Hey everyone,

For the last couple of years, I've sent out an email on April Fools Day
saying something about Jose getting hit in the head with a baseball and
getting hurt or retiring or something like that. Sadly, this year's
situation is no joke. Jose was released by the Anaheim Angels (now
officially the stupidest team in baseball), and he still has no team. A
few teams were rumored to have interest in Jose, but they are all denying
it. Apparently, these guys actually think Jose isn't worth the $200,000
minimum salary. I guess they all think he's incapable of staying healthy
long enough to put up decent numbers. This is a total joke, of
course. Jose is saying he's willing to prove himself, by playing in the
minors or an Independent League, if necessary. I guess there's even a
chance he could go to Japan. I really don't know. All I know right now
isn't far away, and the 36 year old, healthy Jose Canseco isn't on a major
league team.

It sounds like Jose left the Angels on bad terms. I guess that's
understandable, since they really didn't even give him a chance. All the
latest is below. It's very interesting reading. I'll be sure to keep you
posted and let you know when I find anything substantial.

It's not too late to sign up for Heavy Hitters, the free online fantasy
baseball a lot of us play every year. Go to
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=7DBNEIiXDlg&offerid=28204.10000039&\
subid=0&type=4
to sign up and then join the "Canseconet" group.

-Mark

==========
From AngelsBaseball.com:
Angels acquire Hill, release Canseco
(same article I sent out last time, with more quotes added)
By Tom Singer

TEMPE, Ariz. - This morning the Angels dipped into the New York Yankees'
overflowing player pool and once again came up with a big bat.

Anaheim released veteran Jose Canseco, signed after he had withered on the
Yankees' bench during the 2000 World Series.

At the same time, the Angels acquired bench-hitter deluxe Glenallen Hill
from the Yankees in exchange for minor-league outfielder Darren Blakely.

"This deal came together rather quickly," said Angels General Manager Bill
Stoneman. "From what I've been told, Glenallen isn't a guy who spends a lot
of time in the trainers' room. We got him to hit."

The development is a jarring experience for the 36-year-old Canseco, who
ranks third among active players with 446 homers across a transient 15-year
career during which he has played for seven teams, been traded four times,
moved as a free agent four other times, and been waived once.

But this is the first time he has drawn an outright release.

It wasn't working out with the Angels, who had signed him to a minimal
$200,000 contract on January 16 with hopes he could provide them with a
full-time DH.

Slowed by various nagging injuries, Canseco went 9-for-39 (.231) in 13
exhibition games, with three RBIs and no home runs. He was scratched from
lineups three times due to different ailments: hamstring, stiff lower back,
nerve irritation in the neck.

"We made our decision based on how he was hitting. He hadn't hit a home
run," Stoneman said. "Jose was struggling with the bat, was taking pitches
that were strikes, that maybe he should've been swinging at. I don't know
if it was the result of his injuries, but that raised some concerns.

"So we decided to go to a different guy, someone in whom we have more
confidence right now."

Angels Manager Mike Scioscia, who has consistently expressed concern over
the long-term prospects of Canseco being able to remain in the lineup, now
has a more durable bat in that of Hill.

Hill, 35, is still a capable outfielder, but is better suited to the DH
role. He played a pivotal late-season part in the Yankees' drive to the 2000
American League East title, batting .333 with 16 homers and 29 R Is in 40
games after being acquired in a July 21 deal from the Chicago Cubs.

For the entire season, Hill hit a solid .293 with 27 homers and 58 RBIs.

"He's a very competitive guy, which should make him a good fit on this
club," Stoneman said. "I foresee him getting an opportunity to get a lot of
at-bats for us this year."

Branded as a platoon player throughout his career, Hill has had more than
400 at-bats only once in his 12-year career. He has 185 career homers,
while batting .273 with 584 RBIs.

This spring, Hill is carrying an average of only .190 in 19 Grapefruit
League games, but three of his eight hits have been homers.

He may be most notorious as arguably the Majors' most dangerous
pinch-hitter. A career .300-plus hitter off the bench, Glenallen ranks
second among active players with 14 pinch-homers (Pittsburgh's John Vander
Wal leads with 16).

The Angels will be the eighth Major League team of the well-traveled Hill's
career. He reportedly was anxious to join his new team, even before it
breaks camp.

