I picked up some souvenirs for you guys. I grabbed 15-20 8x10s of
Jose and another 15-20 programs that had Jose on the cover. It's a great
photo of Jose taken during last year's contest. I figure I'll sell them as
a package for $10 or so, including shipping. I don't have all that many,
so if you're interested, let me know ASAP. I also have a handful of
baseball caps from last year's Big League Challenge (they didn't make Jose
ones this year). They have the BLC logo on the front and Jose's number and
signature stitched on the side of them - pretty cool looking. If you'd
like one of those too, I'll throw one in for another $25, including
shipping. I think I only have about 8 of them though, so let me know
ASAP. first come, first served...

I'm not going to be home much over the next few weeks, but I'll send them
out as soon as I can. So, if you're interested, send me an email and I'll
tell you where to send your check/money order.

-Mark

==========
From the Las Vegas Sun:
Homer time!
A dozen major leaguers gather in LV again to crown longball champ
By Steve Guiremand

Warning: If you plan on driving down Washington Avenue behind Cashman Field
on Saturday or Sunday, be prepared to dodge a few baseballs.

Big League Challenge, a home run contest featuring a dozen of Major League
Baseball's top long ball hitters, makes a return to Cashman Field this weekend.

Jose Canseco, who defeated Rafael Palmeiro in last year's final with an
awesome power display that included a handful of 500-foot homers that were
sent bouncing onto Washington Avenue, returns to try to defend his title
against a group that includes Barry Bonds, Mike Piazza, Frank Thomas and
part-time Henderson resident Jason Giambi of the Oakland Athletics.

The 12 participants were seeded based on 2000 season home run totals with
Bonds (49) getting the No. 1 seed and one of four first round byes....

...All the matchups will be recorded for broadcast as a series scheduled to
debut on ESPN2 on Monday, March 19 at 2:30 p.m. and running thru March 30.

Proceeds from Big League Challenge benefit the Players Trust for Children,
a foundation created and administered by the players....

==========
From the Las Vegas Review-Journal
Sunday, February 11, 2001
Canseco, Palmeiro eager for rematch
Last year's finalists stay alive in home run contest
By MARK ANDERSON

Jose Canseco might get his wish for a "Cuban connection" again.

He and Rafael Palmeiro hooked up in the final of last year's inaugural Big
League Challenge, with Canseco winning 28-15. They might meet again in
today's final at Cashman Field.

Before that, Canseco must get by Todd Helton of the Colorado Rockies in the
semifinals, which begin at 2 p.m. Palmeiro will face Mike Piazza of the New
York Mets in the other semi, and the final will follow.

ESPN (cable 19) will televise the event live.

"I'd like to get back myself, but I would like to see (Canseco) there so
that maybe I can do to him what he did to me last year,'' said Palmeiro,
who plays for the Texas Rangers. "We need to get there first. We're not
there. My hands are full with Mike. He's swinging great.''

Palmeiro defeated Troy Glaus of the Anaheim Angels, 14-8. Canseco, who also
is with the Angels, held off Gary Sheffield of the Los Angeles Dodgers, 10-9.

"Definitely no one wants to go out there and embarrass themselves,''
Canseco said. "You want to go out there and do the best as possible. That's
all you can expect. If you don't win, you don't win. Hopefully, I can
continue doing well. Anyone would like to win this event because it's a
great event.''

Piazza advanced by defeating Richard Hidalgo of the Houston Astros, 14-6,
and Helton defeated Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants, 10-8.

In the first round, Piazza defeated Jason Giambi of the Oakland Athletics,
5-4; Sheffield used a seven-homer first inning to defeat Steve Finley of
the Arizona Diamondbacks, 10-4; Palmeiro topped Frank Thomas of the Chicago
White Sox, 9-5; and Helton was a 5-1 winner over Jim Edmonds of the St.
Louis Cardinals....

==========
From ESPN:
Canseco sluggin' away in Vegas

Will Canseco retain his title?
Jose Canseco remains in the thick of it as Major League Baseball's sluggers
duke it out in the second annual Big League Challenge this weekend in Las
Vegas. Canseco, the reigning Big League Challenge champion, will meet Todd
Helton in one semifinal while Rafael Palmeiro and Mike Piazza will battle
in the other on Sunday at Cashman Field in Las Vegas. The two winners will
meet in the final. The semifinals and final will be aired live on ESPN at 5
p.m. ET Sunday. Canseco moved into the semifinals by outhomering Gary
Sheffield 10-9 on Saturday. Mike Piazza had the best day of any player as
he hit 14 homers in his quarterfnal match vs. Richard Hidalgo to easily
move into the semifinals.

