Topic: Jose Canseco

José Canseco Capas, Jr. (born July 2, 1964), nicknamed "The Chemist", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter and current designated hitter and bench coach for the Laredo Broncos of the United Baseball League. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player Ozzie Canseco. After retiring from Major League Baseball, he also competed in boxing and mixed martial arts.

Canseco was born in Regla, Cuba, and left Cuba with his cousins and family when he and his brother were infants. They relocated to the United States, with José and Ozzie growing up in the Miami, Florida area, and attending Coral Park High School. Canseco did not attend college, having been drafted in the 15th round by the Oakland Athletics in 1982. He first received high regard for his remarkable power at his early minor league stops with the Madison Muskies in Madison, Wisconsin, Idaho Falls A's, in Idaho Falls, Idaho and the Modesto A's in Modesto, California. Canseco started the 1985 season with the AA Huntsville Stars and became known as "Parkway Jose", for his long home runs (25 in half a season), that went close to the Memorial Parkway behind Joe Davis Stadium.

In 1985, Canseco won the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award, and was a late season call-up for the Oakland A's, playing in 29 games in the major leagues in 1985. He gained notoriety in 1986, his first full season, being named the American League's Rookie of the Year, with 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".