Jose Canseco joins Beer League

SanDiegoPadres19 · 05-20-2006, 02:57 AM

Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Quote:

It's a gloomy Sunday morning, overcast and gray, a day made for sleeping in. But this is game day for the guys who scoff at softball, the doctors and lawyers and salesmen and teachers of the Los Angeles Men's Senior Baseball League.

They come to play on a junior college field, with clumps of green and patches of brown in the outfield, with a parking lot behind left field and trailers behind center field. The Valley Mets squeeze into the first base dugout, on three benches, with a chain-link fence for back support.

There are bleachers behind the Mets' dugout, five rows of weathered wooden seats with faded blue paint. Four fans watch the game, quietly, passing time until their friends and relatives are done playing. A dirt track surrounds the field, and joggers pass by now and again.

No one is selling hot dogs, or anything else. The scoreboard is turned off. There is no public-address announcer, not that the public would recognize these players.

Except for one, that is. As the cleanup hitter for the Valley Mets rises from the bench and shuffles into the batter's box, his manager grabs his video camera, and two players in the other dugout point their cellphone cameras toward home plate.

Yes, that is Jose Canseco, wearing his familiar No. 33. His days as a feared major league slugger are behind him, but not so far that he has any business swinging an aluminum bat. But this league plays with aluminum bats, so Canseco wags a 35-inch, 32-ounce model as he lets the first two pitches go by.

On the third pitch, he swings. The ball is gone in an instant, over the left-field fence and a second fence behind it, so far gone that one of the Mets runs out to measure how far the ball traveled by walking it off.

"About 480," Roger Clark says.

His teammates greet him at home plate. Canseco offers each one a forearm bash, the salute he and Mark McGwire popularized with the Oakland Athletics, so many home runs ago, so many years ago.

Link: Canseco Story

marc · 05-20-2006, 03:12 AM

roffle, classic

Kekkonen · 05-20-2006, 04:08 AM

What's next for him? Little league, and then, in about 15 years, a girls' softball team?

Spielman · 05-20-2006, 08:34 AM

It's easy to mock him for this, but I really don't see it.

If the man has fun playing in a senior league, let him.

cinredsfan2000 · 05-20-2006, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spielman

It's easy to mock him for this, but I really don't see it.

If the man has fun playing softball, let him.

What spielman said.

Faroo6 · 05-20-2006, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spielman

It's easy to mock him for this, but I really don't see it.

If the man has fun playing softball, let him.

Agreed.

On another note, is anyone else impressed at hitting a softball 480 feet? That just seems insane to me.

mikev · 05-20-2006, 01:07 PM

Los Angeles Men's Senior Baseball League.

It's not softball.

Spielman · 05-20-2006, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikev

Los Angeles Men's Senior Baseball League.

It's not softball.

Ah. I saw beer league and thought softball. Since I, y'know, have so many associations of beer with softball, and vice versa.

Either way.

ukhotstove · 05-20-2006, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spielman

It's easy to mock him for this, but I really don't see it.

If the man has fun playing softball, let him.

Agree, if he's having fun and the players on his team and other teams are having fun so what.

Skipaway · 05-20-2006, 01:29 PM

There aren't many old rich people playing baseball, otherwise Canseco can actually play with those people and make it a kind of charity event. Just like golf.

SanDiegoPadres19 · 05-20-2006, 05:09 PM

For those who didn't read the story, Canseco isn't the first to play for the league. Bret Saberhagen and Eric Davis are alumni.

JWay · 05-20-2006, 05:19 PM

neat

His Own Bad Self · 05-20-2006, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SanDiegoPadres19

For those who didn't read the story, Canseco isn't the first to play for the league. Bret Saberhagen and Eric Davis are alumni.

You know what this is? It's the 21st century answer to Rube Waddell and the other major league stars who went to play in the minors when their MLB days were done. That is awesome. Besides, if I were a scrub playing in one of these games, I'd love to be able to play alongside former MLB players.

That's it. I'm calling for a Senior Baseball League, like the Champions Tour in golf. Former MLB players reuniting for the love of the game. Not to mention that it could potentially be another chance for Nolan Ryan to beat the hell out of Robin Ventura again.