==========
From ESPN:
Canseco remains in the hunt
By Matt Szefc

LAS VEGAS -- Jose Canseco only hit 15 home runs last season, but don't be
fooled into thinking he's no longer one of baseball's bigger power threats.

On Saturday, he out-homered Gary Sheffield of the Los Angeles Dodgers,
10-9, in the quarterfinals of the 2001 Big League Challenge. Canseco, who
won last year's Big League Challenge, moves into the semifinals where he is
pitted against the Colorado Rockies' Todd Helton.

The other semifinal matches Rafael Palmeiro of the Texas Rangers vs. the
New York Mets' Mike Piazza. The semifinals and finals will be televised
live on ESPN on Sunday beginning at 5 p.m. ET from Cashman Field in Las Vegas.

Canseco, who signed this offseason with the Anaheim Angels, wasn't the
biggest home run hitter on the day, however, as Piazza hit 14 homers in his
quarterfinal match against Richard Hidalgo of the Houston Astros.

==========
From ESPN:
Raffy gets his revenge

Rafael Palmeiro came up big in Las Vegas Sunday. The Rangers star homered
on seven straight swings and held on to beat Jose Canseco 10-9 Sunday to
win a rematch in the 2001 Big League Challenge. Canseco beat Palmeiro 28-15
last year in the first home-run derby at Cashman Field, home of Las Vegas'
Triple-A team. Palmeiro put together his homer streak in the third inning
of the seven-inning contest. Canseco made it to the Finals by besting Todd
Helton in one semifinal while Palmeiro made short work of Mike Piazza, who
was the star of Saturday's action. Canseco and Palmeiro had worked their
way through a field of 12 of baseball's best sluggers to earn their rematch.

==========
From the AP:
Raffy rallies in rematch, conquers Canseco

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Rafael Palmeiro homered on seven straight swings and held
on to beat Jose Canseco 10-9 Sunday to win a rematch in the 2001 Big League
Challenge.

Canseco beat Palmeiro 28-15 last year in the first home-run derby at
Cashman Field, home of Las Vegas' Triple-A team.

Palmeiro put together his homer streak in the third inning of the
seven-inning contest.

Canseco needed just one home run in his final at-bat to tie the Texas
Rangers star, but came up short. Canseco recently signed with the Anaheim
Angels.

Palmeiro defeated New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza 12-8 in the semifinals.
Canseco defeated Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton 14-8 to reach
the final.

On Saturday, Palmeiro defeated Troy Glaus of the Angels 14-8. Canseco held
off Gary Sheffield of the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-9.

Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Frank Thomas, Jim Edmonds, Richard Hidalgo and
Steve Finley also took part.

Proceeds from the two-day event, organized by the major league players'
association will benefit the union's Trust for Children.

==========
From the Las Vegas Sun:
Palmeiro power!
Rangers slugger outduels Canseco in HR derby
By Steve Guiremand

Nobody had a better seat for Sunday afternoon's Big League Challenge finale
between Jose Canseco and Rafael Palmeiro than Las Vegas' own Mike Martin.

That's because Martin, a former major league catcher who played for the Las
Vegas Stars back in the mid-'80s, got to catch the championship matchup won
by Palmeiro, 11-10, at chilly Cashman Field.

Martin was even closer to the action than three small cameras ESPN had set
up on the ground about 10 feet in front of home plate to film those
wide-eyed swings by Canseco, Palmeiro and the other 10 participants in the
home run hitting contest that will be televised by ESPN2 in March.

In fact, you might say that Martin was a little too close to action.

While catching batting practice on Friday afternoon, Martin got hit in the
mask by Canseco's bat.

Considering Canseco was strong enough to routinely hit home runs about 500
feet over the berm in left field during the competition, that had to sting
a little.

"Nah, it was just on the backswing," Martin said. "He's got a real long
backswing. You have to be able to learn their swings and be able to adjust
or you're going to get hurt. ... With the new catching masks that you have
now, the hockey-style masks, you have good protection."

Martin also took turns catching games in Saturday's preliminary and
quarterfinal rounds. It was the second straight year he has caught in Big
League Challenge.

