NetShrine
08-02-2001, 07:48 AM
This is a great story. Still, someone should explain to Jose that coincidence and luck are kinda like the same thing, no? ;)
Wednesday, August 01
Canseco makes good on promise -- twice
CHICAGO (AP) -- Think Jose Canseco's two homers were big? Imagine what they meant to the young cancer patients he talked to before the game.
After telling four cancer patients -- all under the age of 16 -- that he hoped to hit a home run for them, Canseco went out and homered in his first two at-bats Wednesday night as the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 7-6.
"I said hopefully I can hit a couple home runs for you guys tonight. But I also said, if I don't, watch batting practice because I'll probably hit a couple out in batting practice," Canseco said.
"Whether it was coincidental, whether it was luck or not, who knows? But like I said, I'm glad and happy for them it actually happened."
On Cancer Survivors Night, 450 patients and their families turned out at Comiskey Park. The children, two boys and two girls, were standing near the on-deck circle during batting practice, meeting the players and getting their autographs.
Canseco wasn't trying to be Babe Ruth, who reportedly once called a home run for a sick child. But he didn't waste any time making good on his word.
With two on and two outs in the first inning, he lofted an 0-2 pitch just over the left-field wall. Dee Brown jumped for the ball, but it sailed over his head for a three-run homer that tied the game at 3.
Told about Canseco's talk with the kids, teammate Ray Durham's eyes widened in disbelief.
"That's pretty impressive," Durham said, shaking his head. "If I said that and went out there, I think I'd be 0-for-4, 0-for-5."
And Canseco wasn't done. He hit a two-run homer in the third inning, giving the White Sox a 5-3 lead.
Canseco's 454 career home runs moved him past Carl Yastrzemski (452) for 22nd on the all-time list. The five RBI gave Canseco a total of 1,378, passing Johnny Bench for 57th on the career chart.
The crowd of 15,620 gave Canseco a standing ovation when he came to the plate in the fifth inning for his third at-bat. He struck out, but the fans applauded him again as he walked back to the dugout. He got another ovation when he batted in the seventh, and he struck out.
The homers -- both off Royals starter Chris George -- were Canseco's seventh and eighth of the season.
"I think when Canseco got him in the first inning, it kind of put him on his heels a little bit," Royals manager Tony Muser said. "After the two-run homer, I'm not going to leave him out there to test him anymore."
George, making his second major league start, lasted only three innings. George (0-2) gave up five runs -- all on Canseco's two homers -- and six hits.
"I used to collect Canseco baseball cards in high school," he said. "I tried to put that out of my head."
The Royals rallied with two outs in the eighth, cutting the lead to 7-6 on Carlos Beltran's solo homer. Mike Sweeney and Raul Ibanez followed with walks, but Keith Foulke got the last four outs for his 25th save in 27 chances.
Sweeney, batting .500 against the White Sox this season, drove in two runs, and Joe Randa, Brown and Gregg Zaun added RBI for the Royals.
Royce Clayton also homered for the White Sox, and Dan Wright (1-0) gave up four runs and seven hits in five innings in his first major league start. Sandy Alomar Jr. got his 1,000th career hit with a single in the second inning.
Not only did Canseco give the White Sox a rare feel-good moment in this ugly season, but he bailed out Wright. Making only his second major league appearance, the right-hander got off to a shaky start.
He gave up hits to four of his first five batters, including Sweeney's two-run double. He then gave up a sacrifice fly to Randa as the Royals took a 3-0 lead.
But Canseco's homers gave the White Sox the lead for good.
"Nardi came up to me and said, 'There's your mulligan,' " Wright said, referring to pitching coach Nardi Contreras. "It's outstanding. I don't really have any words for it. I've wanted this all my life."
Clayton gave the White Sox some breathing room with a solo homer into the bullpen sports bar in the fourth, and Chicago added another run on Aaron Rowand's RBI single in the sixth inning.
