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Ken Caminiti, 1996 NL MVP, Dies at Age 41

34 minutes ago

By BEN WALKER, AP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK - 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 (news) 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 RBIs. He estimated half the players in the big leagues were also using them.


Licht said Caminiti hoped to get back into the game, possibly in a position that would allow him to mentor younger players about avoiding the mistakes he made. Caminiti did return to baseball this year, serving as a spring training instructor with San Diego.


"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 RBIs with Houston, San Diego, Texas and Atlanta.


Caminiti's defining moment during his MVP season came on Aug. 18, 1996, in the oppressive heat of Monterrey, Mexico, as the Padres prepared to face the New York Mets (news) in the finale of the first regular-season series played outside the United States and Canada.


Battling dehydration and an upset stomach, Caminiti took two liters of intravenous fluid, then hit two home runs for four RBIs in an 8-0 victory.


"I didn't think I was going to play that day," he recalled after the season. "I'd have to thank the training staff for getting me on the field that day. They made a bigger deal than I thought it was."


Towers and Licht both recalled the enormous ovation Caminiti received during a 2003 ceremony marking the Padres' farewell at Qualcomm Stadium. The team moved into a new ballpark this season.

Licht said he had to go to Houston to persuade Caminiti to make an appearance, and Towers remembered the former star was nervous.

"He didn't know what kind of reaction he would get," Towers said.

After being showered with cheers, Caminiti told Licht it was his greatest day in baseball.

"It's a shame for his family as much as it is for his friends," former Padres teammate Andy Ashby said. "He's got three daughters who are going to miss having dad around. It's a shame. It's a terrible thing."

Caminiti teamed with Tony Gwynn and Greg Vaughn in the middle of the Padres' 1998 lineup, leading them to the World Series (news - web sites), where they got swept by the New York Yankees (news).

"I'm saddened by the news. He was a terrific kid, it's unfortunate," Houston manager Phil Garner, who coached Caminiti, said from Atlanta. "What we all loved about Cammy was his devotion to the game and his desire for the game. But it went into uncontrollable levels with no discipline."

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