San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Canseco not a fan of MLB’s attempt to start season
Jose Canseco is never shy about stating his opinion, and the same holds true for the former A’s outfielder’s feelings about Major League Baseball’s attempt to start the 2020 season in the midst of a pandemic. “They want to open the season, and now a lot of players are testing positive. How do you play it out now?” Canseco said on The Chronicle’s “A’s Plus” podcast, adding that Commissioner Rob Manfred “is a fool. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s mandating a 60game season and now some teams are being delayed. The whole thing doesn’t make any sense to me. They’ve already messed up so bad, it’s ridiculous. But you can’t talk common sense and math to idiots.
“I don’t think they should play the season. I think they’re in desperation mode. This season should not happen, to be honest with you, now that COVID is spreading again. It’s only getting worse.”
Canseco believes the country and sports would be in better shape right now had the federal government mandated face coverings immediately at the start of the coronavirus crisis, and he would have been on board with baseball starting with no fans and all players wearing masks. “But they’re not smart. They’re not the brightest bulb in the actual box,” he said. “They followed what the federal government mandated. Now some of the players are testing positive for coronavirus and MLB already messed up and stuck their foot in their mouth like they always do. … Forget it.”
If the season does get under way, Canseco said, he has his eyes on the A’s with a 60game schedule.
He likes third baseman Matt Chapman and lefty Sean Manaea as postseason awards candidates, and he believes a pitchingrich team such as Oakland will fare well in an abbreviated season.
“What you’re going to see this year is a pitcherdominated season because the hitters have to catch up, no ifs, ands or buts about it,” Canseco said. “If you’re a gambling man, exclude offense right now. Look for the best pitching staff to win it all.”
Canseco has stayed busy since he wasn’t asked to return to his pre and postgame studio duties with the A’s following some sexist tweets; for the past five years, he has been developing a teaching tool for power hitters. He now has a prototype for his PX40/40 device, which Canseco — baseball’s first 40homer, 40steal player in 1988 — says will help baseball and softball players and golfers hit the ball farther.
“With the bungeecord system and the way it’s structured, it helps you extend your arm correctly to the ball every time.
‘A’s Plus’ podcast
Former A’s outfielder Jose Canseco describes his new power-hitting tool for baseball, softball and golf — and he takes some shots at Major League Baseball, reminisces about Oakland’s 1990 team and the new popularity of the Bash. Listen to the podcast at
sfchronicle.com/asplus.
It corrects your swing every time and it accelerates your swing through the zone,” Canseco said of the device, which looks like an arm guard an Imperial Stormtrooper might wear. “It gives you a perfect swing through the ball every time and accelerates your swing about 20%.”
Canseco has gotten such good feedback on the device and its futuristic design, he said he could see it being developed as a bionic arm for those with injuries, potentially eliminating the need for some surgeries. He’d like to develop something similar for knees, because he has a chronic knee injury. But right now, the PX40/40 is for helping develop slugging prowess.
“It’s something you can buy, put it on right out of the box and boom, it’s going to teach you how to hit a softball, baseball or golf ball correctly and consistently,” Canseco said. “It’s for every age but if you’re an older guy who wants an instant fix — this is it.”
With the shortened season and no fans in the stands, the A’s have had to scrap plans for a 1990 A’s reunion. Canseco recalls that team, which swept the Red Sox in the ALCS before being swept by the Reds in the World Series, with fondness. “We should have won more World Series, but there was a lot of tough competition out there,” he said. “It’s not always the best team that wins in a short series, and we did get outplayed in a sevengame series. But we were the most exciting team back then, if you really think about it. We had characters, we had power hitters, some of the best starting pitchers, the best reliever in baseball, the No.1 base stealer in Rickey Henderson
“Not only did we win, but I think our blend of chemistry and players who knew how to entertain the fans, it was just an amazing time.”
Susan Slusser covers the A’s for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: sslusser@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @susanslusser
starts, too,” Puk said. “It’s going to be a sprint this year instead of a marathon. It’s going to be exciting.”
As for his new look, Puk said that a couple of days before reporting to Oakland he visited a former high school coach who used to cut his hair, and “as the clippers were going on the side of my head, I was like, ‘Take it all off.’ ” Puk said he cut off at least a foot of hair and left it with his mom to donate. “I had to get rid of it,” Puk said. “I couldn’t do it anymore.”
Melvin, for one, sounded a bit wistful for the longer locks on the tall lefthander.
“I’ve been with Randy Johnson over the years, I kind of liked the similarities,” Melvin said. “But if he likes it, I’m all for it. If it makes him comfortable, completely on board with that.”
Matt Kawahara is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mkawahara@ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @matthewkawahara