Hey everyone,

Jose reported to the Angels camp (late, of course, but earlier than usual),
and weighed in at 242 pounds. He was 260+ last year. In his words, "If
you don't have any muscle, you can't pull it. This is as sloppy as I
get." haha... All the latest news is below...

For those of you who ordered Big League Challenge hats, 8x10s and programs
from me, thanks. Unfortunately, when I got home last weekend, I realized I
didn't have nearly as many hats (or programs/8x10s for that matter) as I
thought I did, so if you haven't received one in the mail yet, chances are
you payment didn't arrive in time. I will return all extra payments when I
am home next, in about a week and a half. Sorry for the
inconvenience. That'll teach me to not buy enough stuff! To be fair to
everyone, I sent out the items in the order I received payment for them. I
also kept one hat, which I am going to auction off on ebay. That way,
everyone will have an equal chance at it. I hope you agree that's fair.

Take it easy,
Mark

==========
This section is non-Canseco related, but is an email I just sent out to my
friends and family. It's definitely worth reading:

Hey friends...

You're receiving this email because I like you. And I want you to get rich
like I'm about to :)

I don't plan on working for the rest of my life, and neither should
you. I'm making good money off of my web sites right now, but it's not
enough to quit my day job yet. I think this opportunity could be what puts
me over the top.

Remember AllAdvantage? I made about $5000 with that before their program
more or less died thanks to the decline in companies paying for online
advertising... $5000 isn't bad, but I think this new program has the
potential for people to make a lot more. A LOT more. It uses similar
multi-level-marketing (and that's not a dirty word), but instead of relying
on internet advertisers for their income or "selling" to friends and family
like Amway does, this involves people signing up for FREE credit cards.

The credit cards have no annual fee, will earn miles for any airline and
points for merchandise, blah blah blah. The cards are great, but that's
not the point. The point is this company will pay you $10 for every person
you refer to them, and $2 for every person THAT person refers to them and
so on for TEN LEVELS! That adds up to be a TON of money in your
pocket. You think you don't know enough people to make decent money off of
this? Well, I think you're wrong. I know you're wrong - with a program
like this that goes so many levels deep, it's not about how many people you
know. You could refer just one person who could refer one person who could
refer two people who could refer 5,000 people, and you'd be set (and that
example only went 4 levels deep, not 10). They key is getting in
early. AllAdvantage only went 5 levels deep, and I amassed about 2700
total referrals, a very small percentage of which were my direct
referrals... Do you think the person who referred the person who referred
me had any idea how many referrals they would end up with? I don't think so.

You don't even need to get the credit card to refer people and earn money -
you can be under 18, live in any country, you can even be a church or other
non-profit organization. This program is for everyone.

I could go on and on and on about how good of a deal I think this is, but
I'd rather you see for yourself. I'm not asking you to sign up - all I'm
asking is that you spend 5-10 minutes checking out their web site. If you
do that, I know you'll sign up anyway:
http://www.vivarebates.com/Index.cfm?ReferralID=canseconet

To those of you who are skeptical and think this is too good to be true and
are going to miss the boat on this, no worries. I won't bug you about it
again, and I won't even make fun of you (too much) for not listening to me
when I'm travelling and golfing and skiing and scuba diving for a living
and you're still going to work every day. hehe...

Seriously... spend a few minutes reading about this, and you'll see for
yourself. You'll thank me someday. I guarantee it. You have nothing to
lose and everything to gain. If and when you do sign up, please use my
referral id, of course: canseconet

-Mark

P.S. Could this great idea flop and end up earning us all $0? Sure it
could. I honestly don't think it will (it's too ingenious of an idea), but
it could. If that happens, will I be embarrassed for wasting your
time? Absolutely not. I think risking wasting 5 minutes of your time when
there's a good chance this will make you a lot of money instead is well
worth it. Hopefully you agree.

==========
From CNBC:
Jose Canseco's Stock Picking Tips:

When it comes to home runs, Anaheim Angel Joe Canseco has his bases
covered. He ranks 23rd on the all-time home run list with no less than 446
balls hit out of the park. Now Canseco is testing his talents on another
big game---the one on Wall Street.

Tired of hearing the horror stories of athletes losing career earnings
through bad financial planning, Canseco introduced the Canseco Financial
Group in December, a fund that caters to professional athletes and
entertainers.

"Sometimes you hear about players who have made $4 million or $5 million a
year and they have to file bankruptcy," Canseco told the Squawk Box team.
"You would be amazed at the horror stories out there-- players being taken
advantage of by brokers, friends, family, agents, and attorneys, you name it."

