Former Astro Ken Caminiti, 41, dead of a heart attack.
Rick Licht, Caminiti’s agent and close friend, said Caminiti died at New York’s Lincoln Memorial Hospital in the Bronx. Licht, who last spoke to Caminiti last week, declined to comment about the former All-Star’s sudden death.
“The whole situation is devastating certainly for myself and his family — he has three children,” he said. “I spoke to him so many times recently, and he sounded fantastic. He was very clear and focused and looking forward to spending time with his little girls and getting back into baseball.”
I’m sorry he never got a chance to get his life back in order. And I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before words like “steroids” and “Lyle Alzado” enter into the conversation. All I want to say is, Rest in peace, Ken Caminiti.
UPDATE: Lair reminds me of John Matuszak.
Matuzak is a funnier name than Alzado. And it’s easier to say in verb form, like Belushi.
Somewhere, in Steroid Purgatory, Caminiti is suffering through yet another story about how the Goonies weren’t good enough, so that’s why they needed Sloth’s help…
Not that I’m an advocate for steriods, but his recent cocaine use, for which he was convicted just before he died, probably had a lot more to do with his heart problems than steriods taken eight years ago.
PJ – I agree, but Caminiti is more notorious for his confessed steroid usage, and I expect some moralizing sportswriters will pounce on that.