With his career on the “Surreal Life” on hold, former major league baseball player Jose Canseco has decided to join a baseball team known as the San Diego Surf Dawgs. This is the lowest rung in professional baseball and you may recall that future hall of famer Ricky Henderson played for the same team last year.
Far too many times in the past we have seen athletes in usually baseball and boxing not have the ability to let the game go and they hang around one too many games or fights and then the door gets slammed completely.
The same day that this was being announced, word came out of California that Barry Bonds personal trainer Greg Anderson has refused to testify for a federal grand jury.
Meanwhile in Los Angeles it was learned that former Dodger Steve Howe had drugs in his system when he crashed his vehicle last April. Howe had an incredible arm but was suspended 7 times by MLB for drug infractions.
In regards to Jose it is a shame that he continues to make news in an embarrassing fashion as I and several other baseball analysts respect that he came forward and ripped the lid off this embarrassing steroid scenario. It exposed players such as Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, and Jason Giambi and of course Barry Bonds.
He hit 462 home runs in a 17-year career with Oakland, Texas, Boston, Toronto, Tampa Bay, the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox. The news release announcing the deal said Canseco will be the DH “and will showcase his knuckleball as a member of the team’s pitching staff.”
Canseco made one big league pitching appearance, working the final inning for the Texas Rangers in a 15-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on May 29, 1993. He walked the bases loaded and allowed three runs and two hits. He threw 12 strikes and 21 balls, most of which were far from the strike zone.
But he tore a ligament in his elbow, ending his season. He said he felt a sharp pain in his elbow on his second pitch, but stayed in and threw 31 more pitches.
Canseco was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1986 and MVP in 1988, when he hit 42 homers, drove in 124 runs and stole 40 bases to lead the A’s to the World Series, where they were upset by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
That season, Canseco became the first player in major league history to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases.
Talk about from the “Penthouse to the Outhouse”!
Bob Acton
