Canseco Not Leaving Team..."Is a Warrior"

Depending on who (and what website) you pay attention to, Jose Canseco's stint (stunt?) with the Worcester Tornadoes might be over.

You see, Cameron Monger, one of the former big leaguer's teammates, tweeted the following early Friday morning:

Monger has since deleted the tweet, but, thankfully...it didn't disappear from the internets.  So what does that mean...is the former American League MVP staying or leaving?!?

Just as confused as you...I did what I always do.  I reached out to friend of The Hall, Canseco's agent, Jose Melendez.

"No he is not leaving the team. He has had some nagging serious injuries and the team wants him to heal," Melendez explained to me.  "Jose is stubborn and still playing hurt and will continue to play because that what he loves to do. He is a warrior."

I can't blame Canseco for time off honestly.  Dude turns 48 in a couple of weeks and in 64 at bats, he's hitting just .188 with 21 strikeouts.

The "Jose Canseco Lawsuit" Update

Alright, internet, let's make a deal.  When Jose Canseco stops making "news"...I'll stop regurgitating it.

The other day, I told you about how the former slugger is contemplating suing the North American Baseball League for money he was owed.

And today?  Update!

According to NBC affiliate KYMA in Yuma..."hazardous waste removal" is one of the reasons the NABL didn't make good on dude's salary.

The other..."violating league rules".  Ooops.

Read for yourself.

In an e-mail sent to KYMA-TV, North American Baseball League CEO Kevin Outcalt says that Canseco never received his full salary due to a number of violations against the league. Outcalt states Canseco was fined $16,000 by North American League Baseball Operations Director Harry Stavrenos for "violating league rules." Outcalt clarified this charge later in a phone interview, saying Canseco was originally fined $25,000 for forfeiting and refusing to put his team on the field for a game in Chico this past August. After a league review of the violation, the fine was reduced to $16,000.

The e-mail also alleges that Canseco stuck the league with a $3,500 dollar bill for damages and cleaning that included the removal of "hazardous waste material" from the house Canseco rented on Martinez Lake.
 
The total sum of $19,500 was deducted from his contract.

 
So...about that hazardous waste.
 

KYMA-TV also reached out to Yuma General Manager Jose Melendez, who lived with Jose Canseco this season on Martinez Lake. Melendez says the damages done to the house were largely from Canseco's dog, a great dane named "Bruce." Broken screen doors, stains on carpets and couches, and patio damage were among some items for which tenants were charged. Melendez says that some of the charges are legitimate(screen doors, patio damage), but there are still some cleaning/travel charges they are disputing with the realtor.

 
On the plus side, Melendez (a decent dude and a good friend of The Hall, by the way) says Canseco already has plans to join Pete Rose in an "autograph and appearance business" in Las Vegas this coming winter.

To be continued...

Were More Canseco Brothers Shenanagins Afoot? Perhaps

Remember a few months ago when Jose Canseco and his twin brother Ozzie pulled the old switcheroo at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Florida?

Well...I'm afraid (is "afraid" the right word?) that I might have uncovered some potential shenanigans prior to the Yuma Scorpions-Lake County Fielders game Thursday night.

Follow me on this one.

For a couple of months, I had been working with Scorpions general manager Jose Melendez on possibly getting an interview with the team's player/manager Jose Canseco.

I know, I know, I've been burned by Canseco before (kinda), but based on the emails I was exchanging with Melendez...this interview appeared like it was going to happen.

Then...I got this email.

Canseco has a prior commitment tonight that I wasn't aware. He is in Chicago area at a fundraiser event. I hope he can be there by gametime.

Uh oh...that's not good. Dude is the only reason that my group convoyed to Zion, Illinois to watch baseball in a dusty parking lot behind a CVS Pharmacy.

But then genius struck.

Why not go get some beverages and hotdogs and stake out the team clubhouse (it's a mobile trailer set up just past the leftfield bleachers really) and wait for the slugger. I mean...we HAD to be the only cats that knew Jose Canseco wasn't there yet, right?

We approached the trail..er, "clubhouse" and then it happened. The door opens and out of it emerges OZZIE Canseco.

Wearing his brother's number 33 jersey.

We were dumbfounded...shocked really. But there he was, Ozzie Canseco, just trotting to the field, casually gesturing to fans that were there to see his brother, the 1988 American League MVP.

