Canseco is back and isn't just swinging the bat.

[tdarko]

Link

[ QUOTE ]

6/29/2006

Jose Canseco Launches Comeback with
Golden Baseball League
Slugger Joins the San Diego Surf Dawgs



Jose Canseco
(Pleasanton, CA. June 29, 2006) The Golden Baseball League announced today that former American League Rookie of the Year, MVP, and Home Run Champion Jose Canseco has agreed to contract terms with the league. He will join the San Diego Surf Dawgs beginning Monday, July 3rd and will play in the game that night at 7:05 PM versus the Chico Outlaws in Chico, CA.

A press conference is scheduled for Monday, July 3rd at 2:00 PM at Nettleton Stadium, located on the Chico State Campus in Chico, California.

Canseco will have a dual role with the Surf Dawgs as he will become an every day Designated Hitter for the team, and will showcase his knuckleball as a member of the team’s pitching staff.

“We are thrilled that Jose has decided to become a member of the Golden Baseball League,” said GBL President Amit Patel. “We strive to provide a high quality entertainment product, and Jose will undoubtedly be entertaining for our fans.”

Canseco, 41, has had a spectacular professional baseball career. In seventeen big league seasons he was named Rookie of the Year and American League MVP, was selected as a member of six All-Star teams, and played in four World Series -- winning championships with the 1989 Oakland Athletics and 2000 New York Yankees. This will be his second stint in a professional Independent League. He previously played for the Newark Bears in the Atlantic League in 2001 and had his contract purchased by the Chicago White Sox.

“We are excited to be the venue Jose has selected to prove to major league organizations that he can still be an asset to a big league ball club,” said GBL Commissioner Kevin Outcalt. “His signing provides yet another opportunity for the league to give our fans and our communities a great baseball experience.”

“I’m excited to have Jose on the team, for both his playing abilities and for his veteran leadership,” said San Diego Surf Dawgs Manager Terry Kennedy. “We can use his offensive power to get us into the playoffs to defend our title, and I’m very interested in seeing him pitch to see if he can help us there as well.”

A longtime sports and pop culture icon, Canseco’s notoriety raised to record heights in 2005 with the publication of his autobiographical best seller “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big” that detailed steroid use in professional baseball. Now weighing a sleek 230 pounds, down almost 30 pounds from his playing days, he has agreed to be subjected to the GBL’s tough drug testing policy that immediately expels any players found using steroids or illegal drugs.
Last season nine players, out of over 200 tested, were terminated from the league for illegal drug use. “Jose will be treated consistent with all of our players regarding drug testing,” added Outcalt.

Canseco will be playing for the league maximum of $2500 per month. He will also be entering into a marketing agreement with the Golden Baseball League which includes a special Jose Canseco apparel line and interactive events with fans and kids at all of the League’s ballparks.

“I’m looking forward to having fun in professional baseball again, as I’ve really missed it,” said Canseco. “I love what this league is doing for players, communities, and families, and I want to be part of it. Rickey had a great experience with the Surf Dawgs last year and it will be great playing for Terry Kennedy and reminding him of the stomping my A’s gave his Giants in the ’89 World Series!”

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[kyleb]

He is due to throw out his arm fairly soon. Again.

[tdarko]

Kyle,

He was shopping around to play in the northeast last year but nobody wanted the circus to come in town, it makes sense the Golden League picked this up considering they have been struggling with attendance, and they are a new league and all. Ricky Henderson brought in pretty much the leagues only fans last year so maybe Canseco can do the same.

My prediction is that he will fail miserably on the mound and after a few blowups on the mound he will solely be a hitter.

[kyleb]

tdarko,

Yeah, that seems pretty likely. His stint with the A's on the mound worked out real well for him, so I can't imagine how well it's going to go 15+ years later in the GBL.

[reo]

Canseco . . . if you were to read this . . . listen.

There are other things in the this world besides baseball.

[THAY3R]

You mean like putting Rocket Fuel in your car? Or F'ing Madonna?

[wall_st]

My current roommate works in the surf dawgs front office.

Basically right now the surf dawgs really seem to be hurting for attendance, so as others have said this signing really makes a lot of sense. Throughout the beginning of the season it was still up in the air if rickey henderson was going to come back. He was a big draw last year so there was still a lot of hope that he would come back, they even had rickey henderson bobblehead night which as usual was still sparesley attended. Henderson didn't sign but will (or possibly has already) attend a week where he will be 1st base coach.

I personally think canseco playing will be a great thing for this league. The level of play is pretty low at these games but having an ex pro, especially someone like canseco will really generate some enthusiasm for the league (sportscenter already talked about his return a bit). I personally am pretty excited to go, if anything for the circus.

Also the surf dawgs recently changed ownerships and im pretty sure that this signing has something to do with that.

[Bulldog]

1993 TEX Canseco 1 G, 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K. 27.00 ERA.

[Jack of Arcades]

He's gotta be better than Joe Mays.