And Another One's Gone...

Yeah, Chris Reeve was great, but I want to talk about Ken Caminiti. I have yet to read the obits on him yet, but if I see the word "tragic" used in describing his death I'll puke blood.

This was a man who chemically enhanced himself to become a "better" ball player. The benefit of which was millions of dollars. The offsetting side effect is a predilection for health problems. It's an interesting choice. To paraphrase "Blade Runner," would you be willing to burn out a candle twice as fast if you could burn twice as bright? Ken was an athletic entertainer. He made his choice to burn twice as bright.

There's nothing tragic about dying young when a person makes these types of choices. Sure, it's sad. I'm sure his family mourns his death and my thoughts go out to them. Moreover, I hope Ken's life becomes a template on which today's young athletes learn the penalties that can occur if you try to have it all the easy way.

Ken Caminiti. Lyle Alzado. That's two.

There will be others. Many others.