The Angels have four Cactus League games remaining, including Friday night
and Saturday games against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Phoenix's Bank One
Ballpark.

As for the end of Canseco's brief, disappointing run in an Angels uniform,
he appeared to take the news well when Stoneman and Scioscia delivered it
early in the morning.

"I didn't read a whole lot of surprise in him," Stoneman said. "He thanked
us for the opportunity. Obviously, he's had a tremendous career with a lot
of notoriety and has been a guy people focus on. So, in that sense, this
isn't an easy situation for him to deal with.

"There may have been some aches and pains getting into his way here. Beyond
that, I didn't see anything to suggest he may not be able to continue his
career elsewhere."

==========
From Reuters:
Angels Release Jose Canseco, Trade for Hill

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Reuters) - The Anaheim Angels on Wednesday acquired
slugging outfielder Glenallen Hill from the New York Yankees and released
designated hitter Jose Canseco, who was Hill's teammate with the World
Champions last season.

In exchange for Hill, the Angels sent minor league outfielder Darren
Blakely to New York.

The 36-year-old Hill will be joining his seventh major league team. After a
midseason trade sent him to the Yankees last season, he belted 16 homers in
132 at-bats, including 10 in his first 51.

Hill, a .273 career hitter with 185 homers in 1,146 games, became
expendable when the Yankees acquired outfielder Henry Rodriguez during the
offseason and moved second baseman Chuck Knoblauch to left field in an
attempt to cure his throwing woes.

In addition, they recently acquired Michael Coleman, a backup outfielder,
from Cincinnati and are awaiting the return of Shane Spencer, who is
rehabilitating a knee injury.

A 1983 draft choice of the Toronto Blue Jays, Hill also has played for
Cleveland, San Francisco, Seattle and the Chicago Cubs. He is Chicago's
all-time leader with nine pinch-hit home runs.

The 36-year-old Canseco, who is 54 homers shy of 500, signed a minor league
contract with the Angels on January 16 and went 9-for-39 with three RBI in
13 exhibition games.

Canseco became a free agent after last season when the New York Yankees
declined to exercise a $4 million option. He hit .243 with six homers and
19 RBI in 37 games for the Yankees after being claimed off waivers from the
Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Canseco is a six-time All-Star and was named American League Most Valuable
Player in 1988 while with the Oakland Athletics, but he has been plagued by
injuries and is joining his sixth team in as many years. He missed close to
two months last year with a strained right heel and has been on the
disabled list 12 times in his career.

In 1999, Canseco was the first member of the Devil Rays elected to the
All-Star Game, although he was forced to sit out the contest for the third
time in his career.

Canseco came up with Oakland and was AL Rookie of the Year in 1986, when he
hit 33 homers and drove in 117 runs. He was baseball's first ``40-40''
player in 1988, hitting 42 homers and stealing 40 bases as he led Oakland
to the pennant.

Canseco signed with the Devil Rays after a resurgent year in Toronto in
1998, when he hit 46 homers and drove in 107 runs in 151 games. He was
traded from Oakland to Texas in 1992 and played for Boston in 1995 and 1996
before returning to Oakland in 1997.

The native of Cuba is a career .266 hitter with 1,358 RBI.

==========
From the AP:
Angels Release Slugger Jose Canseco

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - Jose Canseco, the injury-plagued slugger who spent much
of this spring hurt, was released Wednesday by the Anaheim Angels.

Anaheim had hoped Canseco, 36, could fill in at designated hitter and
replace some of the power lost due to Mo Vaughn's season-ending arm surgery.

But Canseco, 23rd on the career home run list at 446, again was hampered by
back problems, along with stiffness in his neck and a tight hamstring.

Following one game earlier this week, he had his back, neck and hamstring
all packed in ice.

Deciding to go for another power hitter, the Angels acquired Glenallen Hill
from the Yankees on Wednesday, sending Double-A outfielder Darren Blakely
to New York.

Canseco, the 1988 AL MVP, appeared in only half of Anaheim's 26 exhibition
games and had eight hits in 39 at-bats (.231) with three RBIs and no homers.

