Playing Through the Pain: Ken Caminiti and the Steroids Confession That Changed Baseball Forever

by Dan Good

Overview

The powerful story of Ken Caminiti, who changed baseball forever as the first player to confess to having used performance-enhancing steroids

In Playing Through the Pain: Ken Caminiti and the Steroids Confession That Changed Baseball Forever, writer Dan Good seeks to make sense of MLB MVP Ken Caminiti’s fascinating, troubled life. Good began researching Caminiti in 2012 and conducted his first interviews for his biography in 2013. Since then he’s interviewed nearly 400 people, providing him with an exclusive and exhaustive view into Caminiti’s addictions, use of steroids, baseball successes, and inner turmoil.

Decades later, the full truth about Major League Baseball’s steroids era remains elusive, and the story of Caminiti, the player who opened the lid on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball has never been properly told. A gritty third baseman known for his diving stops, cannon arm, and switch-hit power, Caminiti voluntarily admitted in a 2002 Sports Illustrated cover story that he used steroids during his career, including his 1996 MVP season, and guessed that half of the players were using performance-enhancing drugs. “I’ve made a ton of mistakes,” he said. “I don’t think using steroids is one of them.”

Good’s on-the-record sources include Caminiti’s steroids supplier, who has never come forward, discussing in detail his efforts to set up drug programs for Caminiti and dozens of other MLB players during the late 1990s; people who attended rehab with Caminiti and revealed the secret inner trauma that fueled his addictions; hundreds of Caminiti’s baseball teammates and coaches, from Little League to the major leagues, who adored and respected him while struggling to understand how to help him amid a culture that cultivated substance abuse; childhood friends who were drawn to his daring personality, warmth, and athleticism; and the teenager at the center of Caminiti’s October 2004 trip to New York City during which he overdosed and died.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419753633
Publisher:	Abrams Press
Publication date:	05/31/2022
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	117,353
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 6.10(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Dan Good became a book writer and ghostwriter after spending more than a decade as a journalist, most recently running the national breaking news desk for the New York Daily News. A Pennsylvania native, Good fell in love with baseball as a child during the 1990s after his father introduced him to baseball cards and a simulation table game called APBA (pronounced APP-Bah) in which each roll of the dice matched a player’s predicted outcome on the field. He lives in New York.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Batman 5

Chapter 2 The Valley of Heart's Delight 13

Chapter 3 (Not So) Big Man on Campus 17

Chapter 4 College Try 27

Chapter 5 Red, White, and Blue 45

Chapter 6 Bus Rides and Empty Ballparks 55

Chapter 7 Houston, We Have Liftoff 77

Chapter 8 Down 87

Chapter 9 Winter Ball 95

Chapter 10 Job Security 99

Chapter 11 Feel the Heat 111

Chapter 12 Fresh Faces 117

Chapter 13 Long Road 127

Chapter 14 Earthquake 135

Chapter 15 Strike, You're Out 143

Chapter 16 New Beginnings 155

Chapter 17 Getting a Boost 161

Chapter 18 Legend 175

Chapter 19 Planes, Sprains, and Automobiles 201

Chapter 20 TG 219

Chapter 21 Capture the Flag 223

Chapter 22 Falling Down 239

Chapter 23 Moving On 247

Chapter 24 Warning Signs 271

Chapter 25 Old Dog 283

Chapter 26 Lost and Found 297

Chapter 27 The Truth Will Set You Free 305

Chapter 28 Relapse 319

Chapter 29 Greatest Day 327

Chapter 30 The End 331

Epilogue 347

Acknowledgments 355

Note on Sources 359

Index 371

Editorial Reviews

★ 05/09/2022

In this titillating work, sportswriter Good (The Microsoft Story) tackles a controversial time in sports history with a look at the life of baseball star Ken Caminiti (1963–2004), who, in 2002, acknowledged his use of steroids in a Sports Illustrated cover story. A “pint-sized” kid who grew up playing baseball in 1970s San Jose, Calif., Caminiti displayed a gift for the sport early on, but, as Good reveals, he also had a penchant for drinking, a habit that began in middle school. As Good skillfully traces Caminiti’s ascent through high school baseball, his draft to the Houston Astros in 1984, and his subsequent 15 seasons on the field, he notes his successes while also underscoring his growing dependency on performance-enhancing drugs like speed—“a little pick-me-up... popular in major league clubhouses.” By the mid 1990s, Caminiti was using steroids regularly, including during his 1996 MVP season with the San Diego Padres. Drawing from almost a decade of interviews with Caminiti’s teammates and coaches, Good’s narrative is decidedly unsparing, but it offers crucial context to the “steroids era” that led Caminiti to go public about his usage and to call out hypocrisy in a sport, where, he alleged, “at least half the guys using.” This is a must-read for baseball fans. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Drawing from almost a decade of interviews with Caminiti’s teammates and coaches, Good’s narrative is decidedly unsparing, but it offers crucial context to the ‘steroids era’ … This is a must-read for baseball fans.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This is an incredibly interesting book about a flawed star and his impact on the game. I couldn’t put it down.”—Peter Golenbock, author of The Bronx Zoo, Bums, Wrigleyville, and Valentine’s Way

“Like Ken Caminiti so many times with the San Diego Padres, Dan Good has gone deep with this exhaustive biography of the 1990s slugger. Playing Through the Pain builds anticipation well in detailing Caminiti’s rise and tragic fall, threading in four hundred interviews with everyone from childhood friends to steroid dealers. Caminiti’s story is one of the secrets—childhood sexual abuse, drug abuse—that undid a generous spirit and preternaturally talented ballplayer. Good ends up with an effective portrayal of a man whose courageous willingness to blow the whistle on steroids helped clean up the game.” —Brad Balukjian, author of The Wax Pack

“As compelling as it is heartbreaking, Dan Good’s Playing Through the Pain provides an in-depth look into Ken Caminiti’s life, both on and off the field. As his teammate during his 1996 MVP season, I witnessed Cammy’s toughness and talent firsthand. It wasn’t until I read this book that I really got to know Ken and his battles.”—Bob Tewksbury, All-Star pitcher, mental skills coach, and author of Ninety Percent Mental

From the Publisher

Like Ken Caminiti so many times with the San Diego Padres, Dan Good has gone deep with this exhaustive biography of the 1990s slugger. Playing Through the Pain builds anticipation well in detailing Caminiti’s rise and tragic fall, threading in four hundred interviews with everyone from childhood friends to steroid dealers. Caminiti’s story is one of the secrets—childhood sexual abuse, drug abuse—that undid a generous spirit and preternaturally talented ballplayer. Good ends up with an effective portrayal of a man whose courageous willingness to blow the whistle on steroids helped clean up the game.

author of The Wax Pack Brad Balukjian

This is an incredibly interesting book about a flawed star and his impact on the game. I couldn’t put it down.

Peter Golenbock

As compelling as it is heartbreaking, Dan Good’s Playing Through the Pain provides an in-depth look into Ken Caminiti’s life, both on and off the field. As his teammate during his 1996 MVP season, I witnessed Cammy’s toughness and talent firsthand. It wasn’t until I read this book that I really got to know Ken and his battles.

Bob Tewksbury