Canseco says he will retire, 38 homers away from 500

CHICAGO -- Former AL MVP Jose Canseco announced his retirement Monday, 38 home runs shy of the 500 mark he hoped to reach to bolster his Hall of Fame chances.

Canseco, 37, was cut by Montreal in spring training and signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox on April 18. He was hitting .172 with five homers and nine RBIs in 18 games 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.

Messages for Nero and the White Sox were not immediately returned.

Canseco didn't come to the ballpark Monday, and Charlotte Knights manager Nick Capra said he found out the slugger was retiring through a news release.

But it wasn't a total surprise, Capra said.

"I just saw some frustrations that Jose was having this year," Capra said. "He just didn't look comfortable at the plate."

Canseco's 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.

He's one of only nine players in history with 400 homers and 200 stolen bases.

"He's one of the most knowledgeable hitters I've been around," the Mets' Mo Vaughn said. "He was the first 40-40 guy, MVP, rookie of the year, and he's got a couple of rings under his belt. So he's had a tremendous career."

His numbers would probably be even more gaudy if not for his injuries. He spent time on the disabled list in seven of his last 10 seasons, mostly with back problems.

As one of the Oakland Athletics' "Bash Brothers" along with Mark McGwire, Canseco was once one of the most colorful players in the game. Born in Cuba and raised in Miami, he was called up by the A's on Sept. 2, 1985. One week later, he hit his first major league home run.