He was one of my favorite Astros. With the revelations of his drug abuse and steroid use, you knew this news wasn't far off.
RIP. :(
Y2K Falcon
10-11-04, 12:53 AM
Beat me by a minute.... I'll delete mine.
More to add in a bit. :(
Mad Dawg
10-11-04, 12:54 AM
Former Astro Ken Caminiti dead
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Ken Caminiti, the 1996 National League MVP who admitted using steroids during his major league career, has died at age 41.
Caminiti died of a heart attack in the Bronx, said his agent-lawyer Rick Licht. The city medical examiner's office said an autopsy would be performed Monday, spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said.
I don't want to speak ill will of the dead, but he had a horrendous cocaine problem. I wonder if he OD'd. I can see that might be very likely.
Myster X
10-11-04, 01:04 AM
wow!
Y2K Falcon
10-11-04, 01:05 AM
Ex-NL star Caminiti dead at 41
NEW YORK (AP) — Ken Caminiti, the 1996 National League MVP who later admitted using steroids during his major league career, died Sunday. He was 41.
Caminiti died of a heart attack in the Bronx, said his agent-lawyer Rick Licht. The city medical examiner's office said an autopsy would be performed Monday, spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said.
"I'm still in shock," San Diego Padres general manager Kevin Towers said. "He was one of my favorite all-time players."
The three-time All-Star third baseman often was in trouble the last few years. His 15-year big league career ended in 2001, five seasons after he led the Padres to a division title and was a unanimous pick for MVP.
Just last Tuesday, he admitted in a Houston court that he violated his probation by testing positive for cocaine last month, and was sentenced to 180 days in jail.
But state District Judge William Harmon gave Caminiti credit for the 189 days he already served in jail and a treatment facility since he was sentenced to three years probation for a cocaine arrest in March 2001.
In May 2002, Caminiti told Sports Illustrated that he used steroids during his MVP season, when he hit a career-high .326 with 40 home runs and 130 RBI. He estimated half the players in the big leagues were also using them.
Caminiti returned to baseball this year as a spring training instructor with San Diego.
"When I saw him in spring training, he didn't look good," Towers said. "I'm not surprised."
"The best way to describe him is that he was a warrior in every sense of the word. I can't tell you how many times I remember him hobbling into the manager's office, barely able to walk, and saying, 'Put me in the lineup.'"
Licht said Caminiti was in New York this past weekend to help a friend, but did not go into detail.
"Man, that's just a tough one. I played with him for eight years," Dodgers outfielder Steve Finley said Sunday night, learning of Caminiti's death after St. Louis eliminated Los Angeles from the playoffs.
"He was a great player, but he got mixed up in the wrong things — taking drugs. It's a sad reminder of how bad drugs are and what they can do to your body. It's a loss all of us will feel."
Caminiti batted .272 with 239 homers and 983 RBI with Houston, San Diego, Texas and Atlanta.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2004-10-11-caminiti-obit_x.htm?POE=SPOISVA
Kicker_of_Elves
10-11-04, 01:06 AM
That sucks
:(
nickdawgy
10-11-04, 01:11 AM
wow, sad news. He was one of my favorite players :(
fumanstan
10-11-04, 01:13 AM
Whoa, that's nuts :(
Mad Dawg
10-11-04, 01:15 AM
Originally posted by Deftones, Esq
I don't want to speak ill will of the dead, but he had a horrendous cocaine problem. I wonder if he OD'd. I can see that might be very likely.
Hey, I loved the guy and I'm torn up. But the fact is that given his history, I can't help but believe you aren't too far off base.
He was a hero to many on the field, but a flawed human being off.
