Hey everyone,

In case you didn't get to the online chat with Jose the other day, I've
included the transcript of the chat below. Don't worry, you didn't miss
much. They had lots of technical difficulties, and it was extremely slow.
Overall though, Jose seemed upbeat and positive - sounds like he's planning
on coming back in a few weeks and picking up his career where he left off.
Maybe all of your "Get Well" wishes (http://www.canseconet.com/getwell.htm)
helped convince Jose to forget about considering retirement.

There's a new poll at Canseconet.com. The questions is: "How many home
runs do you think Jose will finish his career with?" Go to
http://www.canseconet.com/poll.htm to vote.

Don't forget to sign up for your very own Canseconet.com email address if
you haven't already - http://www.canseconet.com/mail.htm

Take it easy,
Mark

==========
From www.sportschannelflorida.com:
Devil Ray Jose Canseco Chats Live!
From the Archives at: 7/16/99 4:30:00 PM

System Notice: SportsChannel Florida is proud to bring you this exciting
opportunity to chat live with Devil Rays slugger Jose Canseco. We hope you
get the opportunity to join us for all our Live Chats throughout the year.
Please submit your questions now. Jose will be joining us shortly. Thank
you for your participation.

iamiced: Are you going to recoup in the Miami area or return to the Tampa
Bay area?
Jose Canseco: I think it will be a split between the two. I will be in the
Miami area for about 2 and a half weeks and then will be in Tampa after
that. It depends on what the Devil Rays want as well.

Keli: Jose, do you think you will be back this year?
Jose Canseco: I definitely think so--I believe the operation was a success
and I seem to recover quickly because I'm in such good shape.

Canseconet.com: Do you have a favorite home run? How about a favorite park
to play in?
Jose Canseco: I think my favorite home run was the grand slam in the World
Series. I enjoy playing in the Sky Dome and of course in Tampa Bay.

Jeff: How are the Devil Rays handling the situation with you?
Jose Canseco: They are doing well. The team is strong and Perry can fit
into the DH well. He'll do a good job.

Jeff: What things will you need to do in order to rehabilitate and come
back fresh?
Jose Canseco: I need to rest for the next 2 - 3 weeks. I'll listen to the
doctors and follow their regimen and just depend on the natural healing
process.

Giselle: Are you able to move around or are you still in bed?
Jose Canseco: Yeah, actually the same day I had surgery I was out. I
definitely walk around every day to increase back strength. If I can do
that every day, I'll progress quickly.

GRAYLER: If you had the chance to change anything that you did in your
baseball career, what would it be?
Jose Canseco: I definitely would like to change the injuries and the
surgeries I've had.

Styloid: Jose, do you think you will be back this year?
Jose Canseco: Definitely. I think so. The operation was a success and as
long as I follow the Dr’s, I’ll be back soon.

Andrew randall: How do you feel about the fact that so many people are
sending you get well wishes?
Jose Canseco: It’s great to have so many fans. I hope to be back soon so I
can come out and thrill them some more!

Jeff: What things will you need to do in order to rehabilitate and come
back fresh?
Jose Canseco: Rest for 2-3 weeks and listen to the Dr.’s and follow their
regimen.

Bob: Do you think you can come back and hit 40 home runs?
Jose Canseco: It’s a possibility. It depends on how early I can come back.
If I have 150 at bats when I come back it’s possible. I was averaging one
home run every 10 at bats.

Dray: Which has been favorite place to play..Oakland, Texas, Toronto, Tampa?
Jose Canseco: Tampa of course! Second favorite would be Texas.

Jose Paez: How many of the 31 homers this year did you hit with your back
hurting?
Jose Canseco: Probably all 31 of them!

Jen: Any chance you are going to make the road trip to Cleveland in August?
Jose Canseco: Good chance since it’s next month!

Grayler: What has been your most memorable moment in all of your years in
baseball?
Jose Canseco: Winning the World Series and getting that ring.

Jasmine: How old were you when you started playing?
Jose Canseco: Twelve years old.

Jumbo Jet: Is your twin playing?
Jose Canseco: No , he was playing in Mexico, now he is representing me and
several other players.

Rohan Rangara: Do you collect baseball cards?
Jose Canseco: I used to collect Reds cards like Johnny Bench, now I give
them to neighborhood kids.

Jasmien: Do you think coming back from this injury might be a good chance
to teach kids about perseverance?
Jose Canseco: I’ve already had three surgeries, I think you just have to
stick with it,play hard and believe in yourself.

Styloid: do you think you would have won the home run derby?
Jose Canseco: I was watching and would have had a chance. Griffey would
have been knocked out in the first round.

Giselle: Are you able to move around or are you still in bed?
Jose Canseco: Yes, I was able to walk around the same day I had surgery and
I try to walk everyday.

Jeff: How do you like playing in Tampa Bay?
Jose Canseco: Tropicana Field is incredible and hopefully I’ll be back soon!