"To say you'll hit a home run for someone and go out and do it, it had to have meant a lot," Durham said. "I'm pretty sure Jose's got fans for life."
Wednesday, August 01
Canseco makes good on promise -- twice
CHICAGO (AP) -- Think Jose Canseco's two homers were big? Imagine what they meant to the young cancer patients he talked to before the game.
After telling four cancer patients -- all under the age of 16 -- that he hoped to hit a home run for them, Canseco went out and homered in his first two at-bats Wednesday night as the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 7-6.
"I said hopefully I can hit a couple home runs for you guys tonight. But I also said, if I don't, watch batting practice because I'll probably hit a couple out in batting practice," Canseco said.
"Whether it was coincidental, whether it was luck or not, who knows? But like I said, I'm glad and happy for them it actually happened."
On Cancer Survivors Night, 450 patients and their families turned out at Comiskey Park. The children, two boys and two girls, were standing near the on-deck circle during batting practice, meeting the players and getting their autographs.
Canseco wasn't trying to be Babe Ruth, who reportedly once called a home run for a sick child. But he didn't waste any time making good on his word.
With two on and two outs in the first inning, he lofted an 0-2 pitch just over the left-field wall. Dee Brown jumped for the ball, but it sailed over his head for a three-run homer that tied the game at 3.
Told about Canseco's talk with the kids, teammate Ray Durham's eyes widened in disbelief.
"That's pretty impressive," Durham said, shaking his head. "If I said that and went out there, I think I'd be 0-for-4, 0-for-5."
And Canseco wasn't done. He hit a two-run homer in the third inning, giving the White Sox a 5-3 lead.
Canseco's 454 career home runs moved him past Carl Yastrzemski (452) for 22nd on the all-time list. The five RBI gave Canseco a total of 1,378, passing Johnny Bench for 57th on the career chart.
The crowd of 15,620 gave Canseco a standing ovation when he came to the plate in the fifth inning for his third at-bat. He struck out, but the fans applauded him again as he walked back to the dugout. He got another ovation when he batted in the seventh, and he struck out.
The homers -- both off Royals starter Chris George -- were Canseco's seventh and eighth of the season.
"I think when Canseco got him in the first inning, it kind of put him on his heels a little bit," Royals manager Tony Muser said. "After the two-run homer, I'm not going to leave him out there to test him anymore."
George, making his second major league start, lasted only three innings. George (0-2) gave up five runs -- all on Canseco's two homers -- and six hits.
"I used to collect Canseco baseball cards in high school," he said. "I tried to put that out of my head."
The Royals rallied with two outs in the eighth, cutting the lead to 7-6 on Carlos Beltran's solo homer. Mike Sweeney and Raul Ibanez followed with walks, but Keith Foulke got the last four outs for his 25th save in 27 chances.
Sweeney, batting .500 against the White Sox this season, drove in two runs, and Joe Randa, Brown and Gregg Zaun added RBI for the Royals.
Royce Clayton also homered for the White Sox, and Dan Wright (1-0) gave up four runs and seven hits in five innings in his first major league start. Sandy Alomar Jr. got his 1,000th career hit with a single in the second inning.
Not only did Canseco give the White Sox a rare feel-good moment in this ugly season, but he bailed out Wright. Making only his second major league appearance, the right-hander got off to a shaky start.
He gave up hits to four of his first five batters, including Sweeney's two-run double. He then gave up a sacrifice fly to Randa as the Royals took a 3-0 lead.
But Canseco's homers gave the White Sox the lead for good.
"Nardi came up to me and said, 'There's your mulligan,' " Wright said, referring to pitching coach Nardi Contreras. "It's outstanding. I don't really have any words for it. I've wanted this all my life."
Clayton gave the White Sox some breathing room with a solo homer into the bullpen sports bar in the fourth, and Chicago added another run on Aaron Rowand's RBI single in the sixth inning.
"To say you'll hit a home run for someone and go out and do it, it had to have meant a lot," Durham said. "I'm pretty sure Jose's got fans for life."