Hey everyone,

From what I'm hearing, it sounds like Jose is still planning on being back
in the lineup Friday night. He's been taking a lot of BP this week,
running, and has even been in a simulted game. He's experiencing normal
soreness, but his back is holding up ok. For all the details, read this
week's articles below...

Jose is currently 6 homers behind Griffey for the AL lead. It will be
tough to make that up with less than a month and a half left in the season,
but if Jose gets hot, lookout!

To celebrate Jose's return, you should check out Canseconet.com, especially
if you haven't been there for a while. I've redone a lot of the Photo
Galleries and even added some new ones. You can also send virtual Canseco
postcards, vote in the most recent Canseconet.com poll, sign up for a free
web based Canseconet email account, read the nearly 300 Get Well wishes you
all sent to Jose in the past month, order a Canseconet.com t-shirt, check
to see where you stand in the 1999 Jose Canseco Home Run Contest, etc. I'm
hoping to have the checklist and memories pages updated sometime next week.

I can't wait for this weekend...
Mark

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From the Sporting News:

NOTES, QUOTES, ANECDOTES
Maybe it's all the practice he's had rehabbing over the years, but DH Jose
Canseco is far ahead of his scheduled return.

Canseco had back surgery on July 11 and the Rays said Sept. 1 was an
optimistic return date. But after taking batting practice this week,
Canseco said he will be back by Aug. 20.

"If it were up to me, I would have played last night," Canseco said on
Wednesday (Aug. 11). "It's not like I'm trying to push it, I'm just going
on how I feel."

The Rays want to be sure Canseco does not rush back and risk a
career-threatening back problem. When he went on the disabled list, Canseco
was leading the American League with 31 home runs. He still is only five
behind Ken Griffey Jr. and believes he can overtake him if he plays another
40 games.

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

CANSECO REPORT: DH Jose Canseco continues to show improvement in his
comeback from July 11 back surgery, taking batting practice in St.
Petersburg, but a big test will come Monday when he runs for the first
time. "The next step is making sure he's all right when he runs,"
Rothschild said. Canseco says he hopes to play Friday.

BIG SWINGER: Jose Canseco says he plans to be back in the lineup Friday
night, though team personnel are not necessarily quite as sure he'll be
ready. There is no doubt the Rays have missed him since his July 11 back
surgery. Through Friday, they were 38-47 with him (.447) and 10-20 (.333)
without him, and dropped from 1.03 homers per game to .76.

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

...Jose Canseco will participate in a simulated game today in St.
Petersburg, hitting against Cory Lidle. Canseco, who had back surgery July
11, hopes to return to the lineup Friday.

==========
From the St. Petersburg Times:
Tampa Bay Devil Rays Team Report
By Marc Topkin
August 15, 1999

Jose Canseco could be back in the Devil Rays lineup this week.

Canseco underwent surgery to repair a herniated disc July 11 and has made
such outstanding progress that he expects to return to the lineup Friday
night (August 20). The Rays are taking a more cautious approach, though
they are optimistic based on the progress he has made.

Canseco started hitting off a pitching machine last week and took live
batting practice for the first time Wednesday. He was to further test
himself by participating in a simulated game Monday.

When he does come back, Canseco expects to pick up where he left off. He
says he can still win the AL home run race (he is five behind Ken Griffey)
and will keep playing until he reaches 500 homers; he has 428. The Rays are
eager to see him back in the lineup, and also to see how he looks. They
have an option to bring him back next season and want to make sure he is
healthy before making a decision. . . .

==========
From the St. Petersburg Times:
Canseco sore, but still hopes for Friday return
By John Romano
August 17, 1999

The Rays DH is happy with some "aggressive hacks" in his first extensive
batting practice since his injury.

ST. PETERSBURG -- His hand was blistered. His legs were cramping. And his
swing was definitely out of synch.

And Jose Canseco has rarely felt better.

After his most extensive hitting session since back surgery on July 11,
Canseco said Monday at Tropicana Field that he felt fine and was on
schedule to be activated Friday.

"My legs felt a little wobbly out there because I haven't done that kind of
running in a month and a half," Canseco said.

"But the main concern is seeing how the back holds up under hitting
situations. I hit the ball extremely well and took some aggressive hacks
and hit some balls out of the ballpark, so hopefully I'll be ready to go on
Friday."

The Devil Rays have not committed to activating Canseco on Friday, saying
they want to see how he felt today.

"He felt it a little bit running, not the back but the conditioning," said
manager Larry Rothschild, who was given a report by team officials at
Tropicana. "The conditioning probably still has to be addressed.

"He's done fine at every step. The doctors say he's doing great. He's
pretty much been cleared for all baseball activities. That's where we are.
It's a matter of getting him in shape."

There was clearly some rust from the six weeks of inactivity. While Canseco
hit some monster shots during a batting-practice session off player
development executive Mitch Lukevics, he did not fare as well against
pitcher Cory Lidle in a three-inning simulated game.

Lidle, who is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab this week after
missing the past year following shoulder surgery, appeared to get the
better of Canseco in their mini duel.

Canseco hit only a few balls hard and broke at least two bats.

