Hey everyone,

Those of you who have been Canseco fans as long as I have won't be
surprised to hear Jose is on the Disabled List... again. This is the
record 243rd time Jose has placed on the DL. Ok, that was a slight
exaggeration, but it sure seems that way sometimes, doesn't it?

Jose was benched Thursday and Friday (in hopes of snapping him out of his
recent slump), and he took 45 minutes of extra batting practice before
Friday night's game. Wade Boggs even watched and gave Jose some pointers
to try to help him find the swing he's been missing most of the year. Jose
was back in the lineup Saturday but was a last minute scratch. During
pregame warmups, the foot injury that has been nagging Jose all year got
bad enough that he decided not to play through the pain, and to rest it
once and for all.

For all the latest Yankee trade rumors (there sure have been a lot lately)
and all the injury news, read on...

I'll keep you posted...
Mark

==========
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==========
From the AP:
Canseco trade rumors heating up

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Jose Canseco might be traded by the Tampa Bay Devil
Rays if they change leagues, but the club insisted Tuesday night that the
slugger is not close to being traded to the New York Yankees.

General manager Chuck LaMar conceded that the 35-year-old designated hitter
likely will be moved if realignment shifts the Devil Rays to the National
League, but emphasized that the club is not in a hurry to make a deal.

"Everybody knows the situation of the pending movement of this club," LaMar
said. "If that happens, then we're going to have to consider moving Jose
Canseco. But I have not had any lengthy discussions with any team."

The general manager said some AL teams contacted Tampa Bay to inquire about
his plans for Canseco, who has 438 career homers, if baseball approves
realignment this summer and the Devil Rays change leagues next season.

LaMar declined to identify the teams.

"This is a unique situation because of the National League. We really don't
want to do anything until we are confirmed, very honestly ... That might be
in June, or who knows when that will be. I don't see Jose Canseco being
traded in the near future to the Yankees or anyone else."

The Devil Rays are hoping the slugger can pull out of a slump and help the
team turn its season around. Canseco was hitting .260 with seven homers and
17 RBI heading into Tuesday night's game against the Oakland Athletics.

"Hopefully, he can get things turned around here at home plate and we can
start winning a few ball games and get back to the club we thought we were
going to be at the start of the season," LaMar said.

"Have I had teams call up and say: 'What are you going to do with Jose
Canseco if you go the National League? Would you be interested in trading?
Absolutely. We've had those calls. But that is the extent of the trade
rumors, and that's where they're going to stay for right now."

The general manager added that he was not concerned that waiting until AL
clubs know they have to unload Canseco, who has played the outfield just
six times in two seasons with the Devil Rays, would diminish his value in a
trade.

"You might think on one hand that you weaken your negotiating position. ...
However, if there's more than one team that's interested in Jose, you
haven't weakened anything," LaMar said.

Canseco wouldn't speculate about his future.

"They're only rumors. I haven't heard anything," he said, adding that he's
happy with Tampa Bay, but understands the club will have to do something if
it switches leagues.

"What am I going to do? Play outfield every day at 250 pounds?" Canseco
said. "I doubt that."

==========
From the St. Petersburg Times:
LaMar: Canseco is staying put, for now
By MARC TOPKIN, JOHN ROMANO, LEANORA MINAI and MIKE READLING
May 24, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- Until the Devil Rays know they are going to the National
League, Jose Canseco probably isn't going to the Yankees or anywhere else.

With New York newspapers reporting various degrees of interest by the
Yankees, and with Yankees superscout Gene Michael at Tropicana Field on
Tuesday, Rays general manager Chuck LaMar said he has no plans to trade the
slumping designated hitter.

"Right now Jose Canseco is a Tampa Bay Devil Ray, and we plan to keep him a
Tampa Bay Devil Ray as long as we can," LaMar said. "Everyone knows the
situation of the pending National League move with this club, and if that
happens, then we're going to have to consider moving Jose Canseco. But I
have not had any lengthy discussions with any team in baseball concerning
Jose Canseco."

LaMar seems to be hoping Canseco will improve his unimpressive numbers:
.266 average, seven homers, 20 RBI and 45 strikeouts.

