Editing Jose Canseco (section)

==Baseball career==
===Minor League Baseball (1982–1985)===
The [[Oakland Athletics]] drafted Canseco in the 15th round of the [[1982 Major League Baseball draft]]. He made his professional baseball debut with the [[Fort Myers Mighty Mussels|Miami Marlins]] of the [[Florida State League]] and also played [[Minor League Baseball]] with the [[Southern Oregon Timberjacks|Medford A's]], [[Madison Muskies]], [[Idaho Falls Chukars|Idaho Falls A's]], [[Modesto Nuts|Modesto A's]], and [[Tacoma Rainiers|Tacoma Tigers]]. Canseco started the 1985 season with the Class-AA [[Huntsville Stars]] and became known as "Parkway José" for his long home runs (25 in half a season) that went close to the [[Memorial Parkway (Huntsville)|Memorial Parkway]] behind [[Joe Davis Stadium]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Sullivan|first=Paul|title=Huntsville Goes Ga-ga Over Canseco's Return|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1989/07/03/huntsville-goes-ga-ga-over-cansecos-return/|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=July 3, 1989}}</ref> Canseco was nicknamed "The Natural", with some analysts saying he was the best prospect since [[Willie Mays]]. Oakland A's hitting coach [[Bob Watson]] said that Canseco was a mixture of [[Roberto Clemente]], [[Dale Murphy]], and [[Reggie Jackson]]. Others touted Canseco as the next [[Mickey Mantle]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/09/sports/sports-of-the-times-a-rookie-to-remember.html|title=Sports of the Times; a Rookie to Remember|first=Dave|last=Anderson|date=March 9, 1986|newspaper=The New York Times|at=sec. 5 p. 3|access-date=September 13, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-04-20-sp-1237-story.html|title=Mantle Understands Canseco's Drive for Fences: 'Tape Measure' Home Run Was Invented to Describe Former Yankee's Blasts|agency=United Press International|date=April 20, 1986|work=Los Angeles Times}} {{subscription required}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/07/19/Jose-Canseco-bats-over-500-hits-500-foot-home-runs/7081490593600/|title=Jose Canseco bats over .500, hits 500-foot home runs...|website=[[United Press International]]|date=July 19, 1985|access-date=September 13, 2024}}</ref>

===Major League Baseball (1985–2001)===
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2024}}

====Oakland Athletics (1985–1992)====
In 1985, Canseco won the [[Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award]], and was a late "September call-up" for the [[Oakland Athletics]]. He made his Major League debut on September 2, striking out in his one at-bat against the [[Baltimore Orioles]]. His first hit was off [[Ron Guidry]] of the [[New York Yankees]] on September 7,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA198509070.shtml|title=September 7, 1985 Oakland Athletics at New York Yankees Box Score and Play by Play|work=[[Baseball Reference|Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=January 3, 2016}}</ref> and his first home run was off [[Jeff Russell]] of the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] on September 9.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK198509090.shtml|title=September 9, 1985 Texas Rangers at Oakland Athletics Box Score and Play by Play|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=January 3, 2016}}</ref> He played in 29 games in the major leagues in 1985, batting .302 with 5 home runs and 13 RBIs in 96 at-bats. He was named Player of the Week from September 23 to 29 with a .481 BA (13 for 27), 3 HRs, and 7 RBIs in 7 games. He played both left and right field in 26 games and made 3 errors in 61 chances, with 56 putouts, 2 assists, and 1 double play. On September 26, he played 3 innings in center field, in his only career appearance in that position. For the entire 1985 year (AA, AAA, and Major League level combined), Canseco had a .330 batting average with 41 home runs, 140 runs batted in, 73 extra base hits, 336 total bases, and a .622 slugging percentage.<ref name="BR3">{{Cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=cansec001jos |title=José Canseco Minor and Independent League Statistics |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=September 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240410200127/https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=cansec001jos |archive-date=April 10, 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref>

After being named Minor League Baseball Player of the Year and a good September call-up the prior year, Canseco was the favorite to win the [[American League]]'s [[MLB Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]] Award in 1986. He batted either fifth or third in the lineup and he established himself that year in his first full season as the starting left fielder for the Athletics. By the [[MLB All-Star Game|All-Star break]] he was leading the American League in home runs (23) and runs batted in (78) and was selected as a backup outfielder for the All-Star Game by manager [[Dick Howser]], although he did not see any playing time in the game. An 0-for-34 batting slump in August prevented him from winning the RBI crown, finishing with 117, four fewer than league leader [[Joe Carter]]. He led the league in outfielder errors with 14 and was third with 175 strikeouts. 
Nonetheless, his 33 [[home run]]s (4th in the AL), 117 RBIs, 29 doubles, and 15 stolen bases helped him win the American League Rookie of the Year award, defeating [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]] first baseman [[Wally Joyner]]. He also finished 20th in the American League MVP ballot.<ref name="BR4">{{Cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cansejo01.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com |title=José Canseco |access-date=September 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240825042206/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cansejo01.shtml |archive-date=August 25, 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1987, first baseman [[Mark McGwire]] joined Canseco on the Athletics, as an everyday player. In that roster the A's also had veteran slugger [[Reggie Jackson]], Canseco's childhood hero, playing in his last MLB season. McGwire hit 49 home runs that year and was also named the American League Rookie of the Year. Together, Canseco and McGwire formed a fearsome offensive tandem, later known as the "[[Bash Brothers]]". Canseco followed his rookie season with a similar offensive performance in 1987. He improved his batting average from .240 in 1986 to .257 in 1987, hitting 31 home runs, 113 runs batted in (6th in the AL), and 35 doubles (10th) in 691 at-bats (9th), while missing only 3 games the entire season. He was also 5th in the league in strikeouts, with 157.<ref name="BR4" /> In the outfield, Canseco improved his performance compared to 1986. Playing left field the entire year, he was among the league leaders in this position with a .976 fielding average (3rd), 267 putouts (2nd), 12 assists (3rd), and 3 double plays (1st).<ref name="BR4" /> He only committed 7 errors, half of what he made the previous year.<ref name="BR4" /> He finished 23rd in the MVP ballot.<ref name="BR4" /> Canseco combined with McGwire for a total of 80 home runs and 236 runs batted in, making the young pair (Canseco was 22 years old and McGwire 23) the most spectacular batting duo in the upcoming years, drawing comparisons to the likes of [[Mickey Mantle]]/[[Roger Maris]], [[Willie Mays]]/[[Willie McCovey]], and [[Hank Aaron]]/[[Eddie Mathews]].