``He hadn't hit a home run,'' Anaheim general manager Bill Stoneman said.
``He was struggling with the bat. That, combined with some aches and pains,
gave me more concerns and we decided to go with a different guy.''

Manager Mike Scioscia also alluded to Canseco's ailments, saying, ``Jose
worked real hard getting himself into shape, but it was just a matter of us
getting a guy that can be a little more durable with an explosive bat.

``We feel that Jose still can hit; it's just a matter of his durability.''

Canseco missed 46 games last season with a strained left heel and has spent
time on the disabled list in five of the past six seasons. He has played in
as many as 100 games only once in the past eight years.

Cut loose by both the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and New York Yankees last year,
Canseco had signed a minor league contract with the Angels that called for
the major league minimum of $200,000, with incentives that could have
raised his salary to $5 million.

Canseco hit .252 with 15 homers and 49 RBIs in a combined 98 games for
Tampa Bay and the Yankees last season.

Drafted by Oakland in the 15th round in June 1982, he has a .266 career
average, with 1,140 runs scored and 1,358 RBIs in 1,811 games.

==========
From the LA Times:
Canseco Let Go in Favor of Hill
By MIKE DIGIOVANNA

TEMPE, Ariz.--The Jose Canseco experiment never made it out of the
petri dish. Concerned about nagging injuries and a potential lack of
production, the Angels released the designated hitter Wednesday and
replaced him with slugger Glenallen Hill, who was acquired in a trade from
the New York Yankees.

The Angels were hoping Canseco, who has 446 home runs, would fill the
power void created by Mo Vaughn's season-ending elbow surgery, but the
36-year-old missed 10 consecutive games this spring because of lower-back
and hamstring injuries and another game because of a twinge in his neck.

When he did play, Canseco did not impress the Angels with his .231
average (nine for 39). He had no home runs, no walks and nine strikeouts in
13 games.

"It's not just the cold numbers," Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said.
"We're looking at what a player's skills are--his bat speed, durability,
how he moves in the field. We still think he can hit major league pitching,
but instead of guessing with Jose, we know what Glenallen Hill can do."

Canseco, informed of the move during a morning meeting with Scioscia
and General Manager Bill Stoneman, insisted he could have played
regular-season games with the injuries he had this spring.

"I'm in shock--there was definitely no indication of this happening,"
said Canseco, who was already in contact with the Baltimore Orioles about
an outfield/DH job by Wednesday afternoon.

"Whether or not I had an opportunity to show my ability is hard to
tell. I was ready to play three days before I came back [from the hamstring
injury] and they wanted me to wait. I was going to play with that twinge in
my neck, but they took me off the bus to Tucson. I'm really kind of confused."

So were the Angels--by Canseco. They looked at his health history--he
has been on the disabled list seven times in six years and underwent back
surgery in 1999--saw how much ice it took to soothe his many sore spots
after games and decided to go in another direction.

"There's a difference between playing hurt and performing hurt,"
Scioscia said. "Jose could go out and swing the bat, but could he get to
the pitches he needs to get to in a major league game if he's nicked up? We
all felt that was a big if. When Hill's name popped up, we felt this was a
surer way to go. He brings more of the total package we're looking for."...

...But compared with Canseco, Hill was a more durable option. And
that's something Canseco will never understand.

"I don't know if the perception was that I was not healthy, but I
am," he said. "I may have had some typical spring training injuries, but I
was ready to play. I never asked out of the lineup. I just didn't fit in."

==========
From Orange County Register:
Canseco released as Angels get Hill
March 29, 2001
By CHERYL ROSENBERG

TEMPE, Ariz. - Jose Canseco was surprised Wednesday morning when he was
released during spring training for the first time.

But Wednesday night, he said he was "dumbfounded" when informed of the
comments made about him by Angels general manager Bill Stoneman and manager
Mike Scioscia.

"When they released me they said, 'Jose, we acquired a new player and
you're not going to get any playing time,'" Canseco said. "(The
conversation) had nothing to do with my ability, health, or any of these
things."

Those were issues raised later publicly by Stoneman and Scioscia on
Wednesday - the same issues Scioscia discussed with Canseco several times
this spring. Addressing their concerns, the Angels traded minor-league
prospect Darren Blakely to the Yankees for Glenallen Hill, who will be the
team's full-time designated hitter - the job Canseco thought he'd have.

