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CNN Live At Daybreak
Story of Former MLB Star Who Confessed to Years of Steroids Use
Aired May 29, 2002 - 05:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And now for your sports fix. No pun intended, but our next story is about drugs and baseball. "Sports Illustrated" reports major league baseball players use steroids and other illegal drugs in their quest for a competitive edge.
CNN Sports Illustrated Correspondent Bob Pacella (ph) has the story of one former star who confesses to years of steroid use.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB PACELLA (ph), CNN SI CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ken Caminiti was once one of baseball's best players. In 1996, he was the unanimous choice as the National League's most valuable player. It's his greatest individual accomplishment. It's also an honor that is tainted by his disclosure that he spent much of the season on steroids.
KEN CAMINITI, FORMER PLAYER: I took a black market deal, and it's the worst thing I did, because I got the strength, whatever, I built the muscles up.
PACELLA (ph): In April of '96, Caminiti had suffered a shoulder injury. He decided to take steroids to help him play through the pain.
CAMINITI: Like I said, I was trying to do anything to play and I new I was tore up. So I said OK, you know. Hold together, hold together, hold together, and I prayed that whole year. You know? I was MVP. And I look back and say now I cheated almost, you know?
PACELLA (ph): The steroids made Caminiti a better player. He had 40 home runs in that '96 season. Neither before nor after would he ever reach 30. His 130 RBIs were 36 more than in his next best season.
In a lengthy interview with Tom Berducci (ph) of "Sports Illustrated," Caminiti said he continued to use steroids for the rest of his career that ended just last season. He also said that his steroid use was not the exception but the rule.
"It's no secret what's going on in baseball. At least half the guys are using it. They talk about it, they joke about it with each other." Caminiti also told "Sports Illustrated," quote, "At first I felt like a cheater, but I looked around and everybody was doing it. Back then you had to find it in Mexico or someplace. Now it's everywhere; it's very easy to get."
KENNY ROGERS, TEXAS RANGERS: No number would shock me, because I think it's prevalent out there without a doubt. I just wouldn't know a percentage at all, but I'm sure it's higher than anyone thinks.
PACELLA (ph): Like Rogers, Curt Shilling is dismayed by what he sees as a game radically changed by steroids. He told SI, quote, "You sit there and look at some of these players and you know what's going on."
ROGERS: It's not an even playing field in that respect, but I've dealt with it my whole career. My benefit for me is I can look in the mirror every day, whether I succeeded or failed, and I knew it was me out there. And that's my satisfaction.
PACELLA (ph): Major League Baseball does not currently test its players for steroids. So the number of users is difficult to pin down. But Commissioner Bud Selig agrees that body-building drugs are a problem in his game, and he says that something must be done. Any testing program will have to be agreed to by the players as part of a collective bargaining agreement.
ROGERS: I wish we would never have to worry about this subject, but it's something we're going to have to deal with. It's not going to happen anytime soon, I don't think, but one day it will. But the saddest part is probably going to be when something drastic happens to someone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: That report from CNN "Sports Illustrated" correspondent Bob Pacella (ph). We'll be hearing much more about that, you can be sure. Major League Baseball says the reason it can't fix the problem, by the way, is because it can't test for steroids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROB MANFORD, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: The commissioner's policy bans the use of steroids at the major league level. The problem is, because testing for steroids is a mandatory topic of bargaining, we've never been able to get an agreement with the players' association that would allow us to test and find out who is using steroids.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And, again, you can read up on the steroid problem in Major League Baseball at our "Sports Illustrated" CNN Web site. And there's more on Caminiti's confession, as well as reaction to the widespread problem. The address is sportsillustrated.cnn.com.
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