[[File:Jose Canseco 1989.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|Canseco with the A's in 1989]]
During the preseason of 1988, Canseco guaranteed he would hit [[40–40 club|at least 40 home runs and steal at least 40 bases]] in the upcoming season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-08-19-sp-501-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|first=Thomas|last=Boswell|title=Jose Canseco's 40–40 Vision Starting to Come Into Focus|date=August 19, 1988}}</ref> The Athletics lineup featured established players with a lot of experience like former MVPs [[Dave Parker]] and [[Don Baylor]], as well as outfielder [[Dave Henderson]], and third baseman [[Carney Lansford]], that complemented McGwire and Canseco in the middle of the batting order. After alternating between batting second and third in the lineup for the first 10 games of the season, he was inserted in the number 3 spot for the rest of the season. He also moved from left to right field. Canseco hit a home run on Opening Day against the Seattle Mariners and had his first stolen base of the season. During the first 40 games of the season, he hit for a .300 batting average with 10 home runs and 15 stolen bases. His first multi-home run game was on July 3 against the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] at [[Exhibition Stadium]] during a 16-inning contest in which Canseco had a 3-for-7 performance, with 3 home runs and 6 runs batted in. By the All-Star break, he had 24 home runs (1st in the American League), 22 stolen bases, and 67 RBIs (2nd in the AL). He was selected by fans to the All-Star Game as one of the starting outfielders, batting fourth in the lineup. On July 31, he had his second and last multi-home run game of the year against the [[Seattle Mariners]], hitting 2 homers. On September 18, he hit his 40th home run of the year against the [[Kansas City Royals]] in front of the Oakland crowd. Five days later against the [[Milwaukee Brewers]], Canseco stole 2 bases, the second one coming after his first bunt of the season, to become the first 40-40 player in Major League history. With a .393/.446/.753 slash line, 8 home runs, and 24 RBIs in 24 games for the month, he was named the American League's Player of the Month for September. A well-rounded team with lots of power, great starting and relief pitching, and a sound defense, the Oakland Athletics finished the season with a major league-best 104 wins and swept the Boston Red Sox in 4 games in the ALCS. For the series, Canseco had a .313 batting average and hit home runs in games one, two, and four, and all of them either tied the game or gave the Athletics the lead, but the ALCS MVP Award went to reliver [[Dennis Eckersley]] who had 4 saves in 4 chances. The A's met the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] in the [[1988 World Series|World Series]], a matchup that featured the leading candidate to win the American League MVP Award facing the eventual National League Cy Young Award winner, [[Orel Hershiser]]. The Dodgers prevailed, upsetting the A's in five games. Canseco hit a [[grand slam (baseball)|grand slam]] in Game 1 during his first official World Series at-bat (though his second plate appearance, after he was hit by a pitch in the first inning), tying [[Gene Tenace]] for the Athletics’ franchise record of most home runs in a single postseason with 4, but it would be his only hit in the Series. He was unanimously named the American League's [[MLB Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player]] in 1988 (making him the seventh player in league history to win the award unanimously) with a .307 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]], 120 [[run (baseball)|runs scored]] (second in the league), and 347 total bases (2nd), and leading the major leagues with 76 [[extra-base hit]]s, 124 RBIs, 42 home runs, a .569 [[slugging percentage]], and a 14.5 home run per at-bat ratio.<ref name="BR4" /> His 40 [[stolen base]]s were the fourth highest in the league. 27 of his 42 home runs of the season either tied the game or gave the Athletics the lead. He also won his first [[Silver Slugger Award]].<ref name="BR4" /> He was exclusively a right fielder during the year, playing in 144 games on defense, committing 7 errors in 322 chances, and had 304 putouts for a .978 fielding percentage.<ref name="BR4" /> He was third in the league in outfielder assists with 11.<ref name="BR4" />

In 1989, Canseco missed the first 88 games of the regular season because of a broken wrist during the preseason. Despite not playing a single game in the first half of the year, he was voted as one of the starting outfielders for the American League All-Star team. Unable to play he was replaced in the lineup by Rangers outfielder [[Rubén Sierra]]. Canseco returned immediately after the All-Star break, hitting an opposite-field home run against the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] in his first game of the season. He hit 5 home runs in his first 35 at bats (10 games), but only 2 in the following 20 games. After finding his rhythm at the plate, Canseco finished the season strong, hitting .286 with 10 home runs, 33 hits, and 33 RBIs in his last 30 games of the year. He managed to hit 17 home runs with 57 RBIs in barely 65 games played for the entire season, a pace equal to 40+ home runs and 130+ RBIs had he played a full season. The Athletics won the AL West and their first [[1989 World Series|World Series]] since [[1974 World Series|1974]], beating the [[San Francisco Giants]] in four games. Canseco had a solid postseason, batting .323 and hitting 2 home runs including one in the ALCS against the Blue Jays that reached the upper deck of the [[SkyDome]]. Against the Giants, in the World Series, he hit for a .357 average with a home run in Game 3.<ref name="BR4" /> The 1989 Series was interrupted before Game 3 by [[Loma Prieta earthquake|a major earthquake]] in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]].

