He's back.

Bottom of the first, 2 outs... Jose receives a standing ovation as he steps
to the plate against Jeff Suppan. And here's the pitch.........

It hits him. Do you believe it? Welcome back, Jose! He ended up going 0
for 2 with 2 walks, a ground out, a strikeout, and a hit by pitch. But the
important thing is he's back! Give him a few days to get his timing back,
and then look out Griffey!

-Mark

P.S. Attention Devil Rays fans - for info about getting a "RayHead" (a very
cool looking hat), check out http://www.stpete.com/rayheads/

==========
From the St. Petersburg Times:
Canseco on cusp of return
Rays slugger, his back improved, could resume his home run chase today.
By Jon Romano
August 20, 1999

ST. PETERSBURG -- When Jose Canseco is gone, the Devil Rays hit fewer home
runs. They score less runs. They do not win nearly as often. And then
there's the bad news.

The Rays are somehow less fun, less formidable, less interesting when
Canseco is not around.

He swings a 35-ounce bat, but it carries a ton of weight.

"He brought a lot of swagger to the team," manager Larry Rothschild said.
"Whenever we went on the field, everyone noticed Jose. He really put us on
the map in a lot of ways. I think our whole swagger came from him."

Canseco, who had back surgery July 11, is expected to be activated as soon
as today.

"There is a possibility he'll be back (today), but I wouldn't say it's 100
percent," Rothschild said.

Due mostly to the current streak of eight straight quality starts by Tampa
Bay pitchers, the Rays have not collapsed in the wake of Canseco's absence.
But there has been a difference.

Tampa Bay's winning percentage was .442 in 86 games before he went down. It
was .400 in the next 35 games. Scoring went from 4.97 runs to 4.65 runs a
game. Home runs went from 1.03 to .83.

Yet even Canseco, 35, admits his return may not be an immediate boon. The
impact will likely be felt gradually.

"It's going to be a process," Canseco said. "For a power hitter, the timing
has to come back. The swing is stronger and longer. For a power hitter,
everything has to be in synch to be able to drive those balls 400 feet, 500
feet.

"It's difficult to tell. I may come back and hit a couple of home runs, I
may strike out four times ... when it comes together, you know what to
expect."

Not only has his back survived surgery, so has Canseco's bite. Before
seeing his first opposing pitcher, he was talking goals.

On needing 72 more home runs to reach 500:

"I don't care what's in my future: broken leg, broken ankle, broken wrist,
three or four more back surgeries. I guarantee I'll hit 500 home runs,"
Canseco said. "Nothing can keep me from that. I've come this far already.
I'll play until I'm 45. I will not let these injuries defeat me."

On the possibility of overtaking Ken Griffey and winning the American
League home run title, despite missing five weeks (Canseco has 31, Griffey
has 37):

"Is it a possibility to catch Griffey? It's not impossible. He's playing at
a different ballpark now, it's not going to help him."

On the frustration of landing on the disabled list for the 10th time in his
career:

"It either consumes you or you consume it. I don't want to be consumed by
it. That's all there is to it. I think a lot of players would have retired
already. I'm not that way. I've gone through too much in my life, in every
aspect, to quit."

In spring training, Canseco talked about the possibility of retirement if
faced with major surgery again. When the time came, however, there was no
hesitation.

The surgery Canseco underwent was not new ground. He had a similar
operation in 1996 in a similar situation. He had just become the first
Boston player in more than 50 years to post back-to-back months of 10 or
more home runs when a ruptured disk sidelined him in July.

This season, Canseco hit 30 homers before the All-Star break for the first
time in his career and was leading the AL when he went to the sideline
again in July.

"It's become a numbing sensation in the sense of, "All right, now what?
Okay, schedule my next surgery. Three more weeks out? Okay. Call me when my
next surgery is coming up,' " Canseco said. "It's becoming a joke. I've got
all this ability and I can't show it. It's ridiculous, just an outright
joke."

Admittedly frustrated, Canseco's emotions did not get in the way of his
recovery. By most estimates, he is about two weeks ahead of his
rehabilitation schedule.

After three weeks of rest following the surgery, he has breezed through a
five-step rehab program. After taking cortisone shots and other
anti-inflammatory medication through the first half, Canseco says his back
feels better than it has all season.

There was some concern that Canseco might try to rush back in order to
reach 500 plate appearances and automatically renew his contract for next
season. If he plays regularly the next six weeks, he probably will reach
that goal. Otherwise, the Rays have an option to pick up his $3-million
contract for 2000, which seems likely considering his production this season.

Canseco said he is not rushing back in any fashion. He said he would not
risk permanent injury. He simply feels ready to go.

"You miss the game, you want to get back to it," he said. "I've got 500
home runs to hit. I have to get back in there sometime."