"There's a difference between playing hurt and performing hurt," Scioscia
said. "Jose could go out and swing the bat, but could he get to the pitches
he needs to get to in a major-league game if he's nicked up? That's always
going to be a question with him. When he's on, he's something special.

"To us, that was a big if."

Scioscia told Canseco he had no doubts about his ability to provide power,
something the Angels needed with the loss of first baseman Mo Vaughn (left
biceps surgery) for the season. The only question was his health: Canseco
missed 10 consecutive games in spring training with a sore hamstring, back
and neck.

He batted .231 in 13 games this spring.

"This is the first time my ability has ever been questioned," Canseco said.
"It's very awkward. It's beyond belief. I'll probably stay up all night
trying to figure it out. People will think, 'Jose's done, he can't stay
healthy, he doesn't have the ability.' I'm very worried about that. I've
got a lot of good years ahead of me. How can they judge my ability on (13)
games?

"They're describing a player who's washed up. It sounds like to me they had
to give a reason to let me go. And that was it. That's going to look
negative in the eyes of other teams. I'm only 36.

"I may have taken it for granted I was on the team. I didn't realize my
ability was being second-guessed. I didn't really know that I was trying to
make the team in spring training ability-wise. ... If I had hit three home
runs, would I still be on the team?"

Canseco, who signed an incentive heavy minor-league contract that could
have been worth up to $5 million, will remain in Arizona until the weekend
to search for a job. He said he's a slow starter, but the Angels were not
concerned about his numbers. They were worried about his inconsistency at
the plate and difficulty running.

"I'm not sure he lost bat speed," Stoneman said. "He was taking pitches
that were strikes that looked like he should've swung at. We didn't see
home runs except in batting practice. Whether there were aches and pains
getting in the way, we're not sure. This is a business where productivity
is of the utmost importance. We felt more comfortable going to Glenallen Hill.

"We made our decision on the basis of what we saw on the field. There's
nothing I'm aware of that says he can't play anymore. It was totally
performance related."

Angels players weren't surprised by the move.

"(Stoneman's) assessment is the same assessment everybody was making," Tim
Salmon said. "He didn't swing the bat that great."

The Angels needed more certainty, so they turned to Hill, who batted .293
with 27 homers last season for the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees.

"Jose worked very hard this camp," Scioscia said. "He gave it his best
shot. I think he can hit in the major leagues, but it's health contingent.
It's an uphill battle for him. It was a huge risk for us to take.

"With Glenallen Hill, I know we'll be productive in that spot."

Hill, who is in the option year of his contract and will make $1.5 million,
can hit both left-handers and right-handers. Last season, he batted .307
with 13 homers against lefties and .281 with 14 homers against righties.

He was batting .190 overall with three homers in 19 games this spring. The
only health issues Stoneman mentioned were Hill's knees. He's had surgery
on both of them during the offseason in the past, but didn't miss time
during the season because of it.

==========
From The Orange County Register:
Recycling old parts is a risky business
March 29, 2001
By STEVE BISHEFF

It's almost as if the Angels and Dodgers treat reality like it's some big,
slow-moving curveball. They stand there at the plate watching and waiting,
believing it won't break over the plate, hoping it won't break over the plate.

And when, invariably, it finally does, they usually look back at the umpire
dumbfounded.

Fooled again.

Both teams desperately tried to recycle the past this spring, Anaheim
looking to make Jose Canseco a 40 homer-a-year guy once more in Arizona,
and L.A. attempting to turn Ramon Martinez back into a solid 10-to-15-game
winner in Florida.

It was never going to happen, but the two teams didn't want to admit that.
Not when they had such gaping holes to fill. Not when this seemed like such
an easy, low-cost solution.

Oh well, give them this much: At least now, unlike some previous seasons,
they are ready to admit their mistakes before the regular season begins.

Maybe a few of those old Cecil Fielder nightmares jarred the Angels into
action. Maybe that's why they released Canseco on Wednesday, making a deal
with the Yankees for a new, more viable DH, Glenallen Hill.

And the Dodgers, perhaps remembering how sad it was with quality pitchers
such as Don Sutton the second time around, let Martinez go, deciding Eric
Gagne's younger, fresher arm made much more sense to keep in the rotation.