As the reigning World Series Champs, the Oakland Athletics were favorites to repeat, and they were hopeful that Canseco would remain healthy throughout the [[1990 MLB season|1990 season]]. In May, he was named the American League's Player of the Month for the second time in his career, after hitting .353 in 27 games with 13 home runs and 35 runs batted in. Canseco started to have back problems, an issue that would become recurrent in his career. Despite missing over 20 games due to injury during the first part of the season, he received a then-record 5-year, $23.5-million dollar contract, making him the highest paid player in Major League history and the first ever to make at least $4 million in a year, averaging $4.7 million per season. On May 22, Canseco hit his first regular-season grand slam of his career against the Toronto Blue Jays. By the All-Star break, he had played in only 64 games, hitting .293 with 22 home runs (6 behind the American League leader [[Cecil Fielder]]). Canseco was selected to start in the All-Star Game for the third consecutive year, this time with the most fan votes in the American League. On July 18, his twin brother [[Ozzie Canseco]] made his major league debut. During a July 24 game against the [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]], both José and Ozzie had line drive hits to left field off pitcher [[Jim Abbott]] and both were thrown out at second base by left fielder [[Max Venable]], trying to extend a single in to a double. Although he hit 15 home runs in 69 games during the second half, Canseco was not as productive as the first part of the year. He missed another 11 games late in the season, and at times he was coming off the bench as a pinch hitter. From August 1 until the end of the regular season, he hit .220 with 5 homers, 24 RBIs, and 60 strikeouts in 47 games, while battling with a back injury. He finished 3rd in the league with 37 home runs, behind Fielder (51) and teammate Mark McGwire (39). In 131 games, he had 101 runs batted in and 19 stolen bases.<ref name="BR4" /> It was the fourth time in 5 years that he had 100+ RBIs.<ref name="BR4" /> For the season, he played in 43 games as the designated hitter and only 88 in right field, making only one error in 189 chances during the year. The Oakland A's won their division with a league-best 103 wins and were the favorites to win the World Series. Canseco had a discreet ALCS, hitting .182 (2-for-11) with 5 strikeouts, but the A's swept the Boston Red Sox 4 games to 0, and moved on to play in their third World Series in a row, this time against the [[Cincinnati Reds]]. Canseco struggled both at the plate and in the outfield, missing on two key plays in Game 2. In the same game, he had his only hit of the series, a 2-run home run against [[Danny Jackson]], to set a franchise record with the 7th postseason home run of his career. After going 0 for 4 in Game 3, and 1 for 11 in the series, Canseco was benched in Game 4. Manager [[Tony LaRussa]] cited Canseco's sore back and injured middle finger as the reasons for taking him out of the lineup, but there was speculation that his own teammates requested LaRussa to bench Canseco due to his poor outfield performance and struggles at the plate. Down 2 runs to 1 and facing elimination in Game 4, Canseco entered as a [[pinch hitter]] in the bottom of the 9th, but he grounded out to third for the second out of the inning. One batter later, the Reds completed the sweep over a heavily favored Oakland team. At the end of the year, Canseco won his second Silver Slugger Award and finished 12th in the AL MVP ballot.<ref name="BR4" />

Canseco continued to be productive the following year and for the first time since 1988, completely healthy. By the All-Star break of the 1991 season, he was leading the league with 21 home runs (tied with [[Cecil Fielder]]) and had 63 RBIs, but inexplicably did not receive All-Star Game consideration by either the fans or as a reserve player, as his own A's skipper [[Tony LaRussa]], managing the AL for the 3rd straight year, did not select him as a substitute. Fans instead voted Athletics outfielder [[Dave Henderson]], who had far lesser offensive numbers than Canseco, and LaRussa selected [[Kirby Puckett]], [[Joe Carter]], and [[Rubén Sierra]] as the reserve outfielders. Canseco not being selected by his own manager despite leading the league in home runs, led many to believe that the relationship between Canseco and LaRussa had started to deteriorate. His best month that season was July, hitting 10 home runs in 27 games (1 every 11.1 at-bats) with a .315 batting average. He finished the 1991 season batting .266 with 44 home runs, earning the second home run crown of his career (tied with Detroit's Cecil Fielder), 122 RBIs, 26 stolen bases, and a .556 slugging percentage.<ref name="BR4" /> He led the AL with a home run every 13.0 at bats, while finishing 4th in the MVP ballot.<ref name="BR4" /> He won his third Silver Slugger Award in four years.<ref name="BR4" /> Towards the end of the season, there were mixed opinions from the Oakland fans in regards to Canseco; some would boo him but others showed support by cheering in games at the Oakland Coliseum. During a home game on September 20, and after rumors that he was on his way out of Oakland, he received a standing ovation by the fans. Canseco responded with his 42nd home run of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays, tying his career-best. The Athletics, however, missed the playoffs for the first time in three years, finishing 4th in the AL West.

The Athletics returned to contention in 1992, and despite missing 24 of the A's games in the first half, Canseco hit 18 home runs (in 249 at-bats) by the All-Star break, and he was voted to start his 4th All-Star Game in 5 years, though he was unable to play due to a sore right shoulder and was replaced with Joe Carter.