If Canseco continues to struggle, the trade market probably won't be much
different than it is now. If he gets hot before the July 31 non-waiver
trade deadline, his value will increase. And if the move to the NL doesn't
go through, the Rays likely would want to bring him back.

Despite the rumors, Canseco said he hadn't heard a thing about potential
trades.

"I'm completely, utterly in the dark," he said.

Canseco talked to former teammate and current Yankee Roger Clemens about
the possibility, but he said he has no preferences.

"I'm happy here," he said.

==========
From the Tampa Tribune:
Canseco hears rumors

Two New York-area newspapers reported that the New York Yankees are trying
to trade for Devil Rays DH Jose Canseco. Devil Rays general manager Chuck
LaMar said several clubs have inquired about Canseco, but a deal isn't
imminent.

Canseco dismissed the talk as unfounded rumors.

``Rumors are just rumors,'' he said. ``There have been rumors about me my
whole life. If half of them were true ... wow! I haven't heard one thing
from anybody official. I'm happy here.''

Canseco knows that a deal could be consummated if the Devil Rays are
approved for realignment into the National League. He likely would traded
to an American League team, where he can continue to play DH. LaMar said he
had no new information about potential realignment or its timetable.

``Jose's in a unique situation, but right now he's a Tampa Bay Devil Ray
and we plan on keeping him a Devil Ray as long as we can,'' LaMar said.

Canseco said he briefly spoke with his agent Tuesday, but there was no talk
about a potential move to the Yankees. Conversely, the Bergen Record quoted
Javier Ortiz, Canseco's agent, as saying, ``Jose would love the opportunity
to play in New York. We're crossing our fingers and hoping something can
come about.''

==========
From the Tampa TribuneL
Do the Rays know way to deal Jose?
By Joey Johnston

ST. PETERSBURG - Jose Canseco said he hasn't been fitted for pinstripes.
Not yet, anyway. He was standing in the Devil Rays' dugout, feigning surprise.

Trade rumors? What trade rumors?

``Can you guys let me know when I get traded, please?'' he told reporters.

``Or who I'll get traded to? Of if I'll get traded? Believe me, I'll be the
last to know.''

Here's what we do know.

Two New York-area newspapers reported the Yankees are chasing Canseco. It
makes sense. The Yankee lineup desperately needs another threat, the type
that Darryl Strawberry once provided at designated hitter.

For the record, that was Gene Michael, the Yankees' vice president of
major-league scouting, taking in Tuesday night's game at Tropicana Field.

Soon, baseball's realignment plan could be unveiled. By all accounts, the
Devil Rays are headed to the National League in 2001. At that point,
Canseco becomes a dinosaur in Tampa Bay.

He's relatively useless in the NL. He's a power-hitting DH - plain and simple.

``What am I going to do, play outfield every day at 250 pounds?'' Canseco
said. ``I doubt that.''

So it's a Canseco Watch, a countdown, an inevitability. The only variable
is the realignment plan. Will it be announced next month? The meeting
scheduled for June 13-14 already has been postponed until a ``later,
unspecified date.''

Everybody sing: Do they know the way to deal Jose?

....With Wilson Alvarez and Juan Guzman on the shelf, with Ryan Rupe trying
to find himself in Triple-A Durham, the Devil Rays quickly need some arms.
You'd think Canseco could fetch a nice package of players, probably some
pitching that would contribute immediately.

If they hesitate, the Devil Rays could be gambling with value. After the
Tampa Bay-to-the-NL move is official, the stakes could plummet.

Of course, there's a flip side.

``If there's more than one team that wants Jose Canseco, you haven't
weakened anything,'' Devil Rays GM Chuck LaMar said. ``If they truly want
Jose Canseco. And that gives him a fair shot to be here and try to turn
things around with our ballclub.

``You guys will be the first ones to point out it would be prudent to trade
Jose before it [realignment] is announced. Well, let's say it's not
announced. Then you guys would be the first to tell me, `You're an American
League club. Why in the hell did you trade Jose Canseco? Where are you
going to find a DH with his capabilities?''

Where, indeed?

That's the unfortunate part for Canseco and maybe for the Devil Rays.
Canseco says he likes living and playing here, although he's certainly
interested in contending for a pennant. The Devil Rays received their
money's worth, risking only a $3 million annual salary, escalated by
incentives.

