Ken Caminiti walks out of jail a free man and a felon, and a chain of events are set into motion which lead to his death at 41. As news of his passing is overshadowed in the media, baseball mourns the loss of its ultimate warrior. And his legacy in MLB, is everlasting.

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His baseball career now over, Ken Caminiti deals with a three-year legal saga stemming from his arrest in 2001.  Ken gives his landmark interview to Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated, where he becomes the first player to ever publicly admit to using steroids, and with it changes the game of baseball forever. But, he struggles to deal with the blowback he receives and with the transition into post-baseball life.

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Ken Caminiti returns to the Houston Astros for two injury-plagued seasons, and bounces around in his final year in baseball in 2001. Ken enters rehab for a second time, and while he's there he meets a woman who becomes a big part of his life. After his career comes to an end, Caminiti has a run-in with the law which will dominate the next few years of his life.

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Following his 1996 MVP season, cracks slowly begin to appear for Ken Caminiti. The San Diego Padres have a down season in 1997, but turn things around in 1998 and make a run all the way to the World Series against the vaunted New York Yankees. After being unable to come to an agreement with the Padres on a long-term extension Caminiti hits free agency for the first time in his career at age 35, and makes a surprising decision.

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After being traded to the San Diego Padres, Ken Caminiti's career immediately takes off to heights he had never experienced. After a stellar 1995 season, Ken puts together a legendary season in 1996 when he takes home the National League MVP Award unanimously. He leads the Padres to the playoffs for the first time since 1984, but behind one of the greatest individual performances in MLB during the 1990s, was a dark secret.

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Coming off of a disappointing season, Ken Caminiti confronts his substance abuse problems after the 1993 season and enter rehab. Ken begins to do his research on using anabolic steroids. As baseball goes on strike, the consequences are massive for Caminiti, who gets caught up in a massive 12-player trade between the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres which never needed to happen. 

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Ken Caminiti establishes himself as a full-time major leaguer, and struggles to find consistency in his early career. The Astros consider trading him a few times, including once in a potential blockbuster deal with the Boston Red Sox. Caminiti's best friends with the Astros appear on the team, as Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell usher in a youth movement which leads to a sustained run of success years later. In 1990 MLB owners lock out the players during spring training, and while Commissioner Fay Vincent brings the confrontation to a quick end, the stage is set for the 1994 strike. Plus the Astros go on the longest scheduled road trip in decades thanks to the Republican Party (really) and pass on drafting Derek Jeter (also really).

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Creative commons music credits:

Decisions by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100756

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Dark Walk by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100468

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Ken Caminiti stars in his MLB debut for the Houston Astros on July 16, 1987, leading the team to victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. After his initial success, Ken struggles down the stretch of the 1987 season, and he struggles to earn the trust of Houston manager Hal Lanier and establish himself as a big leaguer. Major League Baseball owners collude against the players in free agency, setting the stage for a massive labor fight in the near future which will impact Caminiti's career forever.

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