Perry Giannias is used to attracting former Expos players to Quebec. This time, he has decided to aim for the circuit as the famous Jose Canseco arrives in La Belle Province this weekend. The Expos Fest honcho wants to get closer to his ultimate goal: to raise $1 million for brain cancer research through the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
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“This is the first time that Canseco has come to Quebec for an autograph session,” Giannias proudly announces, specifying that the event will be held on Sunday, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., at the Ultime Sports Collection store in Laval.
“I try to get involved, especially for sick children,” notes for his part the former star of the Oakland Athletics, who wore the colors of the Expos, the time of a training camp, in 2002 “I go to golf tournaments, poker tournaments and autograph sessions.”
About his short adventure with the Montreal club, Canseco retains very little. The Expos, led by then manager Frank Robinson, had decided to give him up to the minor leagues after a little more than a month spent at the team’s camp in Florida. However, the veteran had preferred to retire rather than join the Ottawa Lynx, at the AAA level. Young outfielder Brad Wilkerson had moved ahead of him in the hierarchy during camp.
“I don’t have many friends in the baseball world anymore,” Canseco commented, confirming that he hasn’t kept any contact with other Expos players following his brief stint. “Everyone turned their back on me when I published the book juiced.”
Moving in sight for the A’s?
If he was once a big star, contributing greatly to the World Series won by the Athletics in 1989, Canseco was most talked about when he lifted the veil on the use of steroids in major league baseball, in a book published in 2005 .
Since then, the former player, now 58, has never been afraid to voice his opinions. Just this week, he advised Aaron Judge to leave the Yankees, blaming New York fans for booing their star during the playoffs. In 2000, Canseco himself wore the colors of the Yankees and obtained a second World Series ring in the process.
Having played nine seasons with the Athletics, Canseco was also asked what he thought of the team’s future there.
“I wouldn’t necessarily want the club to leave Oakland, but I think the time is right,” he replied, believing that Las Vegas could be the destination in the event of a move.
- It will cost $50 to get an autograph from Jose Canseco, Sunday, at the Ultime Sports Collection store in Laval.
- If the Expos Fest website indicates a harvest of $955,000 raised to date, a grand gala to highlight the achievement of the million is already planned for the spring of 2023.