Cuss · 05-20-2006, 07:17 PM

I admire him to keep playing the game he loves.

thomasthomas · 05-21-2006, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdawgsenior

You know what this is? It's the 21st century answer to Rube Waddell and the other major league stars who went to play in the minors when their MLB days were done. That is awesome. Besides, if I were a scrub playing in one of these games, I'd love to be able to play alongside former MLB players.

That's it. I'm calling for a Senior Baseball League, like the Champions Tour in golf. Former MLB players reuniting for the love of the game. Not to mention that it could potentially be another chance for Nolan Ryan to beat the hell out of Robin Ventura again.

There used to be some sort of Old Timers League a while back (in the 80s I think). I don't know what happened to it.

jmaness84 · 05-21-2006, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomasthomas

There used to be some sort of Old Timers League a while back (in the 80s I think). I don't know what happened to it.

They went out of business when the Giants started taking all of their star players.

jaxmagicman · 05-21-2006, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmaness84

They went out of business when the Giants started taking all of their star players.

Nice.

Long_Long_Name · 05-23-2006, 09:47 PM

I don't know if the same people who would laugh at Canseco for being washed up are the same who criticize ballplayers for being greedy and playing for the money rather than for fun.

Spielman · 05-23-2006, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Long_Long_Name

I don't know if the same people who would laugh at Canseco for being washed up are the same who criticize ballplayers for being greedy and playing for the money rather than for fun.

"

Probably took shots at The Rickey for hanging around so long as well.

enuttage · 05-24-2006, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuss

I admire him to keep playing the game he loves.

"

And, to me, it's clear he does love it.

He's a bygone hero with many fatal flaws, but at least he still knows what makes him get up in the morning, and cry at night.

05-20-2006, 08:34 AM	#4 (permalink)
Spielman All Star Starter Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: South Carolina Posts: 1,668 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	It's easy to mock him for this, but I really don't see it. If the man has fun playing in a senior league, let him. Last edited by Spielman; 05-20-2006 at 01:17 PM.

05-20-2006, 01:07 PM	#7 (permalink)
mikev Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 3,984 Thanks: 0 Thanked 21x in 16 posts	Los Angeles Men's Senior Baseball League. It's not softball. __________________ 70% of the earth's surface is covered by water. The other 30% is taken care of by Patrick Willis. Global Unified Baseball Association - Vice Commish and California Crusaders GM

05-20-2006, 01:29 PM	#10 (permalink)
Skipaway Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Where you live Posts: 10,492 Thanks: 1 Thanked 42x in 33 posts	There aren't many old rich people playing baseball, otherwise Canseco can actually play with those people and make it a kind of charity event. Just like golf. __________________ Jonathan Haidt: Moral reasoning is really just a servant masquerading as a high priest.

05-20-2006, 05:09 PM	#11 (permalink)
SanDiegoPadres19 All Star Reserve Join Date: May 2002 Location: San Diego Posts: 937 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	For those who didn't read the story, Canseco isn't the first to play for the league. Bret Saberhagen and Eric Davis are alumni. __________________ Classic Jerry Colmanisms "Montreal leads Atlanta by three, 5-1." "They throw Winfield out at second, but he's safe." (As Matt Williams took a curtain call after hitting a home run) "Barry Bonds gets a standing ovation as he digs in." (Following the second out) ".. and the Padres win the National League Wes... oh, just got a little exicted." ************** Internet Sim Baseball League, Lo$ Angele$ Dodger$ ISBL Fictional Blog

05-20-2006, 05:19 PM	#12 (permalink)
JWay Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota Posts: 4,289 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 96 Thanked 78x in 51 posts	neat __________________ Passion Bucket...Full Laugh Battle The Classic Baseball Union Check it out!

05-20-2006, 03:12 AM	#2 (permalink)
marc Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,503 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	roffle, classic

05-20-2006, 04:08 AM	#3 (permalink)
Kekkonen All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Putting the 'in' in Finland Posts: 729 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1x in 1 post	What's next for him? Little league, and then, in about 15 years, a girls' softball team?

05-20-2006, 07:17 PM	#14 (permalink)
Cuss Major Leagues Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: BC Canada Posts: 464 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	I admire him to keep playing the game he loves. __________________

05-23-2006, 09:47 PM	#18 (permalink)
Long_Long_Name Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Montréal Posts: 7,044 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	I don't know if the same people who would laugh at Canseco for being washed up are the same who criticize ballplayers for being greedy and playing for the money rather than for fun. __________________ Nor really around much anymore.

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