San Diego Padres: The man, the myth, the legend of Ken Caminiti

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.

Let’s jump in his career. Ken is promoted to the majors but sent down after struggling during his initial callup. Caminiti develops a strong bond with Craig Biggio during their time together in Tucson and later with Jeff Bagwell. Can you discuss the relationship between these three great players?

Good: It was a special bond with Ken and Craig. They came up together to the majors. It was important for Caminiti to get demoted. He was by himself as this occurs when a player gets promoted to the majors before his draft class.

Sometimes, young players get isolated from the rest of the team. The Astros had a good group of veterans, but Ken felt alone on road trips. Being promoted with Biggio gave him a familiar face in a big-league locker room.

They both helped each other get acclimated to their new surroundings. Biggio and Caminiti were supportive of one another, especially when working on their swings in the mirror at night in their hotel room.

Now, Jeff Bagwell (acquired from the Boston Red Sox) comes on board as a third baseman in 1991. The competition was fierce and their friendship came about from competing against one another for a starting position. They had similar personalities as both were quiet but very competitive. Ken was forced to raise his level of play because of the presence of Bagwell in the locker room.

Another talented player in the mix is Luis Gonzalez who went on to have an outstanding MLB career in the 90s and early 2000s. It is crazy that all three players were competing for the Astros third base position job in spring training. Caminiti was spraying the ball all over the field early in camp. It was the first time that he had to defend his role on a major league roster.

Bagwell is moved to first base and has a Hall-of-Fame career. All three (Biggio, Bagwell and Caminiti) were there for each other as they fueled one another to produce on the field. No question, there was such a deep bond and so special to watch from a distance.

Compare Caminiti’s performance level under his first MLB manager, Hal Lanier and his second, Art Howe?

Good: It was night and day. Hal Lanier was a yeller who would get on players in front of the entire team. Ken wilted under this type of managerial style. He did for his entire major league career, especially under Terry Collins in 1994.

As a rookie, Caminiti struggled to produce under Lanier as he never felt comfortable on the field. It took him a couple of seasons in winter ball to find his game.

At the time of the Howe hiring, Cammy was the subject of trade rumors, but no team was willing to pull the trigger on a deal. At the start of spring training, Howe pulls Ken aside and tells him that he is his guy at third this season.

Having the manager’s trust and confidence, Caminiti had his first breakout season in the majors. In fact, he should have won his first Gold Glove and many thought Cammy was a borderline All-Star in that season. The offensive production reflected how Caminiti felt comfortable with his manager, which gave him the confidence to perform on the field.

What was the relationship between Caminiti and Gwynn?

Good: The relationship between Cammy and Gwynn was interesting. For the first couple of seasons, their relationship was close. In his first spring training with the Padres, Ken followed Tony around the complex and he would ask him for advice in moving forward with his professional career. Caminiti trusted the Hall of Famer.

But in the later years, there was friction between the two. Yes, disagreements occurred, but nothing major. I think Caminiti wanted Tony to have a more camaraderie relationship with the team. But Gwynn was a homebody, especially on the road. Ken wanted him to show more outward emotions in a manner like Trevor Hoffman and himself did in the clubhouse, dugout and games.

Gwynn was never going to be that type of leader. And that is okay. In the end, Tony was tired of Ken’s struggles off the field. Ultimately, you wonder how much he knew about Caminiti’s steroid use. Let’s not forget that Ken played through a torn rotator cuff and did not miss any playing time from surgery the following season. This type of recovery was unheard of at that time in baseball.

Caminiti struggled with substance abuse once again in 1997-98. He was not dependable as his off-the-field actions were detrimental to the team.

One incident in the book was Gwynn having Cammy’s friends thrown out of the locker room. Both sides could have handled the situation differently. Tony could have spoken with Ken. But at the same time, those individuals should not have been in the clubhouse either.

It was two different personalities that saw life differently. No person should think any less of them. It was relationship between two athletes who played four seasons together and friction was bound to occur. Outwardly, they were very respectful of one another despite their issues.

Let’s discuss Caminiti’s magical 1996 season (.326 with 40 HRs and 130 RBI) that won him the National League MVP award. Did Ken understand how important he was to keeping baseball in San Diego?

Good: Yes, it is the same conclusion that everyone I spoke with for the book said as well. The 1996 season was a huge moment in Padres team history and personally for Caminiti.

He played the entire season with a torn rotator cuff. The odds were high that Ken would have a disappointing season or find himself on the injury list. Instead, Cammy has a monster season that no one anticipated.

It seemed like every game was electric. Who could forget the “Snickers” game in Monterrey or Ken throwing out a runner at first from the seat of his pants? The season brought so many moments that will remain with Padres fans forever.

The momentum of 1996 pushed the team to their 1998 World Series appearance, despite the detour that took place in 1997. It gave the front office a glimpse of their future and forced them to acquire Kevin Brown. Trevor Hoffman emergences as an elite closer. Thank God the team did not trade Greg Vaughn in 1997.

