Tampa Bay’s Canseco Gets 400th Home Run

Jose Canseco became the 28th player in major league history to reach the 400 home-run plateau Wednesday.

Tampa Bay’s designated hitter also became the first player born outside the United States to accomplish the feat when he lined a Kelvim Escobar pitch 368 feet over the left-field wall at the SkyDome in Toronto in the third inning of the Devil Rays’ 7-6 loss to the Blue Jays.

The fans gave him a loud ovation, but he seemed emotionless as he rounded the bases.

“For me 400 is not that big a deal; it’s a big deal when you get to 500, 600, or 700 home runs,” said the Cuban-born Canseco, who has averaged 121 games per season during his 15-year career.

“If I wasn’t injured so much in my career I would be looking at 500 home runs right now. I’ll need to hit 500 home runs to reach the Hall of Fame.”

The last two major leaguers to reach 400 were Mark McGwire, Canseco’s former teammate with the Oakland Athletics, and Barry Bonds.

The Devil Rays project Canseco, who has averaged a home run every four games, to reach 500 in June of 2002 when he is 37 years old. The home run was Canseco’s third of the season.

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The New York Yankee pitcher Roger Clemens will try to tie an American League record by extending his consecutive win streak to 17 tonight when he starts at Baltimore. Johnny Allen and Dave McNally currently share the record.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Clemens said. “It is what it is.”

After starting last season 5-6 for Toronto, the 36-year-old Clemens hasn’t lost since last May 29, a span of 24 starts.

“I can’t remember a power pitcher other than Nolan Ryan who could throw so hard for so long,” said Baltimore Oriole bullpen coach Elrod Hendricks, who caught McNally during his streak in 1968-69. “Even [Tom] Seaver had to learn how to conserve energy as he got older.”

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Minnesota Twins catcher Terry Steinbach left the team to attend the funeral of his father, today in New Ulm, Minn. Lloyd Steinbach, 62, died Monday from complications of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. . . . The Detroit Tigers’ Tony Clark left Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins in the sixth inning after hurting his shoulder diving for a fly ball. His status is day to day. . . . To make room for Jeff Weaver on Detroit’s 40-man roster, the Tigers transferred catcher Raul Casanova from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. . . . Scott Brosius missed the New York Yankees’ game because of a sprained right ankle and is day to day. He will undergo an MRI today. . . . Darryl Strawberry is expected to join triple-A Columbus for a rehabilitation stint in seven to 10 days. . . . Cleveland Indian shortstop Omar Vizquel missed his third consecutive game because of a strained thigh muscle. Manager Mike Hargrove said Vizquel could have played but decided to give him another day off. . . . Cleveland left fielder David Justice, sidelined since the season opener with a strained calf muscle, is expected to return for tonight’s game.