At this point during his tenure with the A's, from 1986 to 1992, and despite missing roughly 120 games between 1989 and 1990 and about 20 more during the first half of the 1992 season, Canseco averaged 32 home runs a year and hit 100+ RBIs five times.<ref name="BR4" /> He also averaged 40 home runs, 125 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases per every 162 games played; captured AL Rookie of the Year honors, two home run titles, an MVP award, three Silver Slugger Awards, three American League Pennants, and a World Series ring.<ref name="BR4" /> He was selected to five All-Star Games in his first 7 full Major League seasons.<ref name="BR4" /> In the six years between 1986 and 1991, he finished in the top four in the American League home run leaderboard 4 times. He hit 231 home runs from 1985 to 1992 for the A's, putting him 2nd all-time behind Reggie Jackson since the Athletics moved to Oakland in 1968.<ref name="BR4" /> His 7 career postseason home runs and 18 runs batted in are both the all-time record for the franchise (1901–2024).

====Texas Rangers (1992–1994)====
On August 31, 1992, in the bottom of the first inning of a game vs the [[1992 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]], and while Canseco was in the on-deck circle, the A's traded him to the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] for [[Rubén Sierra]], [[Jeff Russell]], [[Bobby Witt]], and cash. At the moment of the trade, Canseco was batting .243 with 22 home runs and 72 RBIs in 97 games, and the A's were leading the American League West Division by 6.5 games. The Oakland front office was looking to fortify their pitching down the stretch. A's general manager Sandy Alderson announced the trade while the Athletics were still playing the Orioles that night. The trade caught Canseco, the fans, the media, and people throughout Major League Baseball all by surprise, as Canseco was considered at the time the best player in baseball, but was also the most scrutinized. From 1986 until the date of the trade, no other player had hit more home runs (226) in the major leagues. In Texas, Canseco joined Latino stars [[Rafael Palmeiro]], [[Juan González (baseball)|Juan González]], and [[Iván Rodríguez]]. He had a good start with the Rangers, hitting .367 (11-for-30) with 3 home runs and 11 RBIs in his first 8 games, but had only 6 hits and one home run in his last 43 at-bats, averaging .140. Despite missing nearly 50 games to injuries and the trade to the Rangers, Canseco managed to hit 26 home runs (7th in the AL) and had 87 runs batted in, playing 115 games in 1992 for the Athletics and the Rangers.<ref name="BR4" /> From 1985, the year he debuted with the A's, until the end of 1992, Canseco's 235 home runs were the most by any major league player. At the end of the 1992 season, the Oakland A's would go on to lose the American League Championship Series to the Toronto Blue Jays 4 games to 2. Since winning the 1990 ALCS, the A's would not win a playoff series for another 16 seasons.

Canseco started the 1993 season relatively healthy, playing in all of the Rangers' games in the first quarter of the season (45 games). Although hitting only a home run every 20 at bats, he had 44 hits, 12 doubles, 7 home runs and 38 RBIs in the first 36 games he played, while batting .306 in that span. On April 25, he became the first player since [[Ted Williams]] in 1947 to reach 750 RBIs in less than 1,000 games played. On May 26, 1993, during a game against the [[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland Indians]], [[Carlos Martínez (infielder)|Carlos Martínez]] hit a fly ball that Canseco lost sight of as he was crossing the [[warning track]]. The ball hit him on the head and bounced over the wall for a home run.<ref name="The Ballplayers – Jose Canseco">{{Cite web |url=https://baseballbiography.com/jose-canseco-1964 |title=Jose Canseco |website=Baseballbiography.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208072147/https://baseballbiography.com/jose-canseco-1964/ |archive-date=December 8, 2022 |access-date=September 13, 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref> The cap Canseco was wearing on that play, which ''[[This Week in Baseball]]'' rated in 1998 as the greatest [[blooper]] of the show's first 21 years, is in the collection of ESPN journalist [[Keith Olbermann]]. Three days later, on May 29, Canseco asked his [[manager (baseball)|manager]], [[Kevin Kennedy (baseball)|Kevin Kennedy]], to let him pitch the eighth inning of a runaway loss to the [[Boston Red Sox]]. In his inning-long pitching appearance, he injured his arm. He was out of the lineup from May 31 until June 10. He played in another 15 games after pitching against the Red Sox but he was shut down on June 23 due to arm discomfort, requiring [[Tommy John surgery]] and missing the remainder of the season. He finished the 1993 season hitting .256 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs in 60 games.<ref name="BR4" />

In the [[1994–95 Major League Baseball strike|strike-shortened 1994 season]], Canseco again returned to his former status as a power hitter. Throughout the season, he was amongst the American League leaders in home runs, while playing exclusively as a [[designated hitter]]. On April 20, he hit the 250th home run of his career, making him the 16th player with that total before age 30. From June 3 to the 13th, he batted .559 (19-for-34) with 8 home runs and 20 runs batted in. In the last game of that span, he set career-highs for a single game with 5 hits, 8 RBIs, and 3 home runs (tying a career-high), including a grand slam against the [[Seattle Mariners]]. During [[Kenny Rogers (baseball)|Kenny Rogers]]' perfect game on July 28, Canseco went 2-for-4 with 2 solo home runs in the 4–0 victory over the [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]]. He finished the season with 31 home runs (4th in the AL), 90 RBIs (7th), a .552 Slugging Percentage (7), and hitting a home run every 13.8 at-bats (5th) while playing in 111 of the Rangers' 114 games. He also stole 15 bases, posted a .282 batting average, led the league with 20 GIDP (ground into double-play), and was second in the league with 114 strikeouts. Canseco was on pace to set career highs in home runs (45), runs batted in (130) and runs scored (127) when the players' strike started on August 12. He was named [[The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year|''The Sporting News'' Comeback Player of the Year]] and finished in 11th place in the AL MVP voting.<ref name="BR4" />

Playing for the Texas Rangers, Canseco hit 45 home runs (averaging 37 per every 162 games played), 136 runs batted in, 23 stolen bases, 118 runs scored, and 180 hits in 171 games played, for a .273/.360/.515 slash line and 197 strikeouts.<ref name="BR4" />