Both teams should be better off for the decisions, although in the Dodgers'
case, you have to wonder why they chose to treat one of their own so
cruelly, why they bothered to sign Ramon in the first place, if the only
opportunity they were offering would be this brief.

The Angels' situation was much more clear cut.

"It was totally performance-related," Anaheim general manager Bill Stoneman
said. "We made our decision on what we saw on the field."

What Stoneman saw this spring is what the rest of us saw in the summer.
Canseco, at age 36, seemed a broken-down shell of the great home run hitter
he once was. The more his injuries grew, the more his bat speed dissipated.

Once upon a time, this was the most feared right-handed hitter on the planet.

But those days are gone, my friend. Even if the Angels thought they'd never
end.

A year ago, in 329 at-bats, Canseco delivered just 15 home runs. And
despite his bold - or, to some of us, humorous - announcement that, now
trimmed down and healthy, he might hit 50 or 60 home runs this season,
everybody else in baseball knew better.

The still powerfully built man who showed up in Tempe was immediately
plagued by his usual assortment of aches and pains. Throughout his career,
Canseco has been on the disabled list more often than Elton John has been
on the Top 40 charts.

In the few appearances he managed to make for Anaheim this spring, Canseco
hit just .231 with no home runs in 13 games.

Hill, like Canseco, is 36. But the difference is, there's still
considerable life left in the new DH's bat. In 104 games and 300 plate
appearances with the Cubs and Yankees last year, Hill hit 27 home runs.
Coming to New York for the stretch run, he responded by averaging .333 with
16 homers in 132 at-bats, including 10 in his first 51 at-bats in pinstripes.

This guy was the hero of the tabloids for a few precious weeks in the Bronx
in the summer and only became available when Chuck Knoblauch moved to left
field and a large crowd of DH candidates developed in New York. Despite a
pair of shaky knees that require braces, Hill should be a welcome addition
in the sixth or seventh spot in the Angels batting order.

"He's coming here to hit," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "It's someone we
have more confidence in. He should be a good fit competitively for this
club."...

==========
Interesting fact from a random articles...

...Eckstein hasn't even been parking in the players' lot at Tempe Diablo
Stadium. He keeps leaving his car outside the fenced-in area, parking among
the fans, because, he was told, there might not be enough spots for the
veterans, like the just released Jose Canseco, who drives a Bentley so rare
there are only eight others like it in use....

...Twins general manager Terry Ryan was asked, again, if there is any
interest in outfielder Jose Canseco, who was released on Wednesday by
Anaheim. Canseco could provide some righthanded power off the bench or as a
part-time designated hitter. "Nope, we're going to go with David Ortiz,"
Ryan said.

==========
From the Tempe Press-Enterprise:
Canseco parts with Angels on bad terms
BY ANDREW BAGGARLY

One day after he was released by the Angels, Jose Canseco accused the club
of misrepresenting his health status and potentially damaging his ability
to continue his major league career.

Canseco met behind closed doors with Manager Mike Scioscia and General
Manager Bill Stoneman for more than an hour Thursday morning. He didn't get
the answers he was looking for, and left the team's spring camp saying he
was more confused than ever.

"There were some (public) statements that make it look like I'm damaged
goods," Canseco said. "I truly believe these statements may damage my
chances of getting involved in another organization. I mean, how do you
judge a player in 39 at-bats? I've never heard of that. It's a first to me."

Scioscia called Canseco's comments a difference of opinion. Stoneman said
the Angels treated Canseco fairly throughout their dealings with him. Both
men took issue with Canseco's claim that the team misled him and used his
current health as a cop-out for his release.

"His perception is his perception," Stoneman said. "I can only tell you the
judgment I made is based on what I saw."

Canseco's main contention was with a statement Stoneman made to reporters
on Wednesday: "Whether there were aches and pains getting in the way, we're
not sure."

Responded Canseco: "(Stoneman) left it open for anybody to think whatever
they want. Now everybody thinks I didn't perform because my back was
damaged, and that is absolutely untrue."

Scioscia said his concerns were predicated more on Canseco's long-term
health. Canseco has been on the disabled list seven times in six seasons
and missed 10 games this spring with back, neck and hamstring injuries.

