Ken Caminiti Essentials Positions: Bats: B Throws: R Height: 72 Weight: 200 Born: Sunday, April 21, 1963 in Hanford, CA USA Died: 10 10 2004 in Bronx, NY USA Debut: 7/16/1987 Last Game: 10/7/2001 Full Name: Kenneth Gene Caminiti
2004 – Craig Biggio pops his first postseason home run and Houston leads Atlanta, 5-2, in Game Four of the N.L.D.S. with a chance to advance. Then Chad Qualls gives up a three-run homer to Adam Laroche and the Braves push across the winning run in the ninth to steal a 6-5 verdict and fly back to Atlanta for a decisive fifth game. Jeff Kent rolls into a double play with two men on in the bottom of the ninth to end a painful day – made worse by the news of ex-teammate Ken Caminiti’s death in New York at age 41.
VINTAGE BASEBALL MEMORABILIA Vintage Baseball Memorabilia Awards and More World Series – New York Yankees AL over Atlanta Braves NL 4 games to 2 World Series MVP – John WettelandBabe Ruth Award – Cecil Fielder Championship SeriesALCS New York Yankees over Baltimore Orioles 4 games to 1 ALCS MVP – Bernie WilliamsNLCS Atlanta Braves over St. Louis…
Padres third baseman Ken Caminiti is selected as the fourth unanimous winner of the National League’s Most Valuable Player award, joining Orlando Cepeda (1967 Cardinals), Mike Schmidt (1980 Phillies), and Jeff Bagwell (1994 Astros). The oft-injured San Diego infielder admitted 2002 in a Sports Illustrated cover story that he had used steroids during his 1996 MVP season, and for several seasons afterward.
San Diego pummels Colorado, 15 – 4, as 3B Ken Caminiti drives home eight runs with four hits, including a pair of homers, again from each side of the plate. Caminiti has now hit a pair of homers, right and left-handed, in three of his last four games. He’s the only major leaguer to ever to do it three times in a month. Jody Reed has four hits and four runs for the Pads. Andres Galarraga connects for his 30th homer, giving the Rockies four players with 30+ homers. This matches the 1977 Dodgers.
1994 – In one of the biggest player swaps in baseball history, the Astros send infielders Ken Caminiti, Andujar Cedeno and Roberto Petagine, outfielder Steve Finley and pitchers Brian Williams and Sean Fesh to San Diego for infielders Craig Shipley and Ricky Gutierrez, outfielders Derek Bell and Phil Plantier and pitchers Doug Brocail and Pedro Martinez. It’s a thinly-disguised salary dump and, were it not for Bell’s success, would have been regarded as one of the worst trades in club history. Caminiti and Finley blossom into All-Stars who lead the Padres to the N.L. title in 1998. Bell and Gutierrez are the only salvagable parts for the Astros and they are both gone after the 1999 season.
1994 – Mitch Williams walks the bases full then surrenders two 12th-inning runs in the season opener against Montreal. Ken Caminiti’s two-run double ends a dramatic three-run comeback for a 6-5 Houston triumph. Astros debut new navy and gold uniforms with the leaning star.
1993 – Ken Caminiti spanks a two-run double that caps a four-run eighth as Houston stuns the Braves, 5-2. Jose Uribe scores the game-winner. Xavier Hernandez picks up the win in relief.
1993 – A trio of arbitration cases are avoided when three starters are inked to similar three-year deals. Infielders Craig Biggio and Ken Caminiti, along with outfielder Steve Finley now represent a $32 million dollar investment to go with the $36 million spent on deals for pitchers Doug Drabek and Greg Swindell – a pay-out unlikely to have happened before the recent change in ownership.
1992 – A morning earthquake shakes the Astros before an 8-2 loss in Los Angeles. Willie Blair is rattled for five runs early. Ken Caminiti is one of the few Astros focused as he pounds out four hits.