BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJORS : Canseco Draws Ire for Leaving Early

Jose Canseco is catching heat from fellow Athletics players and management, who say the Oakland outfielder is not a “team man.”

Complaining of a bad back, Canseco left Oakland Coliseum before the end of Monday’s 5-3 victory against the Chicago White Sox.

“To be honest with you, I don’t really give an . . . about him,” catcher Terry Steinbach said. “Seriously. You’re talking team. Team is 25 guys. We’ve got 24 guys on this team. Anybody who leaves the game in the seventh inning with the bases loaded is no team man.”

General Manager Sandy Alderson said his understanding was that Canseco, who started in right field but was taken out after the fifth inning, left after the eighth inning.

However, “there’s little or no difference” when he left, Alderson told the San Francisco Examiner.

“In many respects, I agree with Steinbach’s feelings on that,” he added. “Jose has not done anything on recent days, or perhaps weeks, to suggest that he’s on the same bandwagon with everybody else.

“I can understand why the players are getting sick and tired of pulling their weight and somebody else’s.”

Manager Tony La Russa, who has stressed to his players and the media that he considers his team a family--and its family matters private--said he is not sure what message Canseco is sending to the fans.

“He got thrown out of a couple of games, now he leaves with a bad back,” La Russa said. “You look for your best players to show us you’re the best and win a few games.”