"In batting practice, he was hitting them as far as I've ever seen him hit.
He was hitting them off the rafters," Lidle said. "When he was in against
me, it was the first time he'd seen live pitching and it showed a little
bit. It's harder for him to see a pitcher for the first time in a long time
than for me to see a hitter for the first time."

Canseco said his back feels better than at any point this season and he
sees no reason why he can't play Friday, barring a setback.

"I'm not trying to force anything. If I can play this year, naturally I
will," Canseco said. "There's no reason to wait another month and a half."

-- Staff writer Marc Topkin contributed to this report.

==========
From the Tampa Tribune:
Canseco might resume HR chase Friday
By Joe Henderson

ST. PETERSBURG - Jose Canseco said he will be ready to play for the Devil
Rays by Friday after recovering from back surgery.

For that to happen, Canseco first needs to play. If he has his way, that
will come Friday night at Tropicana Field, when the Rays play Kansas City.

``As of right now, that's what I'm scheduled for,'' Canseco said after a
workout Monday at the Trop that included 30 minutes of batting practice and
45 swings in a simulated game against pitcher Cory Lidle.

He was pain-free, except for some wobbly legs after a series of sprints and
running. He hit several home runs in batting practice but none in the
simulated game.

``He looked good,'' said Lidle, who is attempting to come back from elbow
surgery and may have a rehab start in the minors on Friday.

``In batting practice he hit some as far as I've ever seen them hit. They
were up in the rafters.''

Canseco has been out since undergoing back surgery July 12. A Friday return
would be in line with original estimates of a four-to-six-week recovery time.

``I'm definitely not going to push it or put myself at risk of a
career-ending injury,'' he said. ``But I've been around a long time and had
a lot of surgeries. By now I'm an expert on the recuperative process.''

Rays manager Larry Rothschild was tentative about Canseco's return.

``We'll see how he feels as he goes,'' he said. ``Running is going to be
the hardest thing for him, as it was [Monday], and I need him to be able to
run. It's as simple as that.''

Canseco led the majors with 31 homers when he went on the disabled list. As
of Monday, he trailed American League leader Ken Griffey Jr. by five homers.

Canseco said he is close enough that winning the league homer title is
possible, even with his extended absence.

``I don't think anyone has really taken over,'' Canseco said. ``It's not
impossible.''

==========
From the AP:
Canseco expects to return Friday
By Jed Jacobsohn
Monday August 16, 1999

Jose Canseco, originally feared to be out for the season, could be back as
early as this weekend.

DETROIT (AP) -- A little more than a month since back surgery, Jose Canseco
thinks he's ready to come back to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

After batting and running Monday during a simulated game in St. Petersburg,
Fla., Canseco hopes to return Friday when the Devil Rays open a homestand
against Kansas City.

"Today was the first day I actually did some running," Canseco said. "My
legs feel a little wobbly out there because I haven't done that kind of
running in probably about a month and a half. But the main concern is
seeing how the back holds up under hitting situations, and I hit the ball
extremely well. I took a couple of aggressive hacks and hit some balls out
of the ballpark, so hopefully I'll be ready to go Friday."

Canseco had surgery July 11 for a ruptured disc in his back. It was
originally feared he'd be out for the season.

"I think I was extremely lucky that I went into the operation already in
pretty good shape, so I think that definitely helped in shortening the
recuperation time," Canseco said. "I felt great the next day; as soon as I
woke up, the pain was gone."

He first started hitting against a pitching machine two weeks ago and last
week took batting practice with Devil Rays manager Larry Rothschild pitching.

"You really don't know how it's going to hold up under such torque as the
way I swing the bat," he said. "Right away the pain was gone, so I knew
that this was a success there."

Canseco was hitting .276 with 31 homers and 69 RBIs before the operation.
He was elected to the AL All-Star team as the designated hitter but could
not participate.

"The back is there, the strength is there," he said. "The only way I'll
start getting the timing back is in actual game situations. The legs will
come. I started running today and will run up until Friday.

Canseco, a "Bash Brother" along with Mark McGwire during their days with
the Oakland Athletics, hit his 400th career homer earlier this season is
24th on the career list with 428.

==========
From the St. Petersburg Times:
Canseco sore, but not injured
By Marc Topkin
August 18, 1999

DETROIT -- Jose Canseco woke up sore Tuesday, and that was a good thing in
his recovery from back surgery.

A day after his most extensive workout since the July 11 surgery, Canseco
reported no pain in his back or any other problems. He took batting
practice and did some running at Tropicana Field again Tuesday and still
hopes to be back in the lineup on Friday night.

"He was a little sore from the baseball activity, which he should be,"
manager Larry Rothschild said. "He's going through normal spring training
stuff now. Whether he can get through that by Friday is yet to be
determined."

The Rays fly home after tonight's game here and Rothschild plans to watch
Canseco work out Thursday before deciding whether to activate him for
Friday's game.

"I'll know more each day," Rothschild said. "I'll see him on Thursday and
we'll go from there."

==========
Mark Petrillo
mark@...
Canseconet.com - The Jose Canseco Site
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