====Boston Red Sox (1995–1996)====
After playing with the Rangers for a little over two years, Canseco was traded on December 9 to the [[Boston Red Sox]] for [[Otis Nixon]] and Luis Ortiz, where he joined 1986 AL MVP [[Roger Clemens]] and eventual 1995 MVP [[Mo Vaughn]]. He once again battled injuries, missing 50 games during the first half of the year. However, from July 1 until the end of the season, he had a .387 batting average (122-for-315) with 21 home runs and 66 RBIs in 79 games. From August 27 to September 15, he had the longest hitting streak of his career, hitting safely in 17 games (he had a hit in 24 of his last 28 games of the year). At the end of the regular season, he had 24 home runs with a .306 batting average, his highest since 1988. His last home run of the 1995 season against [[Jesse Orosco]] was the 300th of his career. The Red Sox captured the AL East Division title to advance to the ALDS, making it Canseco's first postseason in five years. The Red Sox were swept by the [[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland Indians]] in the American League Division Series 3 games to 0. In Game 2, Canseco once again faced pitcher Orel Hershiser, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout. Dating back to the 1988 World Series, Canseco was 0-for-11 lifetime with 3 strikeouts against Hershiser in 3 postseason matchups. After playing the entire 1994 season and all but one game in the 1995 season as a designated hitter, Canseco was the starting right fielder during Game 3 of the American League Division Series. 1995 was the last year of the five-year contract he signed with the Athletics in 1990. According to the Baseball-Reference website, Canseco had the highest yearly salary of his career, making a total of $5.8 million for the 1995 season.

Canseco had a great first half of the 1996 season, hitting 26 home runs by the All-Star break (3rd in the league at that point). Between May 18 and June 29, he had a .306 BA with 19 home runs, and 44 RBIs in only 39 games. He was sidelined on July 25 once again due to injury, missing nearly 50 games. He returned to the lineup on September 17 but hit only 2 home runs the rest of the season. He finished the year with a .289/.400/.589 slash line with 28 home runs, 82 runs batted in, and 22 doubles in 96 games.<ref name="BR4" /> He played in the outfield in 12 games. After the 1996 season, the Red Sox fired manager Kevin Kennedy and Canseco requested a trade out of Boston.

Although productive when he was in the lineup, Canseco missed over 120 games during his 2-year tenure with Boston, playing in only 102 and 96 games in 1995 and 1996.<ref name="BR4" /> He averaged 184 hits, 43 home runs, 134 RBIs, 108 runs, 39 doubles, a .289 batting average, and a slugging percentage of .571 per every 162 games played with the Red Sox.<ref name="BR4" />

====Return to Oakland (1997)====
In January 1997, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics for pitcher [[John Wasdin]]. The day after the news of his return to Oakland, the A's front office informed him that ticket sales for the day were the highest in over three years, mainly because of the [[Bash Brothers]] reunion. Regarding his health, Canseco had a promising first half of the season, playing in 83 of Oakland's 89 games, with more than half of those as an outfielder. He had 18 home runs and 57 RBIs by the All-Star break (on pace for 35 homers and 110 RBIs for the entire season), but he suffered a back injury yet again, keeping him on the disabled list and missing 15 games in July and August. He returned to action on August 20, but with the Athletics organization wanting to focus on developing young talent, and with the Bash Brothers reunion losing its appeal with the trade of Mark McGwire to the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] at the trade deadline, Canseco ended his season on August 26, missing the last 30 games of the season. In Canseco's eyes, he was shut down by the front office to prevent him from getting the minimum plate appearances that would trigger the renewal of his contract for the following year. He finished the season with a .235 average, the lowest of his career, but with 23 home runs and 74 runs batted in in 388 at-bats.<ref name="BR4" /> His home run against the Red Sox on August 8 gave him a career total of 254 in an Athletics uniform, placing him 4th all-time behind [[Reggie Jackson]] (269), [[Jimmie Foxx]] (302), and McGwire (363). After three seasons of playing exclusively as a DH, Canseco saw considerably more action in the outfield, playing 46 of his 108 games in left or right field.

====Toronto Blue Jays (1998)====
In 1998, Canseco signed a $2.1 million contract on February 4 with the [[Toronto Blue Jays]]. He continued to have more action in the outfield, playing a total of 76 games in both left and right field and finishing the season with a .960 fielding average, committing 5 errors in 126 chances. At the plate, Canseco had a productive season again, finishing the first half of the season with 24 home runs, 21 stolen bases, and 48 RBIs. For the first time in his career, he was issued a jersey number other than 33, wearing number 44 for the first part of the season. (After [[Ed Sprague Jr.|Ed Sprague]] was traded to Oakland, Canseco switched back to number 33). During the second half of the season, the Blue Jays instructed Canseco to reduce his attempts to steal bases, causing him to finish one steal shy of another 30–30 season. On July 19, he hit home runs number 25 and 26 against the Yankees and [[Andy Pettitte]], including the sixth grand slam of his career. He finished the season having played 151 games, his highest in 6 years, with a career-high 46 home runs (third in the AL), 107 RBIs, 29 stolen bases, and 98 runs scored, but a .237 batting average.<ref name="BR4" /> He also led the league with 159 strikeouts.<ref name="BR4" /> He earned his fourth career Silver Slugger Award, his first as a designated hitter.<ref name="BR4" /> The Blue Jays made a small effort to retain Canseco after the season, offering him a one-year contract worth just over a million dollars for the following season. Canseco declined the offer and became a free agent on October 22.