Bob: Jose, did you watch the All-star game? What did you think about Ted
Williams?
Jose Canseco: Yes, it was incredible. He was an incredible player.

Mike: How many years of baseball is left in your future?
Jose Canseco: Until I’m 40 at least, or I hit 500-600 home runs.

Greg: Jose, your in the best shape of your life, even when you were with
Texas. What’s your workout?
Jose Canseco: Three hours a day lifting weights and cardio. The older you
get the harder you work.

Dave: Who is the baseball player you admire the most?
Jose Canseco: I’ve always admired Johnny Bench, Fred Jackson, and Tony
Perez.

John: Who is the major league pitcher you least like to face?
Jose Canseco: Probably Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens because of their
high 90’s and fast breaking pitches.

Kevin: How have you helped Shawn Green?
Jose Canseco: He’s very talented and could be a 40-40 player if he stays
focused and healthy.

Joe: Do you have a favorite hobby when you are at home?
Jose Canseco: I like to golf, fish, and spend time with my family.

==========
From the Orlando Sentinel:
Repairs take their toll on Canseco (by George Diaz)
July 16, 1999.

He watched one of baseball's most poignant snapshots from his home in South
Florida, hearing the thunderous echo more than a thousand miles away.

He imagined the empowering presence of Mays, Musial, Yastrzemski, Robinson
and Williams, and how proud he would have been to be framed among the
legends of the game.

He then likely cursed his wretched fate, casting him as a solitary man on a
night when he could have felt the comforting embrace of his baseball brethren.

Jose Canseco is an enigmatic poster child marked by striking
contradictions. He is a full-throttle Jaguar always stuck on the side of
the road; a pair of high-performance speakers that often go snap, crackle
and pop; a man with the imposing strength of Hercules and the billowy
texture of the Pillsbury Doughboy

Betrayed by his body again, Canseco soon will begin another arduous journey
of rehabilitation, not knowing where it will lead. A ruptured disk in his
lower back that required surgery will keep him out for 4-6 weeks.

Or maybe forever.

At 35, Canseco is handicapped by the cumulative sting of injuries that have
limited his average games per season to 107 since 1992.

In his first season with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the former Bash Brother
again fades quietly as a statistical afterthought.

Leading the American League in home runs with 31 at the All-Star break,
Canseco will drop out of the lead pack and only can watch Sammy Sosa, Ken
Griffey Jr. and Mark McGwire crush baseballs into the heart of summer.

"Put yourself in my shoes," Canseco said. "To have all of the ability in
the world and not be able to use it is the most frustrating thing you can
imagine. I'm sad. I'm depressed."

The risk of free-falling into a psychological abyss is not unchartered
territory for Canseco, a man who has yet to find a peaceful balance with
the trappings of fame.

There has been one divorce, another pending, with both relationships marked
by charges of spousal abuse. In 1997, Canseco was arrested and charged with
misdemeanor battery after he allegedly smacked his second wife, Jessica, in
the head. He was ordered to undergo battery counseling. In 1992, Canseco
was charged with aggravated assault after ramming his vehicle into a new
car driven by his first wife. He agreed to community service and counseling.

In his lowest moments, Canseco said he has contemplated suicide.

He has voiced his disdain of fame, yet once had his own 900 number and
created tabloid fascination by dating Madonna.

"Very few players, if any players, have experienced everything in baseball,
or in life, that I have," Canseco said recently.

His latest experience is the crash that comes after one of those frenzied
highs. Off to one of his best starts in a career that spans 14 years,
Canseco was set to return to Boston for his first All-Star appearance since
1992.

He likely would have received a generous welcome-home hug in the city where
he once played, and been a formidable challenger to Griffey and McGwire in
the home run derby.

Instead, Canseco was watching at home (they didn't have ESPN at the
hospital). During the last series before the All-Star break, Canseco felt a
twinge in his back and took himself out of a game against the Florida
Marlins. Two days later, he was on an operating table.

A man whose baseball career first was nurtured in the Boys and Girls Club
of Miami may find the end of the road in South Florida as well. There are
no assurances that Canseco will be back in a Devil Rays uniform because he
is playing with a nonguaranteed contract.

Tampa Bay could pick up his option for 2000 at a $3 million base salary,
hoping that the sticker price is a bargain. With Canseco, you always get
part Jaguar, part Gremlin.

"I compare [my body] to a high-speed performance car," Canseco said. "One
spark plug is loose, and the whole thing can't function. I've had the worst
luck. I keep myself in tremendous condition, but I've been jinxed no matter
what I do.

"This is a nightmare."

One that will linger into another summer of uncertainty for baseball's
brittle giant.

==========
From the St. Petersburg Times:

...Glenn Dunn, a close friend of DH Jose Canseco said the slugger is a
little down after back surgery but plans on returning this season. "Oh
yeah, we had the schedule out (Friday) counting the days," Dunn said...

==========
Mark Petrillo
mark@...
Canseconet.com - The Jose Canseco Site
Get FREE web based email for life at http://www.canseconet.com

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