"It was great," Martin said. "I still wish I was able to play. They're
great guys, a good bunch of guys to be around. It's an honor just to be out
there with them."

Martin has managed to keep baseball in his life as owner and operator the
last 18 years of the respected Las Vegas Baseball Academy. Besides
coaching, he also is trying to fund-raise nore than $100,000 needed for the
non-profit organization to send six different youth traveling teams ranging
in age from 10 to 13 to summer national tournaments in St. Louis,
Cooperstown, N.Y., and Flower Mound, Texas....

...LIGHTING IT UP: Without a doubt, the most impressive home run of the
weekend was a mammoth shot off the scoreboard by Canseco in his semifinal
win over Gary Sheffield of the Dodgers. The blast broke several lights on
the scoreboard about 30 feet above the 474-foot sign.

=====================================
From the AP:
Mano a mano II
Palmeiro tops Canseco in home run derby rematch

LAS VEGAS (Ticker) -- It's been a pretty good five months for Rafael Palmeiro.

The Texas Rangers first baseman put on an awesome power display Sunday,
hitting home runs on seven consecutive swings en route to an 11-10 triumph
over defending champion Jose Canseco of the Anaheim Angels in the second
annual Big League Challenge.

Palmeiro avenged a 28-15 loss to Canseco, a fellow Cuban and longtime
friend, in last year's finals. This title came on the heels of a season in
which Palmeiro smacked his 400th home run.

"I would have liked to have beaten him by 15, like he did to me last year,
but I'll take this win," said Palmeiro, the 11th seed. "I got the bragging
rights for a year. He rubbed it in a little bit and now I got him back."

Palmeiro, 36, also figures to anchor the middle of a Rangers' lineup that
includes newly acquired superstar Alex Rodriguez and veterans Andres
Galarraga and Ken Caminiti.

"I hope this is a good omen," Palmeiro said. "This is a good thing and I'm
going to spring training on a good note. With the team we have, I can't
wait to go to spring training and start beating on some people."

Each player homered twice in the opening inning of the seven-inning
competition, but Canseco took the lead in the second, homering three times.
The final shot was a majestic blast that landed just under the scoreboard
in left-center field, 475 feet away.

Palmeiro responded with seven straight homers in the top of the third to
take a 9-5 lead and Canseco went homerless in the bottom of the inning.
After Palmeiro, who hit 39 homers in 2000, failed to homer in the fourth,
Canseco managed just one in his half to draw within 9-6.

Each player hit one homer in the fifth and Palmeiro added another in the
sixth to take a four-homer lead into the bottom of the sixth. Canseco
answered with three home runs, including a bomb that sailed under the
scoreboard, and saw his bid at a tying shot come up just short when he
lined a pitch off the top of the right-center field wall.

Palmeiro went quickly in the top of the seventh, paving the way for Canseco
to repeat as champion. But Canseco's first swing resulted in a drive to
wall in center field, his second a foul popup and third a fly ball to
shallow right-center.

"I thought I would get at least one home run, but I was struggling the
whole time with the background," Canseco said of his final at-bat. "You
can't hit what you can't see."

"I thought it was over with. I went up there in the last inning, really
focused," Palmeiro said. "I wanted to get about five because I really felt
that he has done it so many times I knew one wasn't going to cut it. When I
hit just one, I kissed it away."

The Big League Challenge featured 12 of the major leagues' top sluggers.
Canseco was extended an invitation as the defending champion with the other
11 invitees based on the number of home runs hit in 2000. Each matchup,
with the exception of the finals, was five innings with each player allowed
three non-homer swings per inning.

New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza got off to a quick start against Palmeiro
in the semifinals, homering three times in the opening inning. Palmeiro
answered with two in the bottom of the inning and, after Piazza failed to
homer in the top of the second, Palmeiro took advantage of the wind blowing
out to right field and hit six more.

Piazza homered twice in the third to draw within 8-5, but Palmeiro again
took advantage of the weather conditions and lined a pair of homers just
over the right-field wall. Both players homered twice in the fourth, but
Piazza hit just one in the fifth and was eliminated, 12-8.

Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton jumped out quickly in his
matchup with Canseco, homering four times in the first inning. But Canseco
got it going in the bottom of the frame with six. After Helton went
homerless in the second, Canseco hit three more for a 9-4 lead.

Neither batter homered in the third, but Helton hit three in the fourth.
Canseco responded with five in the bottom of the frame to take a 14-7 lead.
Helton, who hit 42 homers in 2000 but is better remembered for his run at
.400, managed only one homer in his final at-bat and was eliminated, 14-8.