====Final seasons (1999–2001)====
Despite hitting a career-high 46 home runs in 1998, the 33-year-old Canseco drew minimal attention in the free agent market. In 1999, he signed a one-year contract with the [[Tampa Bay Rays|Tampa Bay Devil Rays]] worth $3.3 million with incentives to be their Designated Hitter. According to Canseco, the contract included a clause stating that if he was elected to the Hall of Fame, he would be depicted as a member of the Devil Rays. That year, he came out of the gate swinging, hitting a home run on Opening Day and reaching a total of 10 home runs by the end of April. On April 14 he hit home run number 400 of his career against Toronto's [[Kelvim Escobar]]. From May 16 to 21, he hit a home run in five consecutive games, the second-longest streak in Tampa Bay history. In his first 60 games played, he hit 25 home runs, batting .306 with a .690 slugging percentage. On pace for a 60+ home run season, he was voted to the All-Star team as the starting DH for the American League (Tampa Bay's first position player ever to be selected to the All-Star Game), making it his first selection in seven years. By the All-Star break, Canseco was leading the American League with 31 home runs, while playing in 82 games during the first half of the season, and became the 14th player in MLB history to hit 30+ home runs before the All-Star break. However, he injured his back days before the mid-summer classic and missed the game, and was replaced by [[Rafael Palmeiro]]. He also missed the Home Run Derby at Boston's [[Fenway Park]] and the chance to compete against Bash Brother Mark McGwire. He had back surgery and was expected to miss the rest of the season. With a remarkable recovery, he came back into action on August 20, less than a month and a half after his back operation. After his return, Canseco was hitting .315 with only 2 home runs but had 18 RBIs and 23 hits in his first 20 games back. Although he only hit 3 more home runs in 115 at-bats after his injury, he had a .287 batting average with 26 RBIs and 33 hits in his last 31 games of the year. He finished the season with 34 home runs and 95 RBIs with a .276 batting average and was ninth in the league with a .563 slugging percentage.<ref name="BR4" />

Despite missing around 350 games since 1990, mostly due to injuries, by the end of 1999, Canseco had a total of 303 home runs in 1,145 games, which placed him eighth in the majors during the 1990s. In 5 seasons during the 90's, he was in the Top-10 list for home run hitters in the American League.

In February 2000, before the start of spring training for the following MLB season, Canseco played in the [[MLBPA]]-organized ''Big League Challenge'' home run derby in [[Las Vegas]] at [[Cashman Field]]. He competed against a field of 12 that included notable sluggers such as [[Mark McGwire]], [[Barry Bonds]], [[Sammy Sosa]], and [[Mike Piazza]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2000/feb/11/sluggers-eager-to-show-off-long-ball-prowess/|title=Sluggers eager to show off long-ball prowess |first=Steve|last=Guiremand|date=February 11, 2000|work=[[Las Vegas Sun]] |access-date=September 13, 2024 }}</ref> Canseco won the tournament, defeating [[Rafael Palmeiro]] in the final.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.psacard.com/articles/articleview/2174/heavy-hitters-going-deep-charity|title=Heavy Hitters Going Deep for Charity|first1=Joe|last1=Orlando|date=March 17, 2000|website=[[Professional Sports Authenticator]]|access-date=September 13, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731064620/https://www.psacard.com/articles/articleview/2174/heavy-hitters-going-deep-charity |archive-date=July 31, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Devil Rays re-signed Canseco for the 2000 season on a $3-million contract. The Devil Rays traded for third baseman [[Vinny Castilla]] and signed [[Greg Vaughn]] as a free agent to complement [[Fred McGriff]] and Canseco in the lineup. However, injuries caused the Tampa Bay front office to disband the quartet after the trade deadline. The first half of the season was one of the most difficult in Canseco's career. Bothered by a foot injury, he missed 41 of the team's 85 games up to the All-Star break. Canseco ended his Tampa Bay tenure on August 7 when he was claimed off waivers by the [[New York Yankees]]. In one and a half seasons with the Devil Rays, Canseco had a slash line of .272/.373/.525 with 43 home runs, 33 doubles, 125 runs batted in, and 176 hits on 174 games. At the time of the waivers' claim, Canseco's 440 career home runs were the most ever for any player acquired by the Yankees. The move to the Yankees caught many, including [[List of New York Yankees managers|Yankees manager]] [[Joe Torre]], off guard, as the Yankees had other players at the time who fulfilled similar roles, such as [[Dave Justice]] and [[Glenallen Hill]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/08/sports/baseball-yanks-get-canseco-but-the-question-is-why.html?scp=2&sq=Jose+Canseco&st=nyt|work=The New York Times|first=Buster|last=Olney|title=Baseball; Yanks Get Canseco, but the Question Is Why?|date=August 8, 2000|page=D1|access-date=September 13, 2024}}</ref> [[List of New York Yankees owners and executives|Yankees General Manager]] [[Brian Cashman]] made the claim to prevent the Athletics, Red Sox, and Blue Jays, who were in a close race with the Yankees, from acquiring Canseco.<ref name=worsttime/>

On August 10, during his first game in the starting lineup with the Yankees, batting fourth as the DH, Canseco went 2-for-2 with a walk, a home run, 2 sacrifice flies, and 3 RBIs. He hit .243 with 6 home runs and 19 RBIs in 37 games for the Yankees, splitting duties as a DH, outfielder, and pinch hitter.<ref name="BR4" /> For the entire season, he had 15 home runs and 49 RBIs in 329 at-bats.<ref name="BR4" /> The Yankees won the AL East, but Canseco was not on the team's roster for the Division Series or the ALCS. He was, however, included in the final roster for the World Series against the [[New York Mets]]. During the sixth inning of Game 4 of the World Series, manager Joe Torre noticed that no right-handed pitcher was warming up in the Mets bullpen, and with pitcher [[David Cone]] next to bat, Torre sent Canseco to the plate to face left-handed [[Glendon Rusch]] as a pinch hitter (his most recent World Series at-bat was also as a pinch hitter in Game 4 of the 1990 World Series, 10 years prior). The game was the first in which Canseco had played in 24 days, and he struck out. The Yankees won the series 4 games to 1 and Canseco earned his second [[World Series ring]]. Canseco later called his Yankees tenure "the worst time of [his] life" due to receiving limited playing time.<ref name=worsttime>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/26/sports/baseball-notebook-canseco-calls-yankee-tenure-the-worst-time-of-my-life.html|work=The New York Times|first=Buster|last=Olney|title=Baseball: Notebook; Canseco Calls Yankee Tenure 'The Worst Time of My Life'|date=March 26, 2001|page=D10|access-date=September 13, 2024 }}</ref> His short stint with the Yankees marked the third time he was [[Roger Clemens]]' teammate, a fact later magnified by the media due to the steroid controversy, the [[Mitchell Report]], and the infamous pool party at Canseco's house two years prior while both played with the Blue Jays. In November, the Yankees declined Canseco's $5-million option and paid the $500,000 buyout, with Canseco becoming a free agent.

