Hey everyone,

I have been getting at least five emails a day (no kidding) asking me when
the Big League Challenge home run derby will be airing on ESPN, so I
figured I should clear this up once and for all... I'm not sure exactly
when it will be airing, but last I had heard, ESPN will be showing it in
multiple segments starting on March 20th. I believe they will be running
it on ESPN2 before the regular season starts and then reairing it
throughout the season. As you know, Jose dominated the derby, so he will
be appearing in four different segments. Don't worry, I'll let you know
exactly when he'll be on so you can get your VCRs ready....

I'm on the plane on my way to Tampa right now. I'll be in Orlando tomorrow
and Friday, but I'm still planning on catching the Rays game in St. Pete on
Saturday. I heard it's going to be televised, so if a few of you Tampa
based people could tape it for me (just in case I get any decent bullseye
coverage), I'd appreciate it.

Below are a few articles about Jose's first game of the spring... Enjoy!

Take it easy,
Mark

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From the St. Petersburg Times:

CANSECO A GO: Designated hitter Jose Canseco is likely to see his first
game action of the spring today against Texas. Canseco has a history of
back problems and the teams wants him to be ready and healthy on Opening Day.

"We'll see how he gets through the workout (Monday)," manager Larry
Rothschild said. "It will be a day to day thing according to how the
conditioning and the baseball stuff is going. I'll probably play him
(today) and Wednesday, but not for a lot of at-bats."

==========
From the AP:
Tampa Bay 3, Texas 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Jose Canseco's back felt fine, so his spring
debut would have been a success even without a run-scoring single in the
Tampa Bay Devil Rays' 3-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.

``I'm healthy. That's my main concern,'' the 35-year-old designated hitter
said after going 1-for-3 with a walk. ``Whether I would have struck out
four times or hit four home runs, that's not my concern at all. My concern
is being out there again tomorrow.''

Canseco sat out the first weekend of exhibition games after arriving in
camp five days late. He was sidelined for six weeks following back surgery
last summer, and manager Larry Rothschild is allowing him to get into
playing shape at his own pace.

The only game plan when it comes to Canseco seems to be to do whatever is
necessary to keep him fresh for the regular season. Last year, he had 34
homers and 95 RBIs in 113 games.

``He wanted four at-bats today and I was going to give them to him as long
as he didn't have to run the bases too much,'' said Rothschild, who lifted
Canseco for a pinch runner after his eighth-inning single drove in Tampa
Bay's final run.

``He feels good, and you can see that his back's fine right now,'' the
manager added. ``We just need to keep it that way.''

Canseco intends to stay in the lineup for home games Wednesday and
Thursday, giving the Devil Rays a couple of more looks at what the team is
promoting as ``The Hit Show'' _ a powerful core of the batting order also
featuring Fred McGriff and offseason acquisitions Greg Vaughn and Vinny
Castilla.

McGriff, Vaughn and Castilla all went 0-for-2 against the Rangers, however
Rothschild liked what he saw.

``They didn't do much damage today, but you can see the force of the swings
is there,'' the manager said. ``It's fun to see those guys go up there one
after the other.''

Dave Martinez hit a solo homer off loser Joaquin Benoit, who also allowed
Kevin Stocker's run-scoring single in the sixth inning. Ruben Mateo drove
in the Rangers' only run with a fourth-inning single off Chad Ogea.

Canseco drew a sixth-inning walk off Benoit after falling behind 0-2 in the
count. He singled to right off Doug Davis in his final at-bat.

``It's only spring training,'' Canseco said. ``But it is good to be in the
lineup, to feel healthy ... to feel you can help out the team.''

==========
From the St. Petersubrg Times:

CANSECO DELIVERS: Jose Canseco went 1-for-3 with a walk in his spring
debut, lining out hard to left and driving in a run with a single to right.
"My timing is obviously a little off," Canseco said. "I had a couple that
went off the end of the bat, but that's standard spring training stuff." ...

SIGN HERE: Canseco, Vinny Castilla, Fred McGriff, Greg Vaughn and others
will sign autographs from 5:30-7 tonight at Tropicana Field as part of a
season ticket tag day sales event. Juan Guzman, Steve Trachsel, Gerald
Williams and special assistants Wade Boggs and Frank Howard also are
scheduled to appear. The best seats available for full- and mini-plans will
be tagged. Gates open at 5.

==========
From the Tampa Bay Tribune:
Canseco takes his cuts
By Bill Chastain

Jose Canseco thinks he'll have a unique distinction once his playing days
are finished.

``I'll probably have the most home runs compared to the most surgeries,''
he said.

Meaning if he ever gets inducted into the Hall of Fame, it's likely
Cooperstown would ask for a bat and a broken bone.

Canseco always seems one massive swing away from landing on the disabled
list, so it makes sense to take it slow during the spring. That explains
why Canseco did not play in any of the Devil Rays' first six exhibition games.

Tuesday, Canseco finally stepped into a batter's box to face the enemy for
the first time this spring during a 3-1 Rays win against the Rangers.
Canseco was 1-for-3 with an RBI single, which didn't add up to much,
according to Canseco.

``Whether I would have struck out today or hit four home runs, that's not
my concern at all,'' Canseco said. ``My concern is being out there tomorrow
again. Just to be in the lineup, no back problems, no hand problems, that I
can help the team. That felt pretty good.''

Tuesday's lineup card included for the names Canseco, Fred McGriff, Greg
Vaughn and Vinny Castilla in the heart of the order for the first time.

``It was great,'' Canseco said. ``It's definitely more offense than we had
last year. If we can just stay healthy and our pitching staff pitches the
way it can, our offense has plenty of power.''