In Saturday's opening round, Piazza needed extra innings to get by American
League Most Valuable Player Jason Giambi of the Oakland Athletics; Los
Angeles Dodgers left fielder Gary Sheffield eliminated Arizona Diamondbacks
center fielder Steve Finley; Palmeiro got by Chicago White Sox first
baseman Frank Thomas; and Helton bounced St. Louis Cardinals center fielder
Jim Edmonds.

The quartefinals saw Piazza homer eight times in the fifth inning to
eliminate Houston Astros outfielder Richard Hidalgo, 14-6. Hidalgo, who hit
44 homers last season and was the third seed, slugged five in his final
at-bat to make it respectable.

Canseco advanced to the semifinals with a 10-9 triumph over Sheffield.
Sheffield raced to a 6-1 lead, but Canseco forged ahead with five homers in
the fourth.

Palmeiro earned his spot in the semifinals with a 14-8 victory over Angels
third baseman Troy Glaus. Palmeiro hit at least two homers in every inning
and was able to withstand a five-homer barrage by Glaus, the second seed,
in his final at-bat.

Helton took out top seed Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants in
Saturday's last quarterfinal matchup. Bonds, who hit a career-high 49
homers in 2000, had an early 2-0 lead, but Helton crushed eight homers in
his final two at-bats to advance.

Proceeds from the event went to the Players Trust for Children, a
foundation created by players that contributes money to children's
charities around the world.

==========
From the AP:
Canseco hopes for healthy 2001 and beyond
February 12, 2001

LAS VEGAS (Ticker) -- If you close your eyes and someone reads you the
numbers, it is hard not to think Hall of Famer. Yet Jose Canseco is forced
to address the same issue no matter who he is around.

"Friends, media, everybody consistently tells me, `If you hadn't been
injured you would have 650 home runs and this or that," Canseco said
Saturday at the 2001 Big League Challenge. "I'd like to stay healthy, get
to the 500 home run plateau and be considered for the Hall of Fame."

To reach that goal, Canseco first must earn playing time with his latest
team, the Anaheim Angels. The 36-year-old slugger, who is best suited for
designated hitter but may see time at first base with the season-ending
injury to Mo Vaughn, took a step toward showing he was healthy with another
strong showing at this year's home run hitting contest.

After winning the title in 2000, Canseco nearly defended it on Sunday,
dropping an 11-10 decision to longtime friend and former teammate Rafael
Palmeiro. To get to the finals, Canseco had to eliminate Los Angeles
Dodgers slugger Gary Sheffield and Colorado Rockies star Todd Helton.

But Canseco always could hit home runs -- he has 446 in just 1,811 career
games. That's roughly 13 seasons, although Canseco has been around since
1986, and therein lies the difference between a player who might have been
on target for a run at Hank Aaron's major league record of 755 and one who
is hoping to reach 500 -- a statistical lock for enshrinement in the Hall
of Fame.

"I'm consumed with trying to stay healthy, trying to find a way to stay in
the lineup," he said. "That has been my demon throughout my whole career.
... I think if can get to 500 home runs, it will be a great thing for me."

The demon, more specifically, has been his back, which has cost Canseco
significant chunks of playing time in four of the last six seasons. Once
the poster boy for muscle and mass, Canseco has learned that bigger is not
necessarily better.

"I'm definitely more healthy, I have been incorporating more running, more
stretching," said Canseco, who came to spring training a year ago weighing
260 pounds but now professes to be about 240. "I'm doing much more
cardiovascular exercise instead of weightlifting, I have completely given
weightlifting up. I'm plenty big and strong enough. I don't need to hit the
ball 600 feet, 480 will do just fine. The less muscle you have in your
body, the less muscle you can pull."

As much as Canseco wants to stay healthy for his own gratification, it
might be even more imperative for the Angels to keep him upright. Canseco's
seventh team in the last decade has lost Vaughn and his 36 homers and 117 RBI.

Canseco looks forward to the challenge of batting in a lineup that includes
sluggers Troy Glaus, Darin Erstad, Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson.

"It's definitely a strong lineup, a young lineup. It's too bad we don't
have Mo, but hopefully I can pick up some of the slack and help out," he said.