The fund also serves the public and corporations.

As far as his own investment strategy goes, Canseco has invested in America
Online {AOL, News, Boards}, which just completed its merger with Time
Warner, Yahoo! {YHOO, News, Boards}, JDS Uniphase {JDSU, News, Boards} and
financial services firm Equitex Inc. {EQTX, News, Boards}, which offers
financial services to consumers with poor credit ratings.

Canseco, who continues to feel strongly about the tech and Internet
sectors, is also invested in AMG International, a privately held Internet
incubator.

Get a look at Canseco's current stock picks and research each using
CNBC.com's tools.

==========
From the LA Times:
Angels Facing Uphill Battle
Baseball: With aging veterans and unpredictable pitching, they have little
room for error.
By MIKE DIGIOVANNA

TEMPE, Ariz.--The nerve of all these preseason publications picking the
Angels to finish last in the American League West.

A closer look at their roster reveals a rookie-of-the-year slugger with
40-homer potential, a first baseman who had 34 homers and 100 runs batted
in and was second to the slugger in rookie-of-the-year balloting, a
starting pitcher who won rookie-of-the-year honors and an all-star catcher.

There's no reason these Angels shouldn't be picked to win the division. . .
in, oh, 1988.

If only Jose Canseco were a budding Bash Brother instead of a 36-year-old
who has been on the disabled list seven times in six seasons, and Wally
Joyner was a Wally World sensation instead of a 38-year-old coming off
three injury-marred years, and Tim Belcher was a rising star instead of a
39-year-old rebounding from elbow surgery and Mike Scioscia was catching
instead of managing.

Then, the Angels might contend.

As currently configured, the Angels are a young team that is old in some
spots, a team that should be productive despite the loss of first
baseman Mo Vaughn but will need significant contributions from some
past-their-prime-time players to have any chance of competing in the West.

"We've already had one huge injury with Mo, so we're not real deep as far
as big bats," Scioscia said as he prepared for the team's first spring
training workout for pitchers and catchers today. "Canseco and Joyner could
be very important to the lineup."

The veterans were signed in January, when the Angels discovered Vaughn
would sit out the season because of a ruptured biceps tendon. With Darin
Erstad coming off a superb season, in which he hit .355 with 25 homers and
100 RBIs, AL home run king Troy Glaus, and power-hitting outfielders Garret
Anderson and Tim Salmon, Scioscia believes the offense will score in bunches.

But to replace Vaughn's 36 homers and 117 RBIs, Canseco, the team's
designated hitter, and Joyner, a slight favorite to win the first-base job
over rookie Larry Barnes and utility man Scott Spiezio, must provide pop.

How Canseco and Joyner hit could determine how Scioscia shuffles his lineup
to replace Vaughn. The most logical move would be to shift Erstad from the
leadoff to third spot, but that leaves a huge void at the top of the order.

Scioscia prefers Erstad leading off and the combination of
Glaus-Salmon-Anderson in the 2-3-4 or 3-4-5 spots. Scioscia would feel
comfortable with that alignment if Canseco and Joyner successfully fill the
5-6 or 6-7 holes. Joyner could also bat second.

"I'm not going to rule anything out, because the loss of Mo complicates
some things," Scioscia said. "Either way we go, I think we'll be more
productive offensively."...

==========
From the Orange County Register:

Jose Canseco was excused from his physical Monday because both his wife and
his daughter are ill. He was scheduled to arrive in time for the Angels'
first full-squad workout today.

==========
From the LA Times:
Canseco Absent for Angels Session

TEMPE, Ariz.--Jose Canseco, signed by Anaheim last month, was the Angels'
only no-show Tuesday morning for the first session when all players were
scheduled to participate in drills.

Canseco apparently had the flu, and planned to arrive in Arizona from his
Florida home later in the day.

He is scheduled to undergo a physical on Wednesday morning, and Angels
manager Mike Scioscia said he expects the designated hitter-outfielder to
join the team on the practice field shortly afterward.

Canseco signed an incentive-laden, one-year contract with the Angels last
month. He hit 15 homers and drove in 49 runs in 329 at-bats while splitting
time with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the World Champion New York Yankees
last season.

The Angels hope he can fill a good portion of the void left by Mo Vaughn,
who is expected to be lost for the entire season after arm surgery.

The 36 -year-old Canseco, a veteran of 16 major league seasons, hit 34
homers for Tampa Bay in 1999 and 46 homers for Toronto in 1998. But he has
been on the disabled list seven times over the past six seasons and has
played in more than 113 games just once since 1991. He has 446 career homers.