"I've said publicly that I had concerns about his long-term health,"
Scioscia said. "If he feels Bill's evaluation was in error, that's a
difference of opinion. If he feels my evaluation of his long-term health is
in error, that's also his opinion."

Canseco did not say he was considering legal action against the club, but
he did not rule it out.

"If (teams) have no interest in a right-handed power hitter who can run and
throw very well . . . why?" he said. "Would it be because of the statements
being made and the perception that was put out there? We'd have to address
that."

Scioscia and Stoneman both said to the best of their knowledge, Canseco is
healthy right now.

Canseco has spoken to Baltimore, but said the Orioles are wary of his back.

==========
From the Washington Post:
Canseco Is Suddenly On Orioles' Horizon
But Team Says Any Offer Would Be for Minors
By Dave Sheinin
Friday, March 30, 2001

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla., March 29 -- An intriguing dalliance with recently
jobless slugger Jose Canseco has added an unforeseen twist to the Baltimore
Orioles' process of streamlining their roster as the team heads into the
final weekend of spring training.

Vice President of Baseball Operations Syd Thrift confirmed today that
Canseco, a 36-year-old outfielder-designated hitter, contacted the Orioles
soon after being released by the Anaheim Angels on Wednesday.

Thrift also confirmed the Orioles' interest in Canseco, but insisted it
would only be for a minor league job. The Orioles' chances of signing him
most likely depend on whether he receives a major league job offer.
Canseco's agent, Jeff Borris, did not return phone calls today.

Canseco "is a good power right-handed bat," Thrift said. "I don't know
what's going to happen."

The Angels signed Canseco to a minor league contract in January, but
released him on Wednesday after acquiring Glenallen Hill from the New York
Yankees. Canseco, whose 446 career home runs rank 23rd all-time and third
among active players (behind Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds), hit .231 with
no homers and three RBI in 13 spring games with the Angels.

Canseco has a long history of injuries -- including seven stints on the
disabled list in the past six years, back surgery in 1999 and nagging
injuries that caused him to miss 11 exhibition games this spring -- and
could deter other teams from taking a chance on him with a major league job.

While the Orioles' outfield/designated hitter picture already is crowded --
with Delino DeShields, Melvin Mora, Brady Anderson and Chris Richard
forming a four-man rotation, and utility players Mike Kinkade and Jeff
Conine also fighting for right-handed at-bats -- there appears to be room
for Canseco at Class AAA Rochester.

Luis Matos, Rochester's projected starting center fielder, had shoulder
surgery on March 13 and is expected to be out at least three months. The
Orioles recently signed 30-year-old Ken Woods, who was released by the
Philadelphia Phillies, to a minor league contract to play left field for
Rochester, with Eugene Kingsale in center field and Wady Almonte in right.

Were he to sign a minor league deal with the Orioles, Canseco could split
time between the outfield and designated hitter for Rochester, and -- if he
proves healthy -- likely would be the first outfielder called up in case of
an injury on the major league roster.

Canseco's contract with the Angels, which was voided upon his release,
called for him to make a base salary of $200,000 if he made the major
league roster, with incentives based on plate appearances that could have
paid him another $4.95 million.

News of the Orioles' interest in Canseco comes as the team continues its
slow reduction toward a 25-man roster.

==========
From the LA Times:
Puzzled Canseco Bashes Angels Over His Release
By MIKE DiGIOVANNA

TEMPE, Ariz.--Jose Canseco marched into the manager's office at Tempe
Diablo Stadium Thursday morning looking for answers as to why the Angels
released him. After an hourlong, closed-door meeting with Manager Mike
Scioscia and General Manager Bill Stoneman, all Canseco had were more
questions.

"Bill told me it was based strictly on performance, but how can you
judge a guy on 39 at-bats?" Canseco said. "Mike's concern was that I
couldn't stay healthy for 130 games and they think [Glenallen] Hill can
perform better, but anyone can get hurt. . . . I can't make heads or tails
from this."

Though voices were raised at times during the meeting, Canseco seemed
more perplexed than angry afterward. Why, when such an emphasis was being
placed on spring at-bats, did Scioscia pull him off a team bus headed for
Tucson on March 23 when Canseco was willing to play despite a twinge in his
neck?

