Hey Canseconetters (I think I just made up a new word),

Well, it sounds like Jose's recovery is coming along as planned. Hopefully
he'll be back around September 1, give or take a week...

This coming weekend was the weekend I planned to go to Tampa for a few
baseball games. I'm still going to at least one or two of this weekend's
games, but without Jose being there, it just won't be the same. I don't
have tickets yet, but I'm hoping they'll let me hang up my Canseconet.com
sign out in the outfield. If they do, come on out and say hello! If
you'll be at any of this weekend's games and already have your tickets, let
me know where you're sitting and I'll stop by.

The second batch of Canseconet.com t-shirts is done now, and overall they
came out even better than the first batch. If anyone is interested in
buying a t-shirt from the first batch that came out too light (the design
is faded) for 10 bucks (that's less than cost) plus shipping, let me know -
I have 4 of them left (I sold the others to friends). Three are faded on
the back and one is on the front.

Oh, speaking of t-shirts, a lot of you placed orders but never sent in your
money. If you're one of those people, I'd appreciate it if you could send
in your payment as soon as possible. Thanks a lot...

Below you'll find the latest Jose news... In one of the articles below, the
author actually says Kevin Stocker and Fred McGriff were more worthy of
going to the All Star game than Jose was. Go to
http://www.floridasports.net/stories/1999/petcheskyb932154146.htm and vote
for Jose for Devil Rays MVP, and then email Barry Petchesky at
petchesky@... and tell him he's crazy. We all know Jose is
the best player on the Rays, hands down. Maybe if we flood Barry's
emailbox, he'll agree with us!

Take it easy,
Mark

==========
From the Sporting News:

...Canseco seems determined to make it back this season, probably around
September 1. He underwent micro-surgery July 11 for a herniated disc and
soon will begin a rehab program. He had 31 home runs when injured and said
that he thinks there is a possibility he could get back in time to push his
total to 40.

==========
From the Florida Sports Network:
Rays selected not deserving of All-star nod
Jose Canseco is good, but not All-star material.
July 18, 1999
By Barry Petchesky

The All-star game has come and gone and the midsummer classic was not much
different from any other year. As is the custom, at least one player from
every ballclub was selected to their league’s team, whether they deserved
it or not. There were two deserving members of the Devil Rays, and there
were two named to the team. But, surprisingly enough, the two worthy of the
honor and the two that received it are not the same.

Jose Canseco was selected to start by the fans, but was unable to play due
to injury and was replaced by the much more deserving Harold Baines.
Roberto Hernandez was selected as a reserve by AL manager Joe Torre, and
pitched a perfect eighth inning. But the two best players on the Devil Rays
were sitting at home, watching the game on television. Fred McGriff and
Kevin Stocker were the ones who should have been in Boston.

There are very good reasons why Canseco and Hernandez were on the All-star
team, and not because they were the best. Jose Canseco was selected by the
fans, which says it all. The fans have been known for making poor choices
in All-star balloting, and this year was no different. Fans vote with their
heart, not with their heads. That is why six of the AL starters come from
the top three ballparks in attendance (Cleveland, Baltimore, Texas). And
there are casual fans who vote only for the players they have heard of,
which explains the elections of Mark McGwire as well as Jose Canseco. Home
runs put you in the spotlight, and make you a fan favorite. Who cares if
Canseco is hitting .276?

As for Hernandez, the reason is simple. The best pitchers in baseball are
almost all starters, but to be fair the coaches make sure that a few
above-average relievers are always on the team. Only two closers are worthy
this year in the American League-Troy Percival of Anaheim and John
Wetteland of Texas-and they are on the team. But two isn’t enough; a third
was needed, and they chose the third-best in the AL: Hernandez. That’s why
the All-star team isn’t the best players in the league. It’s the best two
or three at each position.

The same logic is at work when you consider why Kevin Stocker isn’t on the
team. He’s a shortstop, plain and simple. Unfortunately, he’s stuck behind
Derek Jeter of New York, Nomar Garciaparra of Boston, Omar Vizquel of
Cleveland, and Alex Rodriguez of Seattle. If the All-star team contained
the best players in the league, Stocker would be on it. His numbers are
indisputable: .307 batting average, a walk-to-strikeout ratio that rivals
Wade Boggs in his prime, the best on-base percentage on the team...the list
goes on. But, he’s only the fifth-best at his position in the league, and
until he hits .370 he’ll never make the All-star team.

But ask any baseball expert why Fred McGriff isn’t on the team, and you’ll
be met with the same answer, “I have no idea.” It’s surprising enough that
the fans didn’t vote him to start (they went for Jim Thome, who is having a
mediocre season), but Joe Torre leaving him off of the roster is
inexcusable. McGriff is easily the best first baseman in the AL this year,
and the stats back that up: .322 average (every other player hitting at or
above the .320 plateau is on the team), 19 home runs, a .580 slugging
percentage, 84 of 89 games played, more-than-competent defense, but still
not enough to garner a spot on the All-star team, apparently.

Jose Canseco and Roberto Hernandez-good players. Kevin Stocker and Fred
McGriff-better players. But as long as we leave the voting in the hands of
the fans and one manager, there will always be players at the All-star Game
who shouldn’t be there, and there will always be players like Stocker and
McGriff, sitting at home, wondering what more they can do.

Barry Petchesky is a writer for Florida Sports Network. He can be reached
at petchesky@....

==========
From the Orlando Sun-Sentinel:
The Canseco `he said-she said' back in the courts
July 20, 1999

Slugger Jose Canseco and his wife Jessica have been entangled in divorce
proceedings for almost as long as they've been hitched, but things are now
getting butt ugly.

In a Broward court Thursday, Jessica -- who, for most of her life with
Jose, had no bank account, no investments, no credit card, no job, no
access to Jose's dough, and lived in a $3.4 million mansion in Weston
that's his -- is expected to contest a pre-nup she says she was
psychologically coerced to sign.

The Battle of the Cansecos started in August '96, when they exchanged vows
after signing a pre-nup listing nearly $7 mill in assets for Jose and
$80,000 for her. Jessica was six-months pregnant with their only child,
Josie Marie.

Seven months into the marriage, Jessica, 28, claimed Jose, 35, now with the
Tampa Bay Devil Rays, was getting extramarital on her, and filed for
divorce. Mediation led to a settlement based on the pre-nup: Jessica would
get $100Gs in alimony, $6,800a-month in child support and a Beamer.

In June of '98, they reconciled -- just weeks after he was arrested on
charges of smacking her around. Last April, it was Jose's turn to file. The
$2 mil-a-year slugger is offering Jessica the same deal as before, but she
now says, "No way, Jose!" She wants the pre-nup nullified and is looking
for lots more loot.

Jessica wasn't available for comment, but a visibly upset Jose told Insider
from his Weston digs: "This is private. No comment."

==========
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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