Kenneth Gene Caminiti was an American baseball player who was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1996 while playing with San Diego Padres. Despite being a brilliant player, his bright career came crashing down under the burden of drugs and legal problems, and he died of a cocaine and heroin overdose on October 10, 2004 in New York. He had played 15 seasons in major league baseball with the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, and Atlanta Braves. Honored with an induction into the Padres Hall of Fame, he had gained the respect of his teammates for his accomplishments as a player and for his passion for the game. Kenneth broke into the major league with Houston in 1987 and was traded to San Diego in 1995. His best season was in 1996, when he led the Padres to a National League division title while achieving his career highs with a .326 average, 40 home runs, and 130 R.B.I. He also coached the Padres minor-league players, and helped them to get to the World Series in 1998. He finished his career in 2001 with the Atlanta Braves. He was in and out of the jail for drug abuse and often failed drug tests. After his retirement, he honestly admitted to using steroids while playing matches in the 1996 season.