Why, Canseco wondered, were his ability and durability being
questioned when coaches told him his bat speed looked good this spring and
X-rays and MRI tests on his surgically repaired lower back revealed no
abnormalities?

And why did Stoneman, when asked Wednesday how Canseco reacted to his
release, say he "took it very well," and that he "didn't read a lot of
surprise" in the slugger?

"I was in shock," Canseco said. "The first thing I thought was, it
was close to April 1. This had to be an April Fool's joke. . . . This whole
thing seems like a scene out of 'The Twilight Zone.' It's a nightmare."

Canseco criticized the Angels, saying they contributed to a
perception that he is "damaged goods" and that their statements will hinder
his chances of finding a job. He fumed about an ESPN report that back
problems--he underwent surgery to repair a herniated disk in 1999--were a
factor in his release.

Canseco, who has been on the disabled list seven times in six years,
missed 10 consecutive games this spring because of lower-back and hamstring
injuries and another game because of the twinge in his neck.

Scioscia admitted to concerns about Canseco's "long-term health" and
questioned whether Canseco, 36, could perform with the types of minor
injuries that bothered him this spring.

"I truly think these statements damage my chances of playing
elsewhere," said Canseco, who has 446 home runs but hit .231 with no homers
this spring. "There's a perception that I'm damaged goods, which is
completely untrue. . . . If you're a GM who reads between the lines and
sees Jose Canseco is released after 39 at-bats, you must think there are
other issues."

The Angels claim the decision to trade for Hill and release Canseco
boiled down to one issue: "We think we'll be a better club with Hill
instead of Canseco," Stoneman said. "I wasn't focused on health. I was
focused on which designated hitter would give us the best chance to win."

Canseco feels he never had a chance to show the Angels what kind of
designated hitter he could be. Thinking he had made the team, Canseco
approached this spring like any other--he took certain pitches in order to
get a read on breaking balls; he didn't rush to return from minor injuries.

That's why he winced at Stoneman's comment that Canseco "was taking
too many pitches that were strikes, pitches he should have swung at." It's
why Canseco cringed when he heard Scioscia question his ability to play
through nagging injuries.

"I had no idea I would be judged on performance--I always thought
spring training was a time for experimentation, to work with different
stances, to get your timing down," Canseco said. "Thirty-nine at-bats to
judge a player? Wow, those are strict parameters."

Canseco claimed he could have returned from a hamstring injury three
days earlier than he did, but the Angels told him to take a few extra days.
Scioscia, however, said Canseco "would have risked serious injury" had he
tried to play, and that he could only run 60%-70% at the time.

"If Jose feels Bill's evaluation is in error, that's a difference of
opinion," Scioscia said. "But he understands where we're coming from. No
one was counting homers or RBIs in camp. The bottom line is there weren't
going to be enough at-bats for him with Glenallen Hill here."

Both Stoneman and Scioscia said that if any general managers call
about Canseco, they will give him a clean bill of health.

"But that may be too late, because the perception is already out
there," Canseco said.

Canseco believes his skills have not diminished. He said his bat
speed is good, his arm is strong, "and I don't think there are 10 guys in
the major leagues who can beat me in a 40-yard dash," he said. He just
didn't show enough of those skills to the Angels.

"Whether what we were seeing was influenced by aches and pains, that
didn't enter into the decision," Stoneman said. "I was looking at
production and performance, that's it."

==========
From ESPN:
Canseco stunned by release

TEMPE, Ariz. – Jose Canseco is upset and confused over being released by
the Anaheim Angels, saying the team hurt his chance to sign elsewhere.

When the Angels released Canseco from his minor league contract Wednesday,
manager Mike Scioscia had concerns about the 36-year-old designated
hitter's "long-term health," and questioned whether he could perform with
the kinds of minor injuries that hampered him during spring training.

"I truly think these statements damaged my chances of playing elsewhere,"
Canseco said Thursday. "There's a perception that I'm damaged goods, which
is completely untrue. If you're a GM who reads between the lines and sees
Jose Canseco is released after 39 at-bats, you must think there are other
issues."

The Orioles have expressed interest in signing Canseco to a minor league
contract, according to the Washington Post.