"When he's healthy you can see what he can do," Scioscia said. "He's not
too far removed from tremendous offensive years. We're not trying to turn
the clock back eight years."

Scioscia is not leaning toward playing Canseco at first base.

"If he can play the outfield, that would definitely be an advantage to us,"
Scioscia said. "Our concern is that Jose's contribution is going to be
swinging the bat. We want a guy that can do everything he can to help us
win, but we're going to take those chances where it has the most impact,
the most bang."

==========
From the LA Times:

...The Angels held their first full-squad workout Tuesday, but new
designated hitter Jose Canseco, suffering from flu-like symptoms, was a
no-show. Canseco, whose wife and daughter were also sick, was scheduled to
arrive in the Phoenix area Tuesday night, undergo a physical this morning
and join the team today.

Once in uniform, Canseco will work with the outfielders, even though his
chances of playing the field this season are slim. After talking with
Manager Mike Scioscia in January, Canseco was under the impression he would
play some first base this spring.

"That was a few weeks ago," Scioscia said. "Jose won't play first. It would
be an advantage if he can play some outfield, but his contribution will be
with the bat. We have to keep him healthy."

Angel coaches will monitor Canseco closely. The slugger who was the first
player to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in a season in 1988 has lost
about 20 pounds and hopes to be more aggressive on the basepaths, but
Scioscia doesn't want the oft-injured Canseco to run his way onto the
disabled list.

"Hopefully, the risk of injury will diminish as he gets lighter," Scioscia
said. "We want him to do everything he can to help us win, but he has to
pick his spots. We don't want him stealing just to steal a base. It's more
important he go from first to third and score from second on hits."

==========
From www.billy-ball.com:
February 21, 2000

Don't call me Angel in the morning
Jose Canseco, signed by Anaheim last month, was the Angels' only no-show
Tuesday morning for the first session when all players were scheduled to
participate in drills. Jose, who has been on the disabled list seven times
over the past six seasons and has played in more than 113 games just once
since 1991, apparently had the flu. Jose was scheduled to arrive shortly. I
hope he wasn't driving from his Florida home to the Arizona training camp;
it would be shame if he were caught speeding and spoiled his "spotless"
driving record.

==========
From the Orange County Register:

...Canseco, 36, joked last season when he was with the New York Yankees
about how he should just become a complete slob over the offseason. After
all, he'd tried everything to stay in shape in order to avoid injuries.

Nothing worked. He's been on the disabled list seven times in the past six
seasons. So this offseason, the player known for his Popeye-esque biceps
didn't lift a single weight. He ran and worked on flexibility, and the
result was a 20-pound loss, much of it of muscle mass.

He entered camp Wednesday at 242 pounds, and said he hopes to drop a few
pounds.

"If you don't have any muscle, you can't pull it," Canseco joked. "This is
as sloppy as I get.

"I'd take losing a little strength to play 160 games," said Canseco, who if
healthy will be the team's designated hitter. "Do I need to hit the ball
600 feet? No. Technique will take care of that."

==========
From the LA Times:
Lighter Canseco Ready for Camp
By MIKE DIGIOVANNA

TEMPE, Ariz.--Every winter Jose Canseco would adjust his off-season
weightlifting regimen, and every season he seemed to wind up on the
disabled list, where he has been 11 times in 15 big league seasons.

Eager for another change this winter, the slugger who has 446 career home
runs tried something radical: He didn't lift any weights.

The result isn't exactly Jose Lite. The 6-foot-4 Canseco reported to his
first spring training workout with the Angels Wednesday at 242 pounds. But
that's 20 pounds fewer than he weighed when he finished last season with
the New York Yankees.

"I tried everything--this is the only thing I haven't tried," said Canseco,
the Angels' new designated hitter. "I joked in New York that I should come
back as a slob this year, and I'd probably hit 60 home runs. Every year,
something blows out."

In an effort to avoid the major injuries that have derailed his career,
Canseco spent the off-season concentrating on nutrition and agility. He is
not as chiseled as he has been in recent years, but he feels more flexible.

"Am I as strong as I was? I don't think so," Canseco said. "Do I need to
hit a ball 600 feet? No. Technique will take care of that. Twenty pounds of
solid muscle is a lot to lose. . . . Basically, if I don't have any muscle,
I can't pull it."

Canseco's ratio of a home run every 15.2 at-bats exceeds nine of the 16
Hall of Fame players who have hit 500 homers or more, including Hank Aaron,
Willie Mays and Frank Robinson. He sees no reason why that pace shouldn't
continue in Anaheim.