So...I emailed Melendez.  I had to.

Is Ozzie wearing Jose's 33 tonight? Looks like it. Hmmm.

His response.

Lol. Don't tell me that. He is number 32.

To which I responded.

Ozzie is wearing 33.

And then it hit me. Jose was, more than likely, NOT going to make it to Zion at all.  And since he is playing the "Bingo Long" role when it comes to this team of "Travelling All Stars" (former Major Leaguers Joey Gathright and Willy Aybar also play for Yuma)...brother Ozzie was going to stop in and assume the part.

By wearing number 33. And again, it wouldn't be the first time the twins pulled this sort of thing.

A few minutes later, here comes Ozzie, heading back to the team "clubhouse" SANS 33 JERSEY (check out the video below...sorry for the quality). About a minute later he emerges again, this time with the number 32, his number, on his back.

He cheerfully greeted some fans (including my band of misfits), laughing "I'm not Jose" and signed some autographs.

And then...the next email from Melendez came to my phone.

Who is wearing 32?

So, I'm asking you, fans of The Hall...did I blow the roof off some halfbaked scheme by the Canseco Brothers?  Were they trying to pull a fast one on the unsuspecting fans of the Lake County Fielders?

Honestly...I'm not sure.  And frankly, based on the number of people taking pictures of Ozzie Canseco with their phones...it would've worked.

I'll leave you with this...Ozzie Canseco actually seems like a decent guy and I've got mad respect for the guy after seeing him out there doing his thing and seemingly picking up the pieces his brother appears to be leaving behind.

Friday 5: Jose Melendez

I’m going to go out on a limb and concede that you probably don’t know who Jose Melendez is.

Yet.

But let’s not kid ourselves. No one knew who Bill Veeck was until 1947 when he signed Larry Doby…the first African-American to play in the American League.

Sure, Veeck went on to mastermind plenty of baseball’s best publicity stunts…sending a midget to bat in 1951, implementing the “exploding scoreboard at Comiskey Park and, of course, 1979’s Disco Demolition Night. Melendez has already come up with one stunt and, frankly, it is a winner.

This past April, he named Jose Canseco manager of the Yuma Scorpions and, recently, I had the chance to talk with the ambitious general manager.

HOVG: Alright, I’ve gotta start by asking the obvious...how does one get Jose Canseco to come play for and manage his baseball team, much less, get in touch with the former MVP and best selling author?

MELENDEZ: Actually, I have been a huge fan of Jose Canseco my whole life. I grew up watching the (Oakland) A’s and I am still a die hard fan of the team. Canseco always interested me in helping him get back to the game he loves. I feel he has lots to offer. My older brother is the one that actually found his contact information and we worked diligently in getting him to Laredo (Texas) in 2010. In 2011, we came onboard with the Yuma scorpions.

HOVG: Not too long ago, Canseco took to Twitter looking for someone to help him put together a reality show about the Yuma Scorpions. What is the latest?

MELENDEZ: I feel that a reality show depicting the return of the Canseco brothers is something that will be a great success on TV. There are so many interesting factors both bring to the table and the public will be fascinated about how they really are.

HOVG: Is the reality show all part of your plan to bring “Hollywood to Yuma”? I read about some of your plans online...what other ideas are you kicking around?

MELENDEZ: We plan on bringing a lot of celebrities (to Yuma) this season. We are in talks with many celebrities to make appearances and put on a good show for the people of Yuma. It will be fun.

HOVG: I also read a report that said that you’ve invited former Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez to join the Scorpions. Where does that stand...have you made any progress?

MELENDEZ: We have extended invitations to a lot of prominent (former) Major Leaguers. We hope things go our way and they agree to come.

HOVG: What’s on the horizon? What can we expect to see you pull out of your bag of tricks next?

MELENDEZ: I always like to create a buzz and now with great ownership (Diamond Sports) where they push creativity. I feel this will be an amazing season and something to really look forward to. All I can say is, you haven’t seen anything yet.

Jose Melendez spent the past six years with the Laredo (Texas) Broncos, where he took home the United League's Executive of the Year three times. His current team, the Yuma Scorpions, kicked off their season the past Tuesday by splitting a double-header against the Calgary Vipers.