The Angels acquired Glenallen Hill from the New York Yankees on the same
day they released Canseco, and general manager Bill Stoneman said that was
the main issue in letting Canseco go.

"We think we'll be a better club with Hill instead of Canseco," Stoneman
said. "I wasn't focused on health. I was focused on which designated hitter
would give us the best chance to win."

Canseco, who has 446 career homers, hit .231 without a home run in 39
at-bats this spring. He had surgery to repair a herniated disc in 1999, and
missed 10 straight exhibition games earlier this month because of lower
back and hamstring injuries, and another game because of a twinge in his neck.

"The bottom line is he's healthy now," Scioscia said. "There was no
misinterpretation and no misunderstanding. I told Jose, `If people ask me,
I'll tell them your back is healthy, your hamstring is healthy.' "

Canseco said he was in shock when he heard he had been released.

"The first thing I thought was, it was close to April 1, this had to be an
April Fool's joke," he said. "I don't know any players who are judged on 39
at-bats. That must be a new set of rules."

==========
From the Baltimore Sun:
O's refuse to check youth swing, turn down Canseco bid
Released slugger inquires;
By Roch Kubatko
March 31, 2001

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Though intrigued by the possibility of increasing
the team's power with a veteran who ranks third among active players in
home runs, vice president of baseball operations Syd Thrift said the
Orioles won't pursue Jose Canseco after he was released by the Anaheim Angels.

Canseco's agent, Jeff Borris, has contacted the Orioles about the
36-year-old outfielder/designated hitter. Thrift indicated he held some
interest, but he decided against offering Canseco a minor-league contract
with an opportunity to join the club once the season began.

"We decided not to go in that direction," Thrift said.

"It's very simple. We're not interested. We're going to stick with our same
plan and not deviate."

Consideration had been given to placing Canseco at Triple-A Rochester if he
didn't receive a major-league job and was willing to restart his career in
the International League.

But Thrift said, "We have young players who can play at Rochester."

The Angels had signed Canseco to a minor-league deal in January with a
spring training invitation, but released him Wednesday after acquiring
Glenallen Hill from the New York Yankees. Canseco, who ranks 23rd all-time
on baseball's home run list with 446, batted .231 with no homers and three
RBIs in 13 exhibition games.

Once rated among baseball's most gifted athletes, Canseco has become a
one-dimensional player with a long history of injuries. He's been on the
disabled list seven times in the past six seasons, and missed 11 games this
spring for health-related reasons.

Manager Mike Hargrove confirmed that the Orioles held no interest in
pursuing Canseco, who ended last season with the Yankees.

==========
From the LA Times:
Canseco Agent's Claim Denied
By MIKE DIGIOVANNA

PHOENIX--General Manager Bill Stoneman strongly denied an accusation
by the agent for Jose Canseco that financial considerations played a role
in the release of the slugger Wednesday.

Canseco's contract consisted of a $200,000 base salary and incentives
that would have paid an additional $4.95 million if he made 600 plate
appearances. Glenallen Hill, acquired from the New York Yankees to replace
Canseco as the Angels' designated hitter, has a $1.5-million guaranteed
contract.

"The Angels were counting pennies," said Jeff Borris, Canseco's
agent. "If Canseco and Hill do the same job, Hill does it for a lot less. I
think money might have had something to do with the decision, but we'll
never know the true answer to that."

Stoneman, who attended the Angels' 7-6 exhibition victory over the
Arizona Diamondbacks in Bank One Ballpark Friday night, took exception to
Borris' remarks.

"He's been an agent long enough to realize that's nonsense," Stoneman
said. "The contract we signed Jose to was an ideal contract for the club."

Borris said Canseco has been rejected by "a number of teams,"
including the Baltimore Orioles, who showed interest Wednesday but informed
Canseco Friday they were no longer pursuing him. Canseco is considering
playing in Japan, and the Orix Blue Wave is arranging a workout for him in
Arizona.

Borris said Canseco, who has 446 career home runs, would play for any
major league team for a minimal salary. He'd be willing to play in the
minor leagues to prove he is physically sound, and he'd even consider
playing for an independent-league team.

"He understands he might have to take a few steps back to go
forward," Borris said. "When he believes he can't play major league
baseball, he'll take off his jersey. He doesn't need a team to rip it off
his back."