Hey Cansecoites,

Jose's still homerless since his return, but he's been playing pretty well
and hitting a lot of singles (I think he has 7 in 20 at bats)... The Rays
are headed to Cleveland tonight, and Jose typically doesn't play too well
there. Hopefully he'll snap out of that and hit a few homers this weekend.

There are some new photos in the Photo Galleries, including 2 of Jose being
hit by pitches and another close call. I wonder why he's being pitched
inside so much since his return...

All the latest news is below, including a recent interview from Baseball
Weekly. It's a good one - Enjoy!

Take it easy,
Mark

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From the St. Petersburg Times:
Canseco not yet in power mode
By Damian Cristodero, Bruce Lowitt
August 25, 1999

ST. PETERSBURG -- The pitch from White Sox starter Jim Parque came in fast,
straight and up, just where Jose Canseco wanted it.

Canseco's swing was ferocious, but the Devil Rays DH fouled off the 2-0
pitch. He knew he missed an opportunity.

"I should have crushed it out of here," he said.

Canseco did the next best thing. He was patient, worked the count to 3-2
and smacked a fastball off the mound and up the middle for a two-run single.

The hit gave Tampa Bay a 3-2 third-inning lead Tuesday night en route to a
6-5 victory at Tropicana Field.

"I was just looking for a pitch," Canseco said. "I stayed aggressive and
put a good swing on it."

The ball bounced over the head of second baseman Ray Durham, who played
Canseco behind the bag.

"He hit the ball hard and that's where he is," manager Larry Rothschild
said. "He looks more like a pure hitter than a real power guy."

Canseco said that may continue until his hands catch up with his batting
eye. In only his fourth game after missing 35 because of back surgery,
Canseco said he is seeing pitches well, but sometimes his hands are out of
position .

That hasn't stopped Canseco from getting on base, something he has done in
10 of his 18 times up since being activated. But it has hindered the search
for his power stroke.

White Sox manager Jerry Manuel will take what he can get. "That was a good
at-bat," he said. "He's a good hitter, a professional guy. I'm glad he got
a single."

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From the Sporting News Report:
SCOUTING REPORT

The look, the swagger and the presence are the same, but thus far the bat
has not been. The biggest difference thus far in the post-surgery Jose
Canseco from the one who cracked 31 homers in the first half of the season
has been a lack of power. Canseco has not had any back-related problems
since coming off the disabled list on Friday, 41 days after surgery to
repair a herniated disc.

Canseco has played in four of the five games, missing Sunday's matinee
because of what was described as a migraine. He has gotten on base 10 of
the 18 times he has been up and driven in runs with two-run singles on
Monday and Tuesday nights. But he has not yet driven the ball like he had.

Rothschild said on Canseco's first day back that his swing appeared more
compact. After watching for a few more days, Rothschild said Canseco "looks
more like a pure hitter than a real power guy." There is no panic however,
since the Rays and Canseco feel it is the rustiness of being off six weeks
that has led to the power outage, rather than something physical. Once
Canseco's hands catch up with the rest of his body he should be as good as
new, or maybe even better.

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From Baseball Weekly:
Injured or not, Canseco gunning for 500

JOSE CANSECO
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 240
Bats: R Throws: R
Born: July 2, 1964, in Havana, Cuba
Resides: Miami, Fla.
Growing up: Graduated 1982 from Miami's Coral Park Senior High School. Hit
.400 as a senior.
Arrival in pro ball: Drafted in the 15th round of the 1982 draft by the
Oakland A's.
Career awards: 1986 AL Rookie of the Year, 1988 AL MVP, 1988 HR and RBI
champ, 1991 AL HR co-leader.
Sosa who? Canseco has hit more home runs than any other player born outside
the USA. Jose Canseco

Before he was forced to undergo back surgery prior to the All-Star break,
Jose Canseco was enjoying his best year since his MVP season, 1988. He had
a major league-leading 31 home runs and seemed poised to make a run at Mark
McGwire's record. Now recovered, Canseco still is in striking distance of
Ken Griffey Jr. for the American League home run crown and his personal
best of 46. With 428 home runs, he still has plenty of time to reach the
500-home run mark. The only question, as always, is if he can stay healthy.
Canseco recently talked with freelance writer Pete Williams about his
recovery and future.