The chance to help out is one that Canseco really did not have over the
last two months of 2000. While he was acquired by the New York Yankees for
the stretch run, he did little more than take up a spot on the bench. The
low point might have been being left off the roster for the Division
Series, but that quickly was eclipsed by an at-bat in the World Series in
which he struck out looking on three pitches.

Known for speaking his mind early in his career, Canseco played the role of
good soldier to perfection and was rewarded with a World Series ring -- his
second.

"I might have felt like an outsider, but I understood the situation,"
Canseco said. "I talked with (manager) Joe Torre and I respect the Yankees
and Joe Torre greatly. It was just a matter of Joe being faithful to his
players."

Being a role player was quite a reversal for a player who was the first in
baseball history to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in the same season.
Blessed with prodigious power, Canseco was known for his wild lifestyle and
made as many headlines off the field as he did on.

Now at a crossroads, Canseco realizes he probably needs to put together
three more solid seasons to ensure he is not badgered for the rest of his
life about what might have been.

"I have to prove myself again, I have to stay healthy," he said. "I don't
think at any point in my career anyone has doubted my ability. But the
injuries have taken away a lot from my career and my consistency.

"I'm still very young, so the injuries are extremely frustrating,
especially with the God-given abilities I have. With the power that I have
got and my bat speed still there, the key is staying healthy. If I stay
healthy, the numbers will definitely be there."

==========
From the Las Vegas Review Journal:
February 12, 2001
Palmeiro's power dethrones Canseco
Rangers slugger wins Big League Challenge's rematch of 2000 final
By MARK ANDERSON

Rafael Palmeiro isn't among the first names mentioned when home run hitters
are discussed, but his ability to provide power is difficult to dispute.

His 39th and final homer last season gave him 400 for his career.

And while what he did Sunday doesn't measure up to that accomplishment, it
still was impressive. He hit seven homers with two outs in the third of
seven innings to defeat Jose Canseco 11-10, winning the Big League
Challenge at Cashman Field and gaining revenge in a rematch of last year's
final.

"Not the way I wanted to do it, but I'll take it,'' said Palmeiro, who
plays for the Texas Rangers. "I would've liked to have won by 15 ... but
I'll take this win.''

Last year, Canseco defeated Palmeiro 28-15, so there was some incentive for
payback in the friendly rivalry.

Earlier in Sunday's semifinals, Palmeiro defeated Mike Piazza of the New
York Mets 12-8, and Canseco defeated Todd Helton of the Colorado Rockies 14-8.

"I came back here with the intentions of getting back here and hopefully
facing Jose again and winning because what he did last year was so
incredible,'' Palmeiro said. "But just getting to the finals is really
awesome. The guys that I had to beat were all incredible. They're all
monsters. I'm just thrilled I was able to get there and pull it out.''

Palmeiro was down 5-2 with two outs in the third inning when he went on his
seven-homer tear.

"I was locked in during that inning,'' he said. "My batting practice
pitcher seemed like he put the ball in the same spot every time, so I was
just swinging in the same spot every time with the same swing.''

Even with that flurry, he had to wait out one last attempt by Canseco in
the bottom of the seventh. Palmeiro had gone homerless in the top of the
seventh and led by one.

"I went up there the last inning really focused,'' Palmeiro said. "I wanted
to get about five because I really felt he's done it so many times before
the last couple of years. So I knew going in that inning, one wasn't going
to cut it. When I had that zero, I basically kissed it away, but it was
tough to see the ball with the shadows.''

Canseco didn't homer in the bottom of the seventh, saying he struggled with
the late-afternoon shadows and poor depth perception.

"I actually thought it was going to be a lot higher-scoring match,'' said
Canseco, who is with the Anaheim Angels. "But you can't hit what you can't see.

"If I'm going to get beat by somebody, I'd definitely like it to be Raffy.
He deserved it.''

Whether Palmeiro deserves to be listed among baseball's top homer hitters
is another discussion, but he could put out a fair argument.

"That's the player that I am now,'' Palmeiro said. "That's what I developed
into. I didn't hit home runs for a couple of years. This is my 14th year in
the big leagues, and I've hit home runs basically most of my years. So I
got that rap early on, but I think I shook that off early on also.''

==========
From the L.A. Times:
HEALTHY OUTLOOK
Baseball: After an almost nonexistent role with Yankees last year, Canseco
hopes an injury-free season with Angels might help him recapture his potential.
By BILL SHAIKIN

LAS VEGAS--The World Series went on without him, really. On baseball's
biggest stage, the roster of the most storied team featured one of the
game's most glamorous players, but the New York Yankees basically told Jose
Canseco to sit in a corner of the dugout and hide.