On January 16, 2001, the [[Los Angeles Angels|Anaheim Angels]] signed Canseco to an incentive-laden deal heavily based on plate appearances. After only 39 spring training at-bats, in which he hit .231 and no home runs, the Angels cut Canseco. He lost the Anaheim DH spot to Glenallen Hill, with whom he shared at-bats for the Yankees the year prior. (Hill was released by the Angels in June, after hitting .136 with 1 home run in 16 games for the 2001 season, his last in the majors). Canseco spent half of the season with the [[Newark Bears]] of the independent [[Atlantic League of Professional Baseball|Atlantic League]], alongside his twin brother [[Ozzie Canseco]], before joining the [[Chicago White Sox]] on June 21 to replace [[Frank Thomas]] as the every day designated hitter. Wearing jersey number 31 during his first game back in the majors since the 2000 World Series, he went 1-for-5 with a double as the DH, hitting fifth in the lineup. He had 3 RBIs in his second game of the season. His first home run came on June 26 against the [[Minnesota Twins]]. During the season he had two 2-homer games, one on July 8 and another on August 1. He finished the season playing in 76 games, hitting 16 home runs and 49 RBIs in only 256 at-bats, a pace of 30+ home runs and 100+ RBIs had he played the entire season.<ref name="BR4" /> His last home run of the season was the 462nd for his career, and came against [[Mike Mussina]] of the New York Yankees, putting Canseco just 38 home runs away from reaching the 500-home run milestone, at age 37.

In the spring of 2002, Canseco was signed to a minor league contract by the [[Montreal Expos]], who were at the time owned by Major League Baseball, had [[Omar Minaya]] as general manager and [[Frank Robinson]] as manager. Despite making only 13 appearances in the outfield in the previous three years, he was expected to be the Expos' left fielder, and the designated hitter during inter-league play, in what would have been Canseco's first time playing for a National League club. He played 14 preseason games, batting .200 with 3 home runs (tied for the team lead) and 5 RBIs. However, he was again released prior to the regular season start, this time four days before Opening Day. The Expos invited Canseco to be part of their Triple-A team, but he declined the offer. With Opening Day scheduled for March 31, Canseco did not find a team looking for a DH and signed a minor league contract with a White Sox affiliate, the [[Charlotte Knights]], for whom he hit .172 with 5 home runs in 18 minor league games. 
Only 38 home runs shy of 500 for his career, Canseco officially announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on May 13, 2002. At the time of his retirement, Canseco had 1,942 career strikeouts, second all time only to Reggie Jackson. By the end of the 2024 season, he is 10th on the all-time list for hitters with the most strikeouts.

At 39 years old he made a brief comeback attempt in 2004, attending an open tryout with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but was not offered a spot with the team nor with any of their minor league affiliates.

===Independent League career (2006–2018)===
[[File:Jose Canseco Pitching.png|thumb|left|Canseco pitching for the Yuma Scorpions]]
On June 29, 2006, the independent [[Golden Baseball League]] announced that Canseco had agreed to a contract to play with the [[San Diego Surf Dawgs]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/minorlbb/news/story?id=2504983 |work=[[ESPN]] |date=June 29, 2006 |agency=Associated Press |title=Canseco agrees to deal with independent Surf Dawgs |access-date=September 13, 2024 }}</ref> After playing one game for the Surf Dawgs, Canseco was traded to the [[Long Beach Armada]] on July 5, 2006. He requested the trade due to "family obligations."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2509719|title=Canseco seeks, receives trade for personal reasons|date=July 5, 2006|work=ESPN|agency=Associated Press|access-date=January 3, 2016}}</ref> On July 31, 2006, Canseco won the Golden Baseball League's Home Run Derby.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/minors/2006-07-19-canseco-all-star_x.htm|title=Canseco wins home-run derby, struggles on mound|date=July 19, 2006|agency=Associated Press|work=USA Today|access-date=January 3, 2016}}</ref>

