Hopefully the added press surrounding the team and the buzz created by signing Jose Canseco was worth it for the Worcester Tornadoes, because it appears they are now getting exactly what they bargained for. Canseco played in only 20 games for the Tornadoes and batted .194 with one home run before being placed on the disabled list in mid-June. On Thursday, he filed a lawsuit against the team.
According to the Worcester Telegram, Canseco is accusing Tornadoes owner Todd Breighner of breach of contract, defamation, unjust enrichment, failure to pay wages and misrepresentation. He is suing for damages totaling more than $360,000.
More specifically, Canseco says the team wrote him checks totaling $7,000 after he complained about being owed money but that the checks were written from bank accounts with insufficient funds and bounced. He also says the team misappropriated his name and likeness and subjected him to threats and verbal abuse that have affected his personal reputation.
From the sound of it, the Tornadoes have finally been formerly introduced to Mr. Canseco. Jose, who recently filed for bankruptcy protection, is willing to do just about anything in an attempt to make a buck and capture the spotlight. The Tornadoes insisted signing Canseco wasn’t a gimmick, and if that was truly the case they must be seriously regretting their decision at this point.