Benched? No one benched Jose Canseco. Who invented the 40 home run-40
stolen base club? Who knew when he might hit a ball 500 feet, or more? The
complete list of active players with more home runs: Mark McGwire, Barry
Bonds. That's it.

Benched? No one benched him, but the Yankees did. The Yankees could have
won the World Series championship without him, and did.

"It was probably the toughest time I ever had as a baseball player,"
Canseco said. "It was the first time in my career that I was healthy and I
couldn't play."

Canseco was a pawn. When the Yankees claimed him on waivers from the Tampa
Bay Devil Rays last August, essentially to thwart the Rays from trading him
to the Boston Red Sox or Toronto Blue Jays, Manager Joe Torre said he was
"a little stunned."

Torre neither needed nor wanted Canseco and played him sparingly in
September. Torre did not play him in the division series, removed him from
the roster for the American League championship series and gave him one
at-bat in the World Series.

"I understood the situation," Canseco said. "I have a lot of respect for
Joe Torre. He had a lot of respect for his boys. I was basically in the
wrong place at the wrong time."

Canseco, 36, could be in the right place at the right time this year,
though the four words that have dogged him throughout his career follow him
to Anaheim as well: if he is healthy.

The Angels, desperate for power, signed Canseco last month. With Mo Vaughn
out for the season after arm surgery, the Angels hope to use Canseco at
designated hitter every day . . . if he is healthy.

Despite seven stints on the disabled list in the past six seasons, Canseco
said Friday he is healthy. The 6-foot-4 Canseco said he has dropped from
242 to 220 pounds this off-season, altering his workout routine to
emphasize flexibility and endurance.

"The less muscle you have, the less muscle you have to pull," he said. "I'm
going to work like a baseball player now, not a weightlifter."

From a man whose workouts were once detailed in a national weightlifting
magazine, this borders on a revelation. So does this: Canseco
said he has used androstenedione, the controversial dietary supplement
whose boosters claim it builds muscle and whose detractors claim it can
cause long-term damage to the heart and liver and should be classified as a
steroid. The substance is banned by the NFL, NCAA and International Olympic
Committee but not by major league baseball.

McGwire stirred national debate by acknowledging he used andro during the
1998 season, in which he hit a record 70 home runs. McGwire stopped using
andro after the season, reluctant that children might perceive him as
endorsing the product.

Canseco said he tried andro for "three or four months" around that time.

"I didn't find that it worked at all, so I just stopped taking it," he
said. "I thought it was a lot of hype."

Canseco knows hype, and results. Before his first full major league season,
in 1986, the Oakland Athletics portrayed him as "The Natural" on the cover
of their media guide. He was named rookie of the year. In 1988, he called
his shot and became the charter member of the 40-40 club and won a
unanimous vote as most valuable player.

His body, however, has mostly betrayed him since. In the past nine seasons,
he has had 500 at-bats once--in 1998, when he hit a career-high 46 home
runs for Toronto.

Canseco ranks 23rd on the all-time home run list with 446. If he were
healthy . . .

"I think they're going to regard me as the guy who could have broken so
many records but was injured all the time," he said. "I may go down as the
guy who hits 500 home runs with the most injuries.

"For me, 500 home runs is not a big plateau. It is in one sense because
I've been injured so much, but if I were healthy . . . My friends talk
about it all the time: If I were healthy, I'd have 650 home runs right now."

Only Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays have hit more.

How many can Canseco hit for the Angels this season? He says 60 . . . if he
is healthy.

How far can he hit them? Canseco, in Las Vegas to defend his championship
in a charity home-run hitting contest, hit a ridiculously high and deep
shot during batting practice Friday.

Gary Sheffield turned around and said, "How are we going to compete with that?"

==========
From CBS Sportsline:
AL West Hot Stove breakdown
Feb. 5, 2001
By Ian Browne

...Anaheim Angels
Best offseason moves: At first, the Angels were thoroughly ripped for
signing Jose Canseco. Sure he was cheap, but the last thing the Angels
needed was another hitter. Well, it turns out there was a method to their
madness. A day after the Canseco signing, Vaughn's devastating injury was
revealed. As a result, the Angels brought back Wally Joyner, who played his
first six years in Anaheim, to play first and will use Canseco's dangerous
bat in the DH slot....