Y2K Falcon
10-11-04, 01:21 AM
Hey Dawg... You pick the Sports Bar for the game tomorrow, and I'll pick up first round* in honor of Ken. :(
I did just check with TicketRaper, and we did qualify for upper deck behind home plate row 23 tickets at Turner. (supportive fans -rolleyes- )
* - (please ignore the irony, I knew him for his on-field performance, and that is how his memory will stay with me)
Mad Dawg
10-11-04, 01:36 AM
Originally posted by Y2K Falcon
Hey Dawg... You pick the Sports Bar for the game tomorrow, and I'll pick up first round* in honor of Ken. :(
I did just check with TicketRaper, and we did qualify for upper deck behind home plate row 23 tickets at Turner. (supportive fans -rolleyes- )
* - (please ignore the irony, I knew him for his on-field performance, and that is how his memory will stay with me)
Midday conference calls. So if they haven't changed gametime, which I thought they were supposed to, I'm out. :(
If they have, I'll be there.
Dabaomb
10-11-04, 02:21 AM
wow. Way too young to go.
My condolences to his family.
Quake1028
10-11-04, 02:37 AM
Wow, that's terrible :(.
movieking
10-11-04, 07:01 AM
Holy crap. I didn't know this until someone mentioned it in the Christopher Reeve thread. Wow.
B.A.
10-11-04, 08:15 AM
What a waste.
Y2K Falcon
10-11-04, 09:03 AM
Originally posted by movieking
...the Christopher Reeve thread. Wow.
The what????
Fuckity Fuck Fuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:yack:
* hangs head and goes back to bed *
VinVega
10-11-04, 09:05 AM
Damn, a sad day for the game of baseball. RIP Cammy. :(
Bushdog
10-11-04, 09:54 AM
That's sad. Always liked him.
zuffy
10-11-04, 10:26 AM
Wow
Geofferson
10-11-04, 10:53 AM
Sad news indeed. :(
FantasticVSDoom
10-11-04, 11:09 AM
Between this and Rivera's family, baseball has seen better days...Makes the games seem a bit trivial at the moment.
B5Erik
10-11-04, 11:32 AM
Caminiti was so popular in San Diego when he led the Padres to the playoffs in '96 & '98. He owned this town.
His personal disintegration and decline were baffling to a lot of his fans in San Diego - he was a guy who had it all, and threw it all away. He showed so much heart - not just playing hurt, but playing REALLY WELL while hurt. He left it all on the field. Maybe that was part of the problem. We may never know.
This is sad news, indeed.
Despite all the criticism that I and others have given him for his personal failings off the field most of us still respected and loved him as a player. He really was the kind of player you want on your team, the kind you can't pull from a game because he won't come out unless he can't walk - and even then he still makes great plays.
Ken Caminiti will be missed.
Josh H
10-11-04, 01:31 PM
Sad, but no surprise with the steroid and other illegal drug problems. :(
Jericho
10-11-04, 01:55 PM
I wonder how Biggio and Bagwell will be able to handle this. They were long-tiome teammates of his.
J-Dubya
10-12-04, 05:22 AM
Damn, I liked watching him play baseball. He made some amazing plays at third over the years.
Mad Dawg
10-14-04, 08:35 PM
Source: Preliminary results indicate drug overdose
Preliminary results of the autopsy performed on Ken Caminiti show that the former National League MVP died of a drug overdose, a New York City police source told ESPN's Jeremy Schaap.
and really.. going to make it tough for anyone to bring steroids into this story.. considering he was a cocaine addict, and most likely thats what killed him
no family?
Kicker_of_Elves
10-14-04, 11:13 PM
Originally posted by twikoff
no family?
He left behind 2 daughters.
:(
Dabaomb
10-15-04, 01:16 AM
Originally posted by Mad Dawg
Source: Preliminary results indicate drug overdose
definitely sad news. He couldn't kick the habit. I mean, what else was he doing in the Bronx neways? I don't think he was tryin' to watch a Yankees game either.
MJKTool
10-15-04, 01:17 AM
Wow thats horrible. RIP Ken :(
Tarantino
10-16-04, 02:00 PM
Caminiti had a monster arm. I remember his stabs at balls down the line and chucking it to first with time to spare.
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