BW:After you had back surgery, you were so frustrated you hinted that you
might retire. Was that just frustration or something you really considered?

JC:I want to put that in the proper context. If you come back and you're
not as strong and your bat speed has diminished, then you're not going to
help the organization and you're going to be a hindrance. That's when you
consider retirement. But the operation went great. I'm probably going to be
a little bit stronger and a little quicker, more agile.

BW:What have you done for the last month?

JC:I've spent a lot of time with my daughter. There is a time, right after
the surgery, when you're not supposed to run or bend over or lift anything.
My daughter asked me to pick her up and I couldn't and I can't tell you how
frustrating that is. Not being able to do anything is tough for someone
like me, who is used to working out and staying in shape. Your muscles
atrophy and you start losing weight. You're told not to do anything for
three weeks, but you do things without even realizing it. You bend over to
pick something up and that's a little test. I chased my pet iguana around
the house for an hour, which was sort of my first rehab assignment.

BW:What were you thinking when Mark McGwire hit his 500th home run?

JC:You have to wonder where he'd be if he had never gotten hurt. The 755
home run mark (Hank Aaron's all-time record) would be shattered. It
wouldn't even be close. It would be the equivalent of hitting 70 home runs
in a single season, whatever that number would be, 900 home runs or
something. He's the best home run hitter of all time, no doubt. The best
we'll ever see in our lifetimes.

BW:When you watched McGwire hit his 500th, could you envision what that
will be like for you? Or does part of you wonder, because of all the
injuries, if you'll ever get there?

JC:I'll tell you what -- before I die I want to hit 500 home runs and these
injuries will not keep me from that. I don't care if I have to have back
surgery every year. I won't let injuries or whatever is in my future keep
me from it, whether it's a broken leg, a broken wrist, a broken ankle --
three or four more back surgeries -- I guarantee you I'll keep coming back.
I've come this far already with four surgeries and the better part of three
or four seasons on the DL, I'll play until I'm 45 if I have to. I will not
let these injuries stop me.

BW:Wade Boggs and Tony Gwynn have talked about how 3,000 hits have sort of
validated their careers. How important is reaching 500 home runs for you?

JC:I don't know. I know that what matters most for me is staying
injury-free. And it seems the more I work at it, the more I dedicate my
life and my time and my effort, I just cannot master it. I cannot stay away
from being injured. Maybe I should gain 50 pounds and be a big fat slob,
eat whatever I want, not exercise. Maybe then I'll stay injury-free. Who
knows? It's something that consistently eludes me. I don't even know what
to say about injuries anymore. I mean, there are guys like Cal Ripken Jr.
who go 17 years without getting an injury and then there are guys like me
who seem to be injured every three seconds.

BW:Was this your most frustrating injury because of the first half you had?

JC:It's almost like it's become routine, as if you can go ahead and
schedule the next surgery. It's almost become a joke. I have all this
ability and I can't show it. It's ridiculous and frustrating. I'm becoming
numb to it because I've been through it so many times.

BW:McGwire came back from injuries and setbacks. Does that encourage you?

JC:Injuries can consume you and I don't want them to consume me. I think a
lot of guys in my position would have retired already.

BW:With all the milestones people are reaching this year, could it all seem
easier than it really is?

JC:It's not easy. People forget about all the years involved. You don't
just wake up one morning three hits from 3,000. It's the product of a lot
of years and a lot of hard work and determination. We're lucky to see all
of this come to a head at once and it's great for baseball.

BW:How special was it to be part of the Boggs milestone?

JC:From the first time I saw him playing in Boston, I thought he was the
greatest hitter around. I used to get to third and tell him he was the man.
It doesn't matter what kind of hitter you are, you have to respect him.


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