"If I can stay healthy, it'll be an automatic 40-50 home runs," Canseco
said. "I don't doubt that at all."

==========
From the Sporting News:
This Angel is blessed and cursed
February 21, 2001
By Ken Rosenthal

TEMPE, Ariz. -- News flash! Jose Canseco says he looks "sloppy." Not
beer-belly, belt-busting sloppy, mind you. Just 20-pounds-lighter sloppy,
which for Canseco, means 20 less pounds of muscle. Sloppy, man, sloppy.

His arms still resemble tree trunks, but the former Bash Brother wants to
be more elastic, more flexible, more baseball player and less bodybuilder.
Don't ask him what might have been if not for all his injuries. Canseco
already knows.

"Do the math," the Angels' new designated hitter said Wednesday on his
first day of spring training. "I average a home run every 14 at-bats. I've
been in the big leagues 16 years. Six hundred-plus home runs, very simple."

Canseco's math is slightly off -- he averages a homer every 15.2 at-bats.

Still, his career ratio is superior to nine of the 16 members of the
500-homer club, including Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Frank Robinson.

Canseco, 36, doesn't have 500 homers -- he's sitting 23rd all-time, at 446.
But what if he hits that milestone? Many view his career as something of a
disappointment. But 500 homers, who could be disappointed with that?

Every member of the 500-homer club is a Hall of Famer. At one time, it
seemed that Canseco, too, was headed to Cooperstown. But 11 trips to the
disabled list -- seven in the past six seasons -- have reduced him to a
border-line candidate.

Dave Kingman and Darrell Evans are the only two eligible 400-homer men who
have failed to make the Hall. That standard, however, is likely to be
redefined in this age of inflated offense. Is Fred McGriff a Hall of Famer
with 417 homers? Of course not.

Canseco, however, is an unusual case.

For his first six seasons, he was one of the game's top all-around players,
the first to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in a season, an American
League Rookie of the Year and MVP. But since then, he has been a
one-dimensional slugger, an injury-riddled DH.

Is he a Hall of Famer? The initial reaction here is no. But 500 homers
would be an enormous achievement, one that would be difficult for many
voters from the Baseball Writers Association of America to ignore.

Consider that Canseco hit his first 231 homers playing his home games in
the pitching-friendly Oakland Coliseum. Consider that his home-run ratio
the past four seasons -- one every 14.7 at-bats -- is better than his
career average.

Would 500 homers get him inducted?

"I don't know. I hope it would," Canseco said. "I hope I can pass 500. I'm
still very healthy. I'm still very young. It's never been, 'Jose's bat
speed is getting slower. His power is reducing by 20-30 percent. His
home-run potential is going down.'

"If I can stay healthy, it'll be an automatic 40 or 50 home runs. I don't
doubt that at all."

An automatic 40 or 50.

Just like that.

The arguments against Canseco as a Hall of Famer would start with the fact
that he hasn't played more than 77 games in the outfield since 1991.

His former manager in Oakland, Tony La Russa, criticized his work habits an
accused him of being selfish shortly before the A's traded him in '92.

And Canseco has admitted using androstenedione, the controversial dietary
supplement that is permitted by Major League Baseball, but equated to a
steroid by its critics.

Voters might contend that Canseco didn't take care of himself physically,
but that's a subjective argument. They also might accuse him of benefiting
from performance-enhancing substances, but the same case could be made
against Mark McGwire.

"Do I have the talent and the ability to be in the Hall of Fame? Obviously
yes," Canseco said. "Have the injuries kept me from being the consistent
player that I can be, kept me from hitting 650 or 700 home runs? Of course,
they have. Has anyone ever doubted my ability? I doubt that. Basically, I'm
just battling the injury monster."

If anything, Canseco said he has been guilty of working too diligently in
the offseason, hitting the weights too hard. He abandoned weight training
almost out of desperation. In his efforts to stay healthy, he had exhausted
every other option.

"This guy is probably in the best shape that he has been in in a couple of
years as far as preparing his body to play the game of baseball," Angels
manager Mike Scioscia said. "He was in great shape last year, but it was
too much for what his body was ready to handle."

That body. It is Canseco's blessing, and his curse. In its latest form, it
is a slim, if sloppy, 242 pounds.

"If I have to lose a little bit of strength to play 160 games, I'd rather
play 160 games," Canseco said. "Am I strong as I was last year going into
camp? I don't think so. But will I last longer? I think I will."

His Hall of Fame candidacy depends upon it.