Canseco signed a short team deal with the [[Laredo Broncos]] of the [[United Baseball League]] on August 14, 2010. He served as bench coach and designated hitter.<ref name="yn11">{{Cite news |last=Carifio |first=Edward |url=http://www.yumasun.com/articles/http/11200okdate:mon-69114-11apr201105:28:00gmtserver:apache/1337%28unix%29php/525xpoweredby:php/525pragma:nocachecachecontrol:nocacheconnection:closecontenttype:text/plain;charset=iso88591canseco-team.html |title=Canseco to manage Scorpions |work=[[Yuma Sun]] |date=April 11, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303183529/http://www.yumasun.com/articles/http/11200okdate:mon-69114-11apr201105:28:00gmtserver:apache/1337(unix)php/525xpoweredby:php/525pragma:nocachecachecontrol:nocacheconnection:closecontenttype:text/plain;charset=iso88591canseco-team.html |archive-date=March 3, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On April 11, 2011, Canseco signed a deal as a player/manager for the [[Yuma Scorpions]] of the [[North American League (baseball)|North American League]].<ref name="yn11"/> At the age of 46, he played 64 out of 88 games and batted .258 with 8 home runs and 46 RBIs. He was not the oldest player on the team: his twin brother Ozzie appeared in 12 games, mostly as a designated hitter, and 52-year-old [[Tony Phillips]] appeared in 24 games, mostly as a third baseman. Canseco joined the [[Quintana Roo Tigres]] of the [[Mexican League]] in 2012, but was reportedly banned for using testosterone.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/mexican-league-official-says-jose-canseco-admitted-using-testosterone/2012/03/08/gIQA6SpCzR_blog.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Cindy|last=Boren|title=Stats, scores and schedules|date=March 8, 2012}}</ref> During his tryout, he went 4 for 11 with a home run, 4 RBI and 3 walks. After the series, he gave himself the nickname ''El Cubano Cañonero'' ("the Cuban Cannon").<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mopupduty.com/jose-cansecos-comeback-1267/|title=Jose Canseco's Comeback Bid Ends.. For Now|work=Mop-Up Duty|first=Callum|last=Hughson|date=March 8, 2012|access-date=January 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240527184845/http://mopupduty.com/jose-cansecos-comeback-1267/ |archive-date=May 27, 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Jose Canseco at bat, Worcester vs Newark 2012.jpg|thumb|Canseco batting as a member of the Worcester Tornadoes in 2012]]
On April 20, 2012, the [[Worcester Tornadoes]] of the [[Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball]] announced that they had signed Canseco to a one-season contract<ref>{{cite news|last=Elfland|first=Mike|title=Slugger Jose Canseco signs with Worcester Tornadoes|url=https://www.telegram.com/story/news/state/2012/04/20/slugger-jose-canseco-signs-with/49662860007/|access-date=September 13, 2024|newspaper=[[Telegram & Gazette]]|date=April 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913111749/https://www.telegram.com/story/news/state/2012/04/20/slugger-jose-canseco-signs-with/49662860007/ |archive-date=September 13, 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref> for a salary of one thousand dollars a month.<ref>{{cite news|title=Canseco|work=[[The Star-Ledger]]|date=May 18, 2012|page=43}}</ref> In the beginning of August 2012, Canseco left the Tornadoes due to concerns of not receiving his salary, a conflict which led him to sue the team.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegram.com/article/20120824/NEWS/108249539/1116|title=Jose Canseco sues Worcester Tornadoes|date=August 24, 2012|last=Murray|first=Gary|work=Telegram & Gazette |access-date=January 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921140357/https://www.telegram.com/article/20120824/NEWS/108249539/1116 |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Canseco quickly signed with the [[Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings]] of the North American League. However, his debut was delayed due to a family emergency.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4463356|title=Jose Canseco's Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings Debut Delayed|date=August 4, 2012|work=Oursportscentral.com|access-date=January 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616180012/https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/jose-cansecos-rio-grande-valley-whitewings-debut-delayed/n-4463356 |archive-date=June 16, 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In early 2013 Canseco played in the [[Texas Winter League]] but was only 3-for-16 at the plate.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/article_6ef83d9a-7d50-11e2-be8e-001a4bcf6878.html|title=Jose Canseco back at the plate in Harlingen this weekend|last=Ryan|first=Steven|work=[[The Monitor (Texas)|The Monitor]] |date=February 23, 2013 |access-date=January 3, 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630102248/http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/article_6ef83d9a-7d50-11e2-be8e-001a4bcf6878.html |archive-date=June 30, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He signed with the [[Fort Worth Cats]] of the United League to start the 2013 season.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/mlb/texas-rangers/story/Jose-Canseco-brings-his-act-to-Fort-Wort?blockID=904955&feedID=3742|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629080639/http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/mlb/texas-rangers/story/Jose-Canseco-brings-his-act-to-Fort-Wort?blockID=904955&feedID=3742|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 29, 2013|title=Jose Canseco Brings His Act, Latest Controversy to Texas|last=Andro|first=Anthony|date=May 23, 2013|work=Fox Sports Southwest|access-date=January 3, 2016}}</ref>

In 2015, 2016, and 2017, Canseco had short playing stints in the [[Pacific Association]], mostly with the [[Pittsburg Diamonds]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/06/14/jose-canseco-returning-for-third-year-with-independent-pittsburg-diamonds/|work=[[East Bay Times]] |title=Jose Canseco returning for third year to play with independent Pittsburgh Diamonds |date=June 17, 2017 |last=Gartrell |first=Nate |access-date=September 13, 2024|language=en}} {{subscription required}}</ref> Although he has not played Major League Baseball since 2001, Canseco has played for numerous minor-league teams over the years, most recently in 2018, when he was 53 years of age, for the [[Normal CornBelters]] of the Independent [[Frontier League]]. In recent years, he has usually played just a few games per season, but in 2011, he played 64 out of 88 games for the [[Yuma Scorpions]] of the [[North American League (baseball)|North American League]]. Canseco played 30 seasons of professional [[baseball]] over a span of 36 years between 1982 and 2018.

===Amateur Adult Baseball (2011 and 2016)===
In March 2011, Canseco played a few games with the Valley Rays in the Pacific Coast Baseball League in Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/8231868/jose-canseco-signs-rio-grande-valley-whitewings-north-american-baseball-league|title=Jose Canseco set to play Saturday|agency=Associated Press|date=2012-08-03|website=ESPN|language=en|access-date=2019-11-17}}</ref>

In May 2016, Canseco made an appearance for the SoCal Glory in the 35+ MSBL Las Vegas Open – National Tournament.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}