==========
From the Tampa Tribune:
Rays might get Canseco back tonight
By Joe Henderson

When the Devil Rays play Kansas City tonight at Tropicana Field, Jose
Canseco might be in the lineup for the first time since undergoing back
surgery July 11.

Manager Larry Rothschild said Canseco was ``fine but sore'' after a closed
workout Thursday at the Trop. Canseco's back was fine; the soreness was the
normal stiffness for someone who hasn't played baseball in a while.

``I want to see how he is [today] before making any decision,'' Rothschild
said.

If Canseco doesn't play tonight, it's likely he will be in the lineup at
some point this weekend. The Rays will have to make a roster move when that
happens.

``If any of the trainers, doctors or coaches see anything that would show
I'm not ready, they'd say something. But so far it's very positive,''
Canseco said earlier this week.

``I'm very happy I'm back in the lineup. I wasn't really as scared of this
operation as I was of the first one. I was sure I could bounce back from
it. Nowadays back surgeries aren't as serious as knee surgeries.''

The toughest part of his recovery, Canseco said, has been getting his legs
and timing back. Physically, he said has no problems.

``The back is there, the strength is there. The only way I'll get the
timing back is game situations,'' he said.

``I just play it by ear. My body just told me I was ready for this. The
first day we did the rehab program, which was the actual exercises, I did
in one day what they say most guys take five or six days to accomplish.''

Canseco, who had 31 home runs at the time of his surgery, has a history of
injuries. When the Rays signed him last winter, the contract was heavily
loaded with incentives based on playing time. Canseco needs 144 more plate
appearances in the Rays' 42 games remaining this season to automatically
trigger a $3 million option for next season.

However, even if he doesn't reach it the Rays could bring him back next
season. If the Rays use all their options and Canseco hits all his
incentives, his deal would pay about $16 million over three years - a
bargain rate for a premier power hitter these days.

==========
From CBS Sportsline:
Canseco to return with big numbers in mind
SportsLine Staff
Aug. 19, 1999

Slightly more than a week after Wade Boggs collected his 3,000th career
hit, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays began another countdown: This time, they were
anxiously awaiting the return of slugger Jose Canseco.

Believe it.

Less than six weeks after undergoing back surgery to repair a herniated
disc, Canseco made it through a simulated game without any pain on August 16.

``I hit the ball extremely well,'' Canseco said. ``I took a couple of
aggressive hacks and hit some balls out of the ballpark, so hopefully I'll
be ready to go.''

Jose Canseco says he is ready to return to the Tampa Bay lineup
Friday.(Allsport)

As a result, the Rays were hopeful Canseco would be able to return to the
lineup for an Aug. 20 meeting against the Kansas City Royals at Tropicana
Field in St. Petersburg.

Canseco, remember, led the American League in home runs with 31 before he
was sidelined by the back injury just days before the All-Star Game in
Boston. He was due to be the American League's starting designated hitter.
A hot final month could put him back in contention for the AL home run
crown considering Ken Griffey Jr.'s AL lead is only 37.

Canseco hit his 400th career homer earlier this season. A short time after
having surgery, he vowed to reach the 500 mark, a plateau recently eclipsed
by Mark McGwire.

==========
From the AP:
Devil Rays activate DH Canseco from disabled list

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida -- Jose Canseco will return to the Tampa Bay Devil
Rays' lineup tonight, less than six weeks after undergoing surgery to
repair a herniated disc in his back.

The Devil Rays today activated Canseco from the 15-day disabled list and
the All-Star designated hitter is scheduled to bat third in the opener of a
three-game series against the Kansas City Royals.

Canseco, who led the American League with 31 home runs at the time of his
injury, underwent surgery on July 11 in which two large fragments were
removed on the right side of his back.

The 35-year-old Canseco has been plagued by injuries throughout his career,
making 11 trips to the DL. He said earlier this week that he hoped to
return tonight and the Devil Rays agreed to the move after a workout
Thursday at Tropicana Field.

A six-time All-Star and the 1988 American League Most Valuable Player,
Canseco missed six weeks of the 1996 season after having back surgery. He
still leads the Devil Rays in homers and is batting .276 with 69 RBI. He
became the 29th player in major league history to reach 400 homers earlier
this season.

Canseco, signed December 10 as a free agent, provided a deep threat in the
heart of a lineup that scored only 620 runs in its inaugural season last
year.

This season marked the third time Canseco missed the All-Star Game due to
injury. He sat out the 1989 contest with a broken hand and the 1992 game
with a sore right shoulder.

A 13-year veteran, Canseco came up through the Oakland Athletics'
organization 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, where
he hit 46 homers and drove in 107 runs in 151 games last season.

The Devil Rays made room for Canseco by placing infielder David Lamb on the
15-day DL, retroactive to August 14, with a strained back. Lamb is hitting
.226 in 48 games with one homer and 10 RBI. 5:15 pm Eastern time, August 20


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