Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I know. It's baseball. Who cares? Well, do we really
know the long term effects of HGH or EPO? If you're Joey D and you
research the drug, it must be safe. Hell, keeping the hemocrit at 50%
or under is safe.... Not like the 60%er's who died with transmission
oil thick blood. Except, that maybe, just maybe playing with the
natural EPO production, and then removing the 'treatment' might just
lead to big problems 20 years from now when your body stops making EPO
itself.
So I guess I should not be so mad. Fuentes stole $5000 from us in
July, but I will live to see my 70th birthday. He won't. Neither will
Joey. I will post when I hear about their passing in 20 years.
crit pro
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Ken Caminiti, 1996 NL MVP, Dies at Age 41
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By BEN WALKER
AP Baseball Writer
October 11, 2004, 12:02 AM CDT
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 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.
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 RBIs with Houston, San
Diego, Texas and Atlanta.
Copyright (c) 2004, The Associated Press