Prior to last season's All-Star Game, he was a phenomenon with 31 home runs
and 69 RBIs. He provided a swagger and an identity to Tampa Bay's
second-year franchise. Then he needed back surgery to repair a herniated
disc. He returned in August, but things were never the same.

The power slump has continued into this season. Heading into Tuesday night,
Canseco had just seven homers. The power drought continued against Oakland,
but he did have a pair of singles that drove in three runs.

In reality, he's just trying to hit his stride. That's when the homers will
come in bunches.

But will the flurry occur at Tropicana Field, Yankee Stadium or a ballpark
to be named later? And if you hear any good rumors, can you please tell Jose.

==========
From the AP:
How about Canseco?

"I don't think he's gotten enough credit for his resiliency with all his
injuries," Yankees pitcher David Cone said. "He's still got good bat speed.
Does he fit here? I don't know. That's for the front office to worry about."

==========
From the Sporting News:
Yankees shouldn't pull trigger on Canseco deal
May 23, 2000
By Jon Heyman

CHICAGO -- Jose Canseco creates a stir, give him that. The Yankees'
clubhouse was abuzz Tuesday, and don't think for a second that it was
because Moose Skowron was visiting.

Canseco is a presence, no doubt. But is he still a force? Some scouts think
he's more of a Bash Uncle now.

As a member of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the majors' traveling slo-pitch
softball team, Canseco's only job is to hit home runs. So he swings for the
fences every time. And yet, he's only reached them seven times. Seven.
That's the same number of home runs Shane Spencer has.

George Steinbrenner wouldn't be George Steinbrenner if he didn't get
panicky at times like these. So it's easy to imagine Steinbrenner screaming
at his high-priced underlings, "We must get Canseco!"

This is no time to be a Steinbrenner underling. Not with Jim Edmonds
playing like he's Babe Ruth. You remember Edmonds. That was the guy the
Yankees passed on because they didn't want to part with precious Alfonso
Soriano. Now, it would take 15 Alfonso Soriano's to get someone of Edmonds'
ilk. Soriano's stock is plummeting like he's on the Nasdaq. He was
something special when we didn't see him play. But injuries to Scott
Brosius and Derek Jeter have exposed the fact that Soriano is not a
majorleague third baseman or shortstop.

Even a stable owner might be questioning why they didn't make a bolder run
at Edmonds. So you know Steinbrenner's going absolutely bonkers.

Still, that's no reason to rush into anything now. A middle-aged Canseco is
no Edmonds. That horse has left the barn.

Canseco has cache, no question. But what about the other side of this? He's
righthanded. OK, minor drawback. He plays no position but DH? Small
inconvenience.

He costs real money, $2.25 million for the rest of this year, maybe $4
million or more after that. Something to consider.

Whiffed 44 times in 150 at-bats, making him six times more likely to strike
out than hit the long ball. Not good.

And what about that way he moseys on over to first base? A lot more swagger
than hustle. That's not the way these Yankees play.

"Maybe he'd be more of a team guy with the Yankees. Right now, he jogs,"
one American League scout said Tuesday. "You never know, the bright lights
of New York City might change a player."

That's looking on the bright side, if you ask me.

The bright lights didn't do much for Rickey Henderson, doing better 3,000
miles away. At one time, Canseco was the perfect fit for Steinbrenner, back
when Canseco was the best of the best. But now he's only the second-best
power threat in Tampa Bay's lineup, beyond Greg Vaughn. Canseco was on his
way to a big year last year before he went out with a bad back that
required an operation. But there's no certainty he'll come close to
regaining what he once had.

There's also the matter of player compensation. Devil Rays general manager
Chuck LaMar isn't going to give away Canseco. LaMar isn't the easiest GM to
make a deal with. In fact, one opposing GM says that LaMar is "the only GM
with a no-trade clause."

It was reported the Devil Rays wanted Ramiro Mendoza. That wouldn't be
wise. There's a reason Sterling Hitchcock is the only real pitcher
available now, and it's that everyone needs pitchers. Besides, it wouldn't
look good, not after the Yankees held out Mendoza in talks regarding Edmonds.

