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Jose Canseco has become one of the most controversial players in the history, known equally for his batting prowess and his expose of steroid use in baseball. Canseco's Major League career started as a late season call-up with Oakland in 1985, playing in 29 games. He made an immediate splash in 1986, his first full season, being named the American League's Rookie of the Year after connecting on 33 home runs and 117 runs batted in. In 1987, Mark McGwire joined Canseco on the Athletics; McGwire hit 49 home runs that year and was also named the American League Rookie of the Year. Together, he and Canseco formed a fearsome offensive tandem, known as the "Bash Brothers. "In 1988, Canseco became the first "40-40" player in Major League history by hitting 42 home runs and stealing 40 bases. That same year, he helped the Athletics to the World Series where the A's they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Canseco was unanimously named the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1988, with a .307 batting average, 120 runs scored, 134 runs batted in, 42 home runs, and 40 stolen bases. In 1989, Canseco missed roughly half the regular season with a broken wrist, but he still managed to hit 17 homers as the Athletics won the World Series by defeating the San Francisco Giants. Canseco came back to form in 1990, hitting 37 homers. The A's returned to the World Series once again, but lost to the Cincinnati Reds.
Canseco continued to be productive, hitting 44 home runs in 1991, but his career hit a plateau, and in the face of frequent injuries and controversy he never accomplished what many felt he was capable of. In 1992, he was traded to the Texas Rangers late in the season. Canseco did have a productive season again in 1998 with Toronto, when he hit 46 home runs and stole 29 bases, the most he had stolen since the 40 he stole in 1988. Canseco then went to Tampa Bay, where he was having a tremendous season (34 homers in 114 games) when he injured his back and was lost for the season. He was claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees down the stretch in 2000, and was on his second World Championship Team as the Yanks beat the Mets in the World Series. He finished his 17-year career in 2001 with the Chicago White Sox. Jose Canseco compiled career statistics that include a .262 lifetime batting average with 462 home runs, 0ver 1,400 RBIs, 200 stolen bases, and a lifetime slugging percentage of .515.
This bat was manufactured by the Hillerich & Bradsby Company. It has Canseco's last name stamped in block letters (on the barrel as he had an endorsement contract with the company at the time of manufacture. This bat has what is commonly referred to as 1986-89 era labeling, however H & B records document this bat as specific to 1987. The Model Number C243 is stamped into barrel of this bat. The bat is unfinished. It measures 34.5 inches in length and currently weighs approximately 32 ounces. This bat has a crack in the handle that is most severe approximately 16 inches from the knob, with a slight displacement of the wood. This bat also exhibits a significant number of game use characteristics, including the cracked handle, moderate pine tar residue, hit marks, ball marks, rack marks, and slight grain swelling. A review of Canseco's personal H & B shipping records document two orders of twelve C243 bats each that match this bat's dimensions (34.5 inches / 33 ounces) and finish (none) shipped to Canseco on 3/13/87 and 3/23/87.
This bat is an outstanding example of a 1987 game used bat from Jose Canseco's third season with the Oakland A's, and his first season as a "Bash Brother" with teammate Mark McGwire – a 'rookie-era' season in which he hit 31 home runs with 113 RBIs. It was consigned to the auction by Christopher Cavalier.View Lot Detail page