Notebook : Canseco Dials M for Migraine, but A’s Don’t Need Him

Jose Canseco, who hasn’t had a postseason hit since his grand slam in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, was a late scratch from the Oakland Athletics’ starting lineup Wednesday.

The reason given by the A’s: a migraine headache.

An 0-for-21 hitting slump can do that to a guy.

Actually, according to Oakland Manager Tony La Russa, Canseco has been bothered by migraines “since his rookie year (in 1986). They seemed to bother him quite a bit his first year--and the next year, too.

“My wife suffers from the same thing, so I know the symptoms. Jose was complaining about nausea and vision problems. They gave him some medication and by about the middle of the game, it kicked in.”

Callers of the Jose Canseco Hotline (Just Phone 1-900-234-JOSE) got the early scoop on the slugger’s condition. On Tuesday’s night message, Canseco told the telephonic world that “I’m not really feeling very good. I think might be catching a virus. (Tuesday night) was one of the worst games of my life.”

In Oakland’s 7-3 victory in Game 1, Canseco went hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts, extending his postseason hitless streak to 21 at-bats.

After sitting out the first five innings of Game 2, Canseco pinch-hit for Stan Javier in the sixth inning and struck out. He remained in the game as the A’s right fielder and batted again in the eighth, drawing a walk from Toronto reliever Tom Henke.

When Javier batted against Toronto’s Todd Stottlemyre in the third inning, it marked a reunion of sorts for the Javier and Stottlemyre families.

Twenty-five years earlier, Javier’s father, Julian, and Stottlemyre’s father, Mel, opposed each other in the 1964 World Series. Julian Javier was a second baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, and Mel Stottlemyre was a starting pitcher for the New York Yankees.

In that series, won by the Cardinals, Stottlemyre went 1-1 in three starts. Javier was injured during the Series and made just one appearance, as a pinch-runner.

In Wednesday’s second-generational rematch, Stan Javier went hitless in two at-bats against young Stottlemyre.

Defensive Play of the Game: With Oakland holding a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth and Toronto’s Nelson Liriano leading off second base, Lloyd Moseby laced a sharp one-hopper headed for right field--seemingly a run-scoring single until A’s second baseman Tony Phillips intercepted it with a diving grab.

From his knees, Phillips threw to first for the out on Moseby. When Mookie Wilson followed with another grounder to Phillips, this one routine, Liriano was stranded at third and the A’s were out of the inning.

One inning later, the A’s erupted for four hits and three runs and Game 2 was all but history.

Former Dodger Rick Honeycutt entered Wednesday’s game as the successor to Oakland starter Mike Moore in the eighth inning. He faced three batters. The first singled and the next two walked. Dennis Eckersley was summoned to defuse the threat.

An hour or so later, heading to the A’s bus and the trip to the airport, Honeycutt wore a double breasted blue suit with red tie and red handkerchief. He might have stepped of the cover of Gentleman’s Quarterly.

“I didn’t pitch good, so I’ve got to look good,” he said, forcing a smile.

Thirteen times in the 20 previous AL playoffs a team has won the first two games. Eleven of the 13 went on to win. The exceptions:

--Gene Mauch’s Angels led the Milwaukee Brewers, 2-0, in 1982 but were swept in the three games at County Stadium when it was a five-game series.

--The Blue Jays won the first two games of the best of seven playoff with the Kansas City Royals in 1985, but lost in seven.

Times staff writer Ross Newhan contributed to this story.