"The Yankees have played .600 ball. There's no need to rush into anything,"
the AL scout said. "It would be different if it were the middle of June.
We're not even through the interleague games yet. There's no need to panic
now. They still have a very sound ballclub."

They're 13th in the league in scoring runs, but it hasn't hurt them much.
Ricky Ledee has performed abysmally to this point, but it hasn't prevented
the Yankees from taking the fourth-best record in the majors into last
night's game.

It can't hurt to wait. Wait to see if Ledee snaps out of his funk. There
are enough people around who see the good in Ledee, who remember how his
two-run double off Kevin Brown helped turn the 1998 World Series, who see
how the ball can fly off Ledee's bat.

These are all fine reasons to wait, but the main reason is that they need
to save their chips for something later, a pitcher, or maybe a younger,
more productive offensive player. The reason the Yankees need to save their
chips is that they are running out of them.

Soriano isn't the only Yankees prospect in a sudden freefall. Nick Johnson
hasn't picked up a bat since injuring his wrist March 10. Ryan Bradley has
gone backward since the Yankees made him a starter and revamped his
deliver, and Ed Yarnall is "just another guy," according to the AL scout.

No matter how much mileage Canseco has on him, it's going to take a group
of players to get him. Wouldn't it be a shame if they had nothing left when
something better comes along? Something like Sammy Sosa, Juan Gonzalez or
Larry Walker maybe.

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

...General manager Chuck LaMar, who cautioned players that their jobs were
in jeopardy during a clubhouse meeting in Texas last week, warned
Thursday's survivors not to get too comfortable.

"I think we have some young players that have taken the major leagues for
granted. Not the Devil Rays, but their opportunity in the major leagues,"
LaMar said. "I think we've had some veteran players, and still might have
some veteran players on this club, that are taking their position on this
team for granted because they are making X amount of dollars or they look
around and say, "Who are they going replace me with.'

"No, this is a very insecure world in major-league baseball."

The shake-up also extended to the starting lineup and the rotation.
Designated hitter Jose Canseco, stuck in a monthlong slump, was benched by
manager Larry Rothschild for at least one game. Albie Lopez, after 126
relief appearances with the Rays, is moving into the starting rotation.

==========
From the St. Petersburg Times:
Slumping Canseco sits
By John Romano
May 26, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- He has been taken out of lineups from Oakland to Boston
to Texas to Toronto for various physical ailments.

But Jose Canseco could not remember the last time he was benched for not
being good enough.

Canseco was called into manager Larry Rothschild's office when he arrived
at Tropicana Field on Thursday afternoon and was told he was out of the
lineup for at least one game and maybe more.

Canseco said his benching will not benefit his slump in any way. On the
other hand, he does not have much room to argue.

He is hitting .225 in May with three home runs. He has seven homers for the
season. At this point last year, Canseco was among the league leaders with
17 home runs.

"It's always been physical problems with me before," Canseco, 35, said.
"Maybe I'm thinking too much about the physical stuff. I need to get back
to my basics."

The Rays plan to bring over a young pitcher or two from extended spring
training for an extended batting practice session with Canseco before
tonight's game.

"When I sat down to talk to him, he thought it would be a good idea to see
some live pitching to work on tracking the ball," Rothschild said. "I
thought it was a great idea, so we'll try to do that so he can make some
adjustments and look at different things. It's not just for a four- or
five-pitch at-bat. This way he can stay out there."

Canseco said his biggest problem was getting too antsy with his swing. He
said he is anticipating the ball too quickly instead of staying back on the
pitch.

"It's just little bit by little bit, I've fallen into bad habits. ... It
can last a long time," Canseco said. "I just have to do a better job of
picking the ball up instead of jumping too soon. I need to let the ball do
what it's going to do and then go after it."

==========
From the Tampa Tribune:
Canseco regroups

DH Jose Canseco sat out Thursday and will try a new tack today in an effort
to regain the power stroke he seemed to lose since he went on the disabled
list just before last year's All-Star Game.

Canseco, who has been bothered by a sore calf most of the season, has only
seven home runs in 157 at bats. Including last season, he's hit only 10
homers in 272 at bats since coming off a six- week stay on the disabled
list on Aug. 19.

