Canseco and his family left Cuba with his cousins when he and his brother were infants. They relocated to the United States, with José and Ozzie growing up in the Miami 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 one of his early minor league stops, with the Modesto A's in Modesto, California. Home run blasts of over 500 feet were common, and the fans would chant "Loot, loot!" to cheer him on. Canseco started the 1985 season with the AA Huntsville Stars in Huntsville, Alabama 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.