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Cansecos mull plea bargain in club fight

MIAMI -- Former MVP and Rays designated hitter Jose Canseco and his twin brother considered a plea deal Monday to avoid trial over a Halloween scuffle at a local nightclub.

Ed Griffith, a spokesman for the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's office, said the deal would require the brothers to plead guilty, but the charges would not go on their criminal records.

The sentences would be "pretty much in line with" what anyone without a felony record would receive on the charges, Griffin said.

Jose Canseco, 37, would receive five years' probation without a chance of early termination, Griffith said. His brother, Ozzie, would face three years' probation.

Both would have to perform community service, stay away from the victims and reimburse legal and medical bills of about $2,000, Griffith said. They also would have to take anger control classes and an alcohol-abuse evaluation.

Prosecutors offered the former players a plea Friday, defense attorneys Angel Ruiz Jr. and Gustavo Lage said. Ruiz and Lage said their clients needed time to mull over the deal.

The charges stem from fight at a Miami Beach nightclub where the brothers were accompanied by three women on Halloween. Jose Canseco, who lives in Miami, said another patron groped one of the women.

Police said Jose Canseco grabbed one man by the neck, punched him and broke his nose. A second man needed 20 stitches in his lip.

Jose Canseco ranks 26th on the career home run list with 446. The 1988 MVP, a six-time All-Star, played for the Rays in 1999 and part of 2000. He retired in May.

D'BACKS LOSE EXHIBITION: Hall of Famer Robin Yount hit a sacrifice fly for Arizona in a 7-6 loss at Class A affiliate South Bend, Ind. Yount, a Diamondbacks coach, batted for DH Erubiel Durazo in the fifth against the Midwest League team. The 46-year-old played catcher for two innings.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Cubs rightfielder Sammy Sosa and Diamondbacks left-hander Randy Johnson shared NL award. White Sox rightfielder Magglio Ordonez won in the AL.

ASTROS: Shortstop Julio Lugo left in the third after being hit on the left wrist by a pitch from the Cubs' Kerry Wood. Lugo has a bruised left wrist and was taken for X-rays.

CUBS: Right-hander Wood was ejected in the sixth after arguing with home-plate umpire Mark Carlson. Wood was covering home after giving up a two-run single to Brad Ausmus when he said something to Carlson. Catcher Todd Hundley and manager Bruce Kimm got between Wood and Carlson, who tossed the pitcher immediately. ... First baseman Fred McGriff left in the fifth with a bruised right shin.

ROYALS: First baseman Mike Sweeney, who has missed 30 games with a lower back and left hip strain, will be activated today.

YANKEES: Catcher Jorge Posada is day to day after an MRI exam on his sore left knee came back negative. He has not played since catching 16 innings against Oakland on Friday night.

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