That average of one home run every 27.2 at bats is well off his career
average of one every 15 at bats, ninth-best in history.

``When I sat down and talked to him, he thought it would be a good idea to
see some live pitching and work on tracking the ball,'' Rothschild said.
``I thought it was a great idea, so we'll try to do that with him [today],
where he can make adjustments and look at some things and it's not just for
a four- or five-pitch at- bat.''

==========
From the Bradenton Herald:

...Canseco, mired in a 14-for-62 slump in May, sat out Thursday's game,
saying he needs to work on restoring the rhythm to his swing.

"I've developed some bad habits, and I need to be technically sound to
hit," said Canseco, who planned to hit against live pitching before
tonight's game. With Canseco out, Rothschild batted McCracken second in the
lineup, dropping third baseman Vinny Castilla to sixth.

==========
From the St. Petersburg Times:
Canseco working on hitting basics
By Mike Readling and John Romano
May 27, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- In an attempt to get his swing back on track and his name
back on the lineup card, Jose Canseco showed up at Tropicana Field for some
early batting practice Friday afternoon.

Make that lots of early batting practice.

The 35-year-old slugger hit for about 45 minutes before Friday's game,
first off light tosses from hitting instructor Leon Roberts and later off
pitching from minor-leaguer Scott Vandermeer.

Tops on Canseco's to-do list was correct his timing and work on keeping his
bat in the hitting zone longer than he has been the past couple weeks.
Manager Larry Rothschild and Wade Boggs looked on, counseling Canseco
between stints in the cage.

Canseco is hitting .261 this season with seven home runs and 20 RBI. At
this time last season he had 18 home runs.

Rothschild kept Canseco out of the starting lineup for the second straight
game, saying the designated hitter had taken a lot of swings during batting
practice, a move that didn't sit well with Canseco.

"Batting practice always goes well," Canseco said dryly. "But I won't know
until I get back in the lineup and actually see some game action."

Canseco began the day by working on his technique, trying to stay back on
pitches thrown by Roberts from about 40 feet, in a drill made to build
"muscle memory." He then called for Vandermeer, a 19-year-old, 15th-round
pick from last season's draft who is headed to Class A Hudson Valley this
summer.

Another 12 minutes and several home runs later, Canseco's day was over.
Vandermeer had a pitching memory and Rothschild had a designated hitter on
his way to the starting lineup.

"We got a lot done, that's why we did it," Rothschild said. "It was a good
day from that aspect. He's just trying to get back to basics. Tomorrow
he'll probably be back in (the lineup)."

Said Vandermeer: "That was fun. I was a little nervous at first but it
wasn't too bad. He hit the ball like I expected him to."

==========
Devil Rays Notebook

Boggs helps Canseco: Stuck in a batting slump that has cost him a lineup
spot the past two games, DH Jose Canseco turned to one of the game's
all-time greatest hitters for help. Wade Boggs was happy to oblige, looking
on as Canseco took batting practice for about 45 minutes before Friday's
series opener against Seattle.

``I asked him `What have you seen that I've been doing wrong lately?' ''
said Canseco, who didn't play for the second straight night. Boggs
answered: ``Basically, just not staying on the ball.''

In an effort to change that, Canseco, who is batting .225 this month with
seven RBIs and three home runs, faced 12 minutes of pitching from
minor-leaguer Scott Vandermeer, the Rays' 15th-round draft pick last spring.

His lone home runs during the session came on two of the last three
pitches. Still, Manager Larry Rothschild was pleased.

``He got a lot done, which is why we did it,'' Rothschild said. ``He's not
doing an overhaul or anything. He's just trying to get back to the basics.''

==========
From ESPN.com:
Canseco's injury 'nagging,' not serious

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A strained left foot kept Jose Canseco out of Tampa
Bay's lineup Saturday, and the Devil Rays placed the slugger on the 15-day
disabled list after a 6-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

The move is retroactive to Thursday, when the slumping 35-year-old
designated hitter was benched so he could spend extra time in the batting
cage. Canseco is batting .225 with three homers in May, and is hitting .261
with seven homers and 20 RBI overall.

Canseco was held out of Friday night's game. He was put in the lineup
Saturday, but had difficulty running in warmups and was scratched.

