Hey Cansecoites...

Jose reported to camp on Monday, and it sounds like he's in great shape -
he's bulked up to 255 pounds, adding 8 pounds of muscle to his legs. He
foresees a big season for himself and for the Rays, and seems to be focused
on staying healthy. Let's hope he can actually do it this year...

I've added a few new photos to the Canseconet.com Photo Galleries today and
will continue to do so throughout the spring and the regular season. Don't
forget to enter the 2000 Jose Canseco Home Run Contest if you haven't
already. There is only about one month left to enter!

All the latest Jose news is below, including some great Jose
quotes. Here's my favorite:

---
On the Rays signing Alex Rodriguez as a free agent: "You think we can
afford him? What, are you kidding me? If I deferred all my money and Greg
(Vaughn) deferred all his money and Vinny (Castilla) deferred all his
money, and all you (reporters) deferred all your money, we may be able to
get him."
---

I'll be in touch,
Mark

P.S. If you ever want to unsubscribe from this list, simply send a blank
email to canseconet-unsubscribe@egroups.com

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From the St. Petersburg Times:

JOSE ON HIS WAY: Managing general partner Vince Naimoli spoke with Jose
Canseco by telephone Saturday and said the designated hitter is driving to
St. Petersburg from Miami today and will report for workouts Monday. "It
was a very cordial conversation," Naimoli said. "It wasn't about him
reporting. He was calling me about some other matter."

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

CANSECO CONNECTION: DH Jose Canseco is expected to report to camp today,
five days after the other players were due. Canseco makes it a habit of
coming in late, and the Rays are not all that concerned.

Manager Larry Rothschild said Canseco may be on something of a separate
workout program anyway. "I just want to see where he is and what he's done
and make sure we get him in shape for baseball stuff while we take care of
his back," Rothschild said. "I know his back has felt great but we have to
keep it that way."

==========
From the AP:
Canseco reports to camp, eyes big season
By Fred Goodall
February 28, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- After 14 years in the majors, Jose Canseco has
a good idea of what it takes to get himself ready for a season. It doesn't
include showing up for the first day of spring training.

The 35-year-old designated hitter missed the first five days of full-squad
workouts for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, yet hardly feels he's fallen behind
in preparation for what he expects to be a big year for him and the team.

Canseco reported Monday, two days before the mandatory date for veterans,
and said his repaired back feels great. He thinks he can hit 40 to 50
homers if he remains healthy, and predicted the Devil Rays will improve
dramatically over a year ago with Greg Vaughn and Vinny Castilla joining
him and Fred McGriff in the middle of the lineup.

``We're not just building a team, we're going to have a chance to win,''
the two-time AL home run champion said. ``I definitely don't see us right
now being a .500 ballclub. I see us finishing at least 20 games above .500.''

Canseco hit .279 with 34 homers and 95 RBIs last season, despite missing 35
games in July and August after surgery for a herniated disc. He returned to
the lineup sooner than expected, but only had three homers in 31 games (one
every 38.3 at-bats) after hitting 31 in 82 games (one every 10.16 at-bats)
before the injury.

The Devil Rays did not make an issue of his being the last player to
report, primarily because they expected it. He was two days late last year
and rarely reported on time during stints with the Oakland Athletics, Texas
Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.

He joined his teammates on the field a little more than an hour into
Monday's workout and probably will sit out the first few exhibition games
while getting into playing shape at his own pace.

``I'm not going to take chances with his back,'' manager Larry Rothschild
said, adding that one concern is making sure Canseco gets in an adequate
amount of work on baserunning before he plays a game.

Canseco made some adjustments to his winter weight routine, but said
limiting the amount of upper body work he did hasn't affected his strength.
He weighs 255 after adding about eight pounds to his legs, which in turn he
thinks will help his swing.

Besides thinking he, Vaughn, Castilla and McGriff have a chance to average
40 homers between them this season, Canseco is confident injuries haven't
robbed him of a chance to hit 500 career homers. He's 69 shy of that plateau.