Still the hot question around Devil Rays camp is whether a trade will be
made to obtain Twins right-hander Brad Radke and Canseco wasn't bashful
about what he thought.

``We definitely need [Radke],'' Canseco said. ``He's a quality pitcher.
I've faced him enough to realize he's got a tremendous slider and a
tremendous change-up. So he'll be tough if we can get him on our team. It
would enhance our chances.

``You can have a staff of five aces and still you can never have enough
pitching. If someone goes down, we need someone else to pick him up.''

Canseco then playfully whispered: ``Come over, Radke.''

Radke would be nice, but Canseco is a central element to the Devil Rays'
chances this season. Despite the additions of Castilla, Vaughn and Gerald
Williams, Canseco's health will go a long way toward determining how far
the Rays go this season.

Last season he led the majors with 32 home runs before he had to have back
surgery the day before the All-Star break.

``I don't think it's even a question if I'm in the lineup what I can bring
to a team,'' Canseco said. ``Not even a question if I'm in the lineup. I've
been averaging a homer every 12 at bats the last three years. There's no
question in my ability.

``Obviously the question is my health. That's the way it's always been. And
opefully it stops being that way. But I can't control that.

``I may hit 35 home runs by All- Star break and go down again. Who knows.
nd it's going to be there, there's Jose again. Same old same old.''

Canseco, who stands 6-foot-4, 255 pounds and is cut like a cartoon action
ero, joked about taking a different approach in the future if his health
backfires again this season.

``I'm almost thinking in the back of my mind I'm going to come in next year
eighing 350 like a fat slob and hopefully I won't have an injury,'' he
said.

Canseco has come to accept injuries.

``If it were very hard for me to accept I wouldn't be able to bounce back
he way I've bounced back, or have the urge to play the way I play,'' he
said. ``I'm just happy I have the ability to come back as I have.

``It's reality, but people tend to forget about you when you're injured. To
e one of the quote, superstars of the game, I think one criteria has to be
health.''

Canseco's albatross is a never- ending question: What if he'd stayed ealthy?

``It's always brought up to me,'' Canseco said. ``By my friends, my family,
he media. And all you have to do is a little bit of mathematics...''

Yes, add up those missed homers from the missed games and Canseco easily
ould be around 550 home runs instead of the 431 he has hit.

``There's a lot of players in history that probably would have more stats,
ompiled more stats, if they haven't been injured,'' Canseco said. ``But
injuries are part of the game. And part of the game is if you have the
alent and ability, you've got to stay injury-free to pile up those numbers.''

==========
From the Orlando Sentinel
`Four-baggers` are tower of power for Rays
By Brian Schmitz
March 08, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- The best place to watch the Tampa Bay Devil Rays is a
spot where you can`t see anything but the back of a fence. So says the guy
who has staked out his turf outside the team`s spring ballpark, which aptly
is sponsored by Florida Power.

He says he`s 19 and his name "starts with a J." Understandably, he won`t
reveal his whole name: He`s playing hooky from his job. He called in sick
to literally catch the Rays.

"Yeah, this is really where I`d like to be this spring, behind the
left-field fence here. Canseco`s playing today," says Starts With a J. "I`m
hoping to get a home run ball from Jose or Vinny. Maybe Vaughn. After all
the guys they signed, I hope to get a lot of balls out here."

The Devil Rays should be bashing souvenirs into the stands at Tropicana
Field and other ballparks this season with regularity. During the
off-season, the Rays spent big bucks to sign big boppers Greg Vaughn and
Vinny Castilla, bringing them together with holdover sluggers Jose Canseco
and Fred McGriff to form The Florida Power Company.

The quartet hit a combined 144 homers and drove in 429 runs last season,
which sounds more like a beer-league softball lineup. And "The
Four-baggers" -- as they`re being called around here -- have combined for
305 homers the past two seasons, far more than any other team`s lead quartet.

Vaughn, picked up as a free agent, had a 45-homer, 118-RBI season with the
Cincinnati Reds. Castilla came over in a trade after hitting 33 home runs
and driving in 102 runs for the Colorado Rockies. McGriff rebounded with
the Rays, blasting 32 homers and driving in 104 runs. Canseco had 34 homers
and 95 RBIs despite missing 49 games.

"We should have plenty of power, no question," Canseco said Tuesday. "It`s
going to be exciting to watch. But I think, overall, this team is better
and has more potential beyond just hitting home runs."

Tampa Bay Manager Larry Rothschild insists the club didn`t acquire Vaughn
and Castilla just to increase lagging attendance. "I`ll repeat what [Rays
General Manager] Chuck LaMar has said: `We didn`t get these guys just to
draw fans. We got them here to win.`"

After four years of expansion labor pains, there is an upbeat feeling among
the Rays that this can be a playoff season.

"Somebody asked me if I`d be happy with a .500 record," Castilla said. "No,
.500 would be a disappointment to me."

Rothschild seconds the emotion.

"No question. Not only do I feel that way, but the players feel that way as
well," he said. The Four-baggers -- Canseco, McGriff, Vaughn and Castilla
-- will be reduced to a sideshow, though, if the pitchers don`t deliver...

...The Williams-McCracken race isn`t the only outfield competition. Veteran
Dave Martinez of Orlando and Bubba Trammell are vying for the job in right.
Trammell has power but is suspect defensively. Vaughn will play left.
Canseco can play the outfield in a pinch, but he`ll mainly be the
designated hitter.

The Rays would much rather Jose concentrate on teaming with Castilla,
Vaughn and McGriff, providing juice from the Florida Power Company.

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