25 Facts About Ken Caminiti

Kenneth Gene Caminiti was an American third baseman who spent 15 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves.

Ken Caminiti was named the National League Most Valuable Player with San Diego in 1996, and is a member of the Padres Hall of Fame.

Ken Caminiti died of a cocaine and heroin drug overdose on October 10,2004.

Ken Caminiti starred in football and baseball at Leigh High School in San Jose, California, where he graduated in 1981.

Ken Caminiti attended San Jose State University where he played baseball for the Spartans in 1983 and 1984.

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Ken Caminiti was signed as a third round pick in the 1984 amateur draft by the Houston Astros.

Ken Caminiti played professional baseball for 15 seasons, beginning with the Osceola Astros of the Single-A Florida State League in 1985.

Ken Caminiti was promoted to the Double-A Columbus Astros in 1986, and batted.

Ken Caminiti immediately received a large role, starting 51 of the Astros' final 75 games at third base.

However, in 1988, Denny Walling, whom Ken Caminiti had largely replaced the previous season, was named the Astros starting third baseman, and Ken Caminiti started the season in the minors, playing with the Triple-A Tucson Toros of the Pacific Coast League.

Ken Caminiti's Astros improved their record each year from 1991 to 1994.

The switch-hitting Ken Caminiti became the first player to ever have three games with a home run from each side of the plate, remarkably having entirely done so over a single four game span.

Ken Caminiti had a career season in 1996, leading the Padres to the playoffs, and again setting new career highs, batting.

Ken Caminiti carried the Padres that year despite a myriad of injuries, such as an abdominal strain, a biceps tendon tear, shoulder and elbow injuries, and pain in his back, hamstring, and groin.

Ken Caminiti dropped off slightly in 1997, but remained productive, batting.

Ken Caminiti drove in eight of Houston's total 15 runs in the four game series loss to the Braves.

Ken Caminiti won three Gold Glove Awards while playing for the Padres in 1995,1996, and 1997, and he was unanimously selected as the National League's MVP in 1996.

Ken Caminiti entered into a partnership with actor Jason Gedrick and hockey player Mario Lemieux to open a cigar bar called Ashes Cigar Club on Wall Street.

Ken Caminiti was married to Nancy Smith from November 14,1987 to December 10,2002.

Ken Caminiti struggled with substance abuse throughout his career, as he had started drinking alcohol in middle school and smoking marijuana in high school.

Ken Caminiti started doing cocaine later on, but his main vice by 1990 was crack cocaine.

Ken Caminiti admitted in 1994 to having a problem with alcoholism and checked himself into a rehabilitation center in 2000.

Ken Caminiti's admitted steroid abuse was discussed in the 2007 Mitchell Report on steroid abuse in baseball.

Ken Caminiti had a long struggle with cocaine, having been arrested in March 2001 for possession and sentenced to probation.

In February 2003, Ken Caminiti tested positive for cocaine while already on probation for cocaine possession and was ordered to visit a Texas Department of Criminal Justice-operated treatment program.

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