Canseco Calls It a Career

Former American League most valuable player Jose Canseco announced his retirement Monday, 38 home runs shy of the 500 mark, which he wanted to reach to help his chances for induction in the Hall of Fame.

Canseco, 37, signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox on April 18. He was batting .172 with five home runs and nine runs batted in at triple-A Charlotte.

“Jose felt that because of personal reasons and a strong desire on his part to spend more quality time with his young daughter, it was time to announce his retirement,” Alan Nero, Canseco’s agent, said in a statement released by the White Sox.

Canseco’s surprise decision leaves him with 462 home runs, 22nd on the career list, three behind Dave Winfield.

A career .266 hitter, Canseco finishes with 1,407 RBIs and 200 stolen bases in 1,887 games with Oakland, Texas, Boston, Toronto, Tampa Bay, the New York Yankees and the White Sox.

Canseco, born in Cuba and reared in Miami, is one of nine players with 400 homers and 200 stolen bases.

He hit 33 homers and drove in 117 runs in 1986, and was selected AL rookie of the year.

In 1988, he led the majors with 42 home runs and 124 RBIs, and was a unanimous choice as MVP. He became the first player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases.

*

Boston’s Manny Ramirez doesn’t need surgery on the broken left index finger that will sideline him at least four weeks, but the injury will be monitored to see if the fracture spreads.

*

New York Met reliever John Franco, out for the season because of an injured left elbow, has decided to go through with reconstructive elbow surgery in an attempt to prolong his 18-year career.