``I can see 600. It's all about health. I've never ever doubted my numbers
and my ability,'' he said. ``Five hundred? There's no doubt in my mind I'll
do it, healthy or not healthy. That number is not even an issue with me.''

==========
From the St. Petersburg Times:
Jose has plenty to say, as usual
Canseco arrives at Devil Rays camp looking good, feeling fit, ready to hit
50-60 homers as the middle of the order averages 40 each and the team wins
90 games.
By Marc Topkin
February 29, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- Jose Canseco was five days late reporting to training
camp, but he's well ahead of his Devil Rays teammates in terms of projections.

The Rays' hulking designated hitter did some exercises, ran a few sprints
and blasted at least a dozen balls over the fence Monday. But the most
impressive thing about his first day of work were the big numbers he tossed
around.

Canseco said he will hit 50 to 60 home runs if he stays healthy the whole
season. He said the four sluggers in the middle of the lineup should
average at least 40 homers each. And he said the Rays have improved enough
to surpass the 90 wins this season.

Canseco looked good and said he felt even better. His troublesome back,
which required surgery last July, has felt great, and the hand injury that
limited his power late in the season has disappeared. He added 8 pounds of
leg muscle by changing his workout regimen and said that at 255 pounds he
is as strong as he ever has been.

He said he felt ahead of his normal schedule but won't play in at least the
first weekend of exhibition games so he has time to get adjusted to live
pitching. His wants to play in all 162 regular-season games but
acknowledged that at 35 he probably will need some strategically timed days
off to stay healthy. He said he wouldn't mind playing the field during
interleague games but joked about keeping the plastic wrapper on his new glove.

But more than anything, he was excited about what could happen this season.

Like how many home runs he could hit ...

"I feel great right now. I feel extremely strong. If I were to stay in this
condition the whole year, I'll definitely hit 50-60 homers. There's no ifs,
ands or buts about that. But I can't predict that."

And how the four sluggers in the middle of the lineup will do ...

"There's no doubt that at least between us we can average 40 homers."

And how he expects the team to perform ...

"I definitely don't see us right now being a .500 ballclub. I definitely
see us at least 20 games above .500 right now."

Canseco, as usual, had plenty on his mind.

He hopes the Rays are pursuing a trade for Minnesota ace Brad Radke. He
says the fans have no reason to not fill Tropicana Field. He says general
manager Chuck LaMar and managing general partner Vince Naimoli have made it
clear they want to win.

Here is a further sampling:

On the Radke rumors: "If we can acquire him, teams better watch out. It's
as simple as that."

On what the Rays need next: "I'd really concentrate now on pitching. I
think we have plenty of offense, but we've also seen in the past the
Seattle Mariners have an explosive offense but couldn't win. Let's spend
some money and some time getting some pitching. Radke? Great. Get one more
blue-chip starter, it'll be incredible. We've already got one section taken
care of. We need to look at another one."

On attendance: "If we can't get the fans out there now, it's going to be
ridiculous. This is as exciting a ballclub as you're going to get. You're
going to see a lot of power, a lot of excitement, a lot of balls hitting
off those rafters. Batting practice is going to be very exciting. And the
most important thing is that we have a chance to win."

On the Rays signing Alex Rodriguez as a free agent: "You think we can
afford him? What, are you kidding me? If I deferred all my money and Greg
(Vaughn) deferred all his money and Vinny (Castilla) deferred all his
money, and all you (reporters) deferred all your money, we may be able to
get him."

On Ken Griffey signing a below-market contract to play in Cincinnati: "I
think he messed up the salary structure for some players, but I guess he
wanted to play at home."

On what the Rays accomplished during the off-season: "We're putting a team
together to win -- not to just contend, not to just field a team. We want
to win it all. It's as simple as that."

On how long he plans to play: "I definitely think if I had someone else's
back I could play until I'm 45 easily. I don't know. It's impossible to
tell."