"It felt a little better when I started running before BP actually started.
Then before the game I went out there and tried to do a little bit more
aggressive sprints, and it just got worse," Canseco said. "I'm not going to
try to continue. It is not getting any better."

Canseco led the AL in homers before back surgery sidelined him for six
weeks last season. He's been slowed by an assortment of injuries all year,
but he felt like the condition of his left foot was beginning to improve
until Saturday.

Recently, he was mentioned in trade talks involving the New York Yankees.

"They are not serious injuries," manager Larry Rothschild said. "They are
just nagging ... Hopefully this will take care of it."

==========
From the St. Petersburg Times:
With Canseco out, loss is extra painful
Slugger goes on DL with sore foot and Rays drop fourth straight.
By John Romano
May 28, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- On the bright side, there have been no reports of pestilence.

Otherwise, it is about as grim as it gets.

The Devil Rays were beaten 6-3 by the Mariners on Saturday for their fourth
straight loss and 11th in 13 games. And, as usual, that was not the day's
worst news.

Jose Canseco re-injured his sore left foot in pregame drills and was placed
on the disabled list after the game.

"This is (messed) up," Canseco said. "I used to hobble, now I can't even do
that."

The Rays were hoping an extended homestand would help them see the light.
Instead, their season is turning ever darker.

To recap the week:

Doc Gooden and Kevin Stocker were released. Dave Eiland and Canseco went on
the disabled list. Fred McGriff, who came in two home runs away from 400,
has gone 3-for-15 with six strikeouts and no homers. Greg Vaughn pulled a
hamstring. Wilson Alvarez had season-ending shoulder surgery.

And, oh, yeah, the Rays have dropped four of five to put them on pace to
lose 110 games. That would be the most losses in the American League since
the St. Louis Browns lost 111 in 1939.

"It's hard to believe," third baseman Vinny Castilla said. "Nobody in this
clubhouse ever thought it could be this bad. Everybody was so optimistic
this spring.

"This is getting old."

For weeks, the Rays kept believing it would get better before it would get
worse. Right now, that is a hard pitch to buy.

There is no longer the hope that Alvarez will help. Vaughn is sidelined
indefinitely and remains a disabled list candidate. Canseco, who was
benched the previous two games because of a slump, is out until June 9.

He took batting practice Saturday and was in the lineup, but the foot began
hurting when he ran pregame sprints. Canseco joins Alvarez and Juan Guzman
on the list of high-profile Rays whiling the time away on the disabled list.

"It's been bothering me all year and I've been playing through it, but now
I can't go any further," Canseco said. "I might as well go on the disabled
list, get it healed, get it healthy, get it strong and go from there."...

==========
From Bradenton Herald:

"My foot has been hurt for a while," said Canseco, who is batting .261 with
seven home runs and 20 runs batted in. "You guys see me in games limping
out there and hobbling around.

"We took an X-ray and there is a bone spur in there, but it is more muscle
than anything. I'm not going to try to continue. Weighing 250 pounds, when
the foot hits, there is so much pressure on it per square inch."

The injury will create more playing time for Trammell and Steve Cox, who
hit his first major-league home run in Friday's 11-4 loss and made a
spectacular sliding catch in the second on a foul pop by Mark McLemore.

==========
From the Sporting News:
See A Different Game

The offense took another big hit on May 27 when DH Jose Canseco went on the
15-day disabled list with a strained left foot.

Canseco said his foot has been bothering him for a while, and he
re-aggravated it prior to the May 27th game. The injury is not considered
serious. The time away from the game may not only help Canseco's foot to
heal, but also to get his mind re-focused on hitting. Canseco has been in a
horrible slump, and had actually been benched in the two games prior to
being placed on the DL.

Canseco is a veteran hitter who can get hot real fast, so Tampa Bay has
stayed away from doing any major overhauls of Canseco's mechanics. However,
Canseco had a couple of 45-minute sessions of extra batting practice in an
attempt to iron out his problems. Canseco had been concentrating on seeing
the ball better and not jumping at so many pitches.

Basically, Canseco's timing has been way off and he was working on keeping
the bat in the hitting zone longer. Prior to going on the DL, Canseco had
only seven homers, and three in May.