Ken appreciated his relationship with the Friar Faithful. After he retired from baseball, Cammy looked fondly on his Padres career. But I do not believe Ken ever understood how beloved he was by the San Diego fans.

At the final game at the Q in 2003, Caminiti has a panic attack before his name is announced to the sellout crowd. He feared the fans would boo him. Instead, Ken gets a rousing ovation as the Padres fans love and adore him. I wish he had more time to look back on his career with the Padres as Ken connected with the city in a neat way during the 1996 season.

Can you give Padres fans one tidbit about the infamous “Snickers” game in Monterrey?

Good: It was an amazing feat, especially when you re-watch him running around the bases. Cammy was woozy and hurting. He had taken two liters of IV fluids to keep himself upright. But his swings were explosive all game long. Remember, the dugouts were far away from home plate. And after his first home run, Cammy walked all thirty steps back to the Padres dugout. Why? Well, he was out of gas. His body was running on fumes.

People give Michael Jordan credit for his performance in the “Flu” game. But that was in the NBA Finals. Caminiti’s performance came in a regular-season contest as he could have easily not played. However, that was not his personality. Cammy was going to play if it was physically possible. Monterrey was a career-defining moment. And you cannot compare the results to another sports moment.

Was the offseason before the 1997 season the start of Caminiti’s steroid usage?

Good: Interesting looking back on his rotator cuff surgery. Many believe that was the start of his steroid usage. But that was not the case.

His physical therapist and main steroid supplier warned Caminiti that using steroids in the rehab process could tear the muscle off the bone. Damage of this nature could have been career-ending. Instead, Caminiti’s therapist had him working on agility drills.

His steroid usage began in 1995. Ken’s high school buddy helped him get and use the drug correctly during his offseason workouts. Ironically, Cammy never purchased steroids himself.

Immediately, Caminiti gained a spike in his power numbers. Add the success from the 1996 season, and other players were coming to Caminiti to set them up with his steroid program.

Then, he sustained a torn rotator cuff that forced him to re-adjust his 1997 workout program. Ken needed to regain strength and steroids were the solution to his early-season troubles.

Let’s not forget that Cammy thought of taking steroids as early as 1991 and did further research in 1993. His admission has been well-documented in the 2002 Sports Illustrated article.

In the end, his problems were a combination of steroids, increased drinking and drug usage. Caminiti felt indestructible, but that façade was crumbling.

Why was Caminiti treated as a martyr while Jose Canseco is applauded for his book on baseball’s steroid problem?

Good: Good question. There was sympathy for Caminiti. But also, confusion as to why he came forward with the SI article. For him, it was an opportunity to set the record straight on his own actions. Ken was trying to close this chapter of his life. Everything that he talked about came to be true.

Canseco was trying to sell books. Instead, he promoted himself with an ax to grind.
In the end, both players gained credibility by admitting that steroids were a part of major league baseball. The difference being, Ken was not trying to gain anything from his admission.

Why was Caminiti so addicted to competition but hated to have expectations placed on him?

Good: It’s a real sharp analysis on your part. Yes, Caminiti lived for competition as it was his fuel and energy. However, expectations from others did trip him up all throughout his playing career.

What made Cammy so damn clutch in key at-bats?

Good: He did come through time and time again. It was all about proving himself to others.
The early Astro teams were bad and rarely contended for a postseason berth. However, 1996 allowed him to take his career to the next level. No question, Caminiti dialed it up in the postseason.

Remember 1998, he was falling down and struggling in games. His personal life was in turmoil. Yet, you thought he could make something happen with one swing of the bat.

In 1999, Caminiti struggled throughout the regular season. But come October, he is battling Brian Jordan once again. Both players were homering back and forth.

Somehow, Cammy’s broken-down body allowed him to perform at a high level one more time. You felt that he had something to prove.

In the end, Caminiti rose to the occasion because he wanted to give his team every opportunity to win.

Speak on his retirement from baseball and that faithful trip to New York?

Good: The end of his life was so disappointing and sad.

For me, I look at the years of substance abuse and the things he put into his body. All of the internal demons he tried to fight off. Unfortunately, the outcome was not surprising. It could have happened in San Jose, San Diego or wherever he was at that time.

After his baseball career ended, Ken had trouble finding a purpose in life. Many retired players struggle with this aspect of their life. Their greatest days are behind them.

No longer is the crowd cheering, you stop making a ton of money and your catered life is over. You become a has-been baseball player.

For Caminiti, it was tough to adjust being retired from baseball. He did not know what was next in his life. His daughters meant so much to him, but it was tough for him to be identified as an ex-major leaguer. Then, the headlines (steroid controversy) followed.

Personally, it took me a long time to draft this portion of the book. I wrote with a heavy heart.

The shocking aspect is how few people knew Ken was in New York at the time of his death. What was the former NL MVP doing in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx?

The end of his life does not offer the answers we need for closure. It was a sad, tragic end to Ken Caminiti’s life.