==========
From the Tampa Tribune:
Canseco healthy, full of optimism
By Bill Chastain

Jose Canseco sauntered over from the indoor batting cages in customary
fashion: hatless, buffed and carrying his bats. Then he stood along the
right-field line at the Ray Naimoli Complex - looking every bit the bull in
a pasture - occasionally smiling at the fans while twisting and creaking
his 6-foot-4, 255-pound body as if it never quite gets loose.

And ``Jose... Jose...'' echoed from the fans along the fence.

Say what you will about Canseco, but the man has charisma.

Monday was a light workout for the Rays' slugger, but he was in midseason
form while holding court.

Canseco believes in this year's team and doesn't mind saying so.

``If we can't get fans out here now, it's ridiculous,'' Canseco said.
``This is an exciting ballclub. And you're going to see a lot of power. A
lot of excitement. A lot of balls hitting off those rafters [at Tropicana
Field]. BP is going to be very exciting. And the most important thing, we
have a chance to win.

``If [our pitchers] can pitch to their potential, we're going to be fine. I
definitely don't see us being a .500 ballclub. I definitely see us at least
20 games above .500 now.''

Canseco complimented the off-season work to bring in new players while
offering some wishful thinking.

``[Vince Naimoli] and Chuck [LaMar] have gone to great lengths to field a
winner,'' Canseco said. ``They want to win. I can see that. Obviously
there's some rumors that we're trying to acquire [Twins No. 1 starter Brad]
Radke ... If we're going to acquire him, teams better watch out. It's as
simple as that. We're putting a team together to win. Not to just contend,
not to just go out there and field a team. We want to win it all. Simple as
that.''

While Canseco was playing general manager, what about the prospect of the
Rays signing Canseco's friend, Seattle shortstop Alex Rodriguez, after the
2000 season?

``Do you think we could afford him?'' Canseco said. ``Are you kidding me?
If I deferred all my money. Greg [Vaughn] deferred all his money. Vinny
[Castilla] defers all his money. Everybody defers all their money, we may
be able to get him.''

Health, as usual, is a question for Canseco on the heels of a 1999 season
that saw him hit 34 homers in just 113 games after having back surgery at
midseason followed by a nagging hand injury upon his return in September.

``The back's great. The hand, basically I gave it enough rest and it went
away,'' Canseco said. ``I just didn't give it enough rest last season.
Feels great. Everything feels pretty good.''

Canseco said he would like to play in every game if possible.

``But, obviously, you can't be hardheaded,'' Canseco said. ``You've got to
take a strategic game off here and there.''

Good health allows Canseco to look toward the future. He hit his 400th
career home run in 1999 and finished the season at 431. How many career
home runs will be on the stat sheet for his name once he finishes his career?

``I can see 600,'' Canseco said. ``It's all about health. I've never even
doubted my numbers and ability. It never entered my mind. I mean, if I were
healthy, I should have 550. But I haven't been healthy. But that's another
story. Five hundred, there's no doubt in my mind I'll do that. Healthy or
not, that number is not even an issue with me.''

How long does Canseco believe he'll be able to play?

``I definitely think if I had someone else's back I could play until I'm
45, easy,'' he said. ``But I don't know. It's impossible to tell. Physically,
I'm as strong as I've ever been. I think this year I came to camp even
stronger. My legs feel even stronger. All I can say is I feel great right
now. I feel extremely strong. If I was to stay in this condition, the whole
year, I would definitely hit 50 or 60 home runs, no doubt in my mind.''

Canseco thinks he'll be ready and he believes the team, which had the most
injuries in baseball in 1999, is due some good karma.

``I don't think it could get any worse than last year,'' Canseco said. ``I
mean, historically, has any team ever had the injuries we've had? It was
ridiculous. There's no way it's going to be that bad this year.''

All-Star Dinner:The Rays will host tonight's seventh annual All-Star
Celebrity and Sports Auction at Tropicana Field. The 7:30 auction benefits
the Suncoast Children's Dream Fund. Call (727) 892-6736 for details.

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