Why do a chosen few athletes live on well after their playing career has ended? What is about their personality that makes fans want to preserve their legacy? One of the players that fall under this category is Ken Caminiti with the San Diego Padres fan base.
It is hard to imagine that we’re approaching the 18th anniversary of Caminiti’s death this October. In 2004, he was found dead inside a South Bronx apartment from cardiac arrest after ingesting a lethal mix of cocaine and heroin.
Though Caminiti played 10 of his 15-year MLB career with the Houston Astros, it was the four seasons with the Friars that brought the man, the myth, the legend of Cammy to life.
No question, the San Diego Padres and Ken Caminiti flourished during their time together. It culminated with the team securing a downtown ballpark following their 1998 World Series appearance.
But Ken Caminiti offered much more than his celebrated baseball career and tragic end due to substance abuse. Author Dan Good of “Playing Through The Pain: Ken Caminiti and The Steroid Confession That Changed Baseball Forever” (which can be purchased on Amazon) brought some insight into the troubled star’s highs and lows during his baseball career. Recently, Dan and I discussed Caminiti’s complicated life.
Sports-wise, baseball was not Ken Caminiti’s first passion?
Good: No, his first passion was football. He loved playing football because of the contact and collisions. Unfortunately, his body could no longer handle the physicality of the sport. So, Ken had to stop playing football after high school.
However, Caminiti brought a football mentality to his style of play on the diamond. Consider that he loved barreling into the catcher or diving on most defensive plays. No question, Caminiti was a very bruising player, and the fans loved the energy he brought to the game.
I want to discuss two guys who were instrumental in Caminiti’s development as a baseball player. First is John Oldham, head coach of San Jose City College, who had a love/hate affair with Cammy:
Good: I think so, as Ken enjoyed playing for coaches who were a little hands-off with their players. You look at Bruce Bochy, Art Howe and Gary Tuck, they all had a similar approach to managing a team.
John Oldham was all about the fundamentals and structure. Yes, there was friction between him and Ken. But Oldham was important in his development as a baseball player.
The disagreement stemmed from Caminiti wanting to switch hit because it meant so much to his dad. John did not want him switch-hitting, so friction developed between the two. Nevertheless, it was important for Ken to learn the fundamentals of baseball from a series of drills created by Oldham. It was instrumental in his development.
You have already mentioned the second person, Gary Tuck, who was Caminiti’s interim Double-A manager in the Houston Astros minor league system. He was the person who manifested the player we saw in San Diego.
Good: Gary Tuck was such a rugged coach. He comes to a struggling team and tells them to have fun on the field. No longer did the players have to endure any more yelling from their manager.
Ken excelled in this new environment. He batted .300 for the 1986 season, but Caminiti was hitting in the low .200 for the first half. A managerial change takes place. Tuck is brought-in, and he bats .340 for the second half of the season.
Tuck instilled confidence in his young star, especially defensively at third base. Ken has been air-mailing his throws to first, but Tuck forced him to loosen up. The entire team loved playing for him as Tuck took a last-place team and turned them into league champions. Their time together was an important stepping stone in Caminiti’s career.