Ken Caminiti Dies

[Rocket Fan]

Just saw on espn .. ken caminiti dead at 41

[qzf2qk]

I just saw it also. It was a breaking news alert on the ticker

[Rokkit]

ESPN is saying heart attack...

[Rocket Fan]

I'm looking for a link.. desperately was hoping I read that wrong...

My prayers are with his family.. crap I don't even care about the game tomorrow anymore... these players already lost Kile and now Ken...


:(

[qzf2qk]

Link (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3068808)


Here is a link

[Rocket Fan]

I have an autograph of him sitting in my room... and I even have that triple play cereal with him, bags, and biggio...

I know recently Ken has had his troubles.. but this is a sad day...

I believe he had several kids? Trying to remember back to when he played here..

Only met him once and feel like I knew him.. prayers to his family and all of the astros that knew him..

[adw]

Oh god :(

[isoman2kx]

damn, quite a dark day for houston sports on and off the field. :(

sad news for everyone in the astros organization as well as the fans

RIP Caminiti.

[synergy]

damn, i liked him as a player alot

[RocketManJosh]

Man ... Just saw this on the news here in San Diego ... Unbelievable

As bad a day as we've had as Houston sports fans, this really puts all that into perspective.

I'll always remember Ken as one of my favorite players of all time ... I wish he could have had a better life and made few better choices ... He was definitely one of the good guys

RIP +++

[whag00]

Wow...

RIP

[Robert Snyder]

From the AP at work.......

---------------------------

v60010tx-b
u s AP-TX--Obit-Caminiti(Top 10-11 0153
^AP-TX--Obit-Caminiti (Tops) URGENT<
^
^Ken Caminiti, 1996 NL MVP, dies at age 41<
^
NEW YORK (AP) _ Former Houston Astros slugger Ken Caminiti died
today at age 41. The 1996 National League M-V-P admitted during his
major league career that he had used steroids. He was 41.
Caminiti's agent and lawyer says the player died of a heart
attack in the Bronx. A medical examiner's office spokeswoman said
an autopsy would be performed tomorrow.
Last Tuesday, Caminiti admitted in a Houston court that he
violated his probation by testing positive for cocaine last month.
He was sentenced to 180 days in jail.
San Diego Padres general manager Kevin Towers says Caminiti was
--quote-- ``one of my favorite all-time players.''
The three-time All-Star third baseman's big league career ended
in 2001, five seasons after he led the Padres to a division title
and was a unanimous pick for M-V-P.
-----------------------------------

A sad day. Ken was a gamer, and it was a shame he was traded to San Diego. I remember that one season towards the end of his career when he came back to Houston and he would make a great play every now and then which reminded you of his play in the 90s.

[Stack24]

ESPN's Coverage

http://espn.go.com/classic/obit/s/2004/1010/1899091.html

[DieHard Rocket]

RIP Cammy

Trying to take some positive out of this, hopefully this will set in on some of the big-leaguers that are taking steroids and get them off...not for the sake of the game but for themselves. I know Caminiti had other drug problems as well, but maybe something can be learned from this.

[hoopstar]

Unfortunate...he seemed like he was a good guy with a good heart, made some bad decisions though. I remember that one game when he was with San Diego and he was sick and came out and hit two homers in that game. He was a gamer. Had a gun for an arm too...Prayers go out to his family. I wonder how the guys who played with him or knew him are taking the news? I'd assume Craig and Jeff were close with him.

RIP Ken Caminiti

[rocketfan83]

Sad news. He was one of my favorite players growing up. Very entertaining player to watch. I'd always tell my mom to buy tickets on the third baseline to I could see him up close. I was upset when he was traded in the mid 90's . It's sad to watch some of the players that I watched as a chil pass away, makes me realize that life goes by real fast. RIP Ken, Kyle, Andujar and anybody that I'm forgeting.

It's going to be tough to watch Bags and Bidge tomorrow, I hope they're up for it. It's going to be a tough watch

[Rocket Fan]

looking at that link stack provided... am i the only one who thinks its a little insensitve to put t he steorid thing in the headline.. yeah mention it during story maybe.. but in the headline... come on ...

[Rocket Fan]

tough to watch everyone.. he played for the braves some too...


tomorrow will be a painful game

[cwebbster]

I actually knew Camaniti personally. I used to play pool with him and my cousin, who worked out together. This just shocked me when I saw it go across the bottom of the screen on ESPN. I have a pic in my room of me, him, Finley, and Luis Gonzalez. I hope that the 'stros play their hearts out tommorow for Ken!

[francis 4 prez]

wow, i glanced at the bottomline and saw the words but i didn't even realize what i had read until a few seconds later. can't believe it.

guy threw harder for a position player than anyone i've ever seen to this day, he had a gun that was just incredible. i still remember that highlight of the ball bouncing around on his back, then him picking it up and still getting the guy.


sad to see he had so many problems. sometimes we get lucky like in john daly's case and they figure it all out but i guess it wasn't meant to be in cammy's case.

sad day.

[hoopstar]

looking at that link stack provided... am i the only one who thinks its a little insensitve to put t he steorid thing in the headline.. yeah mention it during story maybe.. but in the headline... come on ...


i definitely agree with you on this. c'mon have some taste, his life should not be defined by the fact that he took steroids.

[DavidS]

Damn! :eek:

What the?

[rezdawg]

I was pissed about the Astros and Texans losing close ones, but now that seems so pointless.

Horrible news.

[codell]

http://www.chron.com/content/news/photos/04/10/11/kcaminiti/photo1.jpg
http://www.astrosdaily.com/history/1999NLDS/1999g1c.jpg
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/041010/041010_caminti_vmed_10p.vmedium.jpg

The first athlete I found myself emotionally attached to as a kid.

I remember that when he came up, mid-year in 87, he started out on fire.

Damnit.

At least his demons can no longer hurt him.

RIP Cammy ....we loved you

[Groogrux]

:(

[Chance]

+


win for ken!

[leroy420]

RIP Cammy, please.

[Surfguy]

I would probably think it was the cocaine abuse that led to this. I assume he hasn't used steroids since he ended his baseball career.

[Austin70]

I am shocked and saddened. I loved how he played, balls to the wall every ball hit to him. IMHO he was the best defensive third baseman ever for the Astros.

RIP

[Oski2005]

I've been wondering how this news will hit his former teammates on the Astros.


RIP Cammy

[ROCKSS]

Very Sad

RIP Cammy +

[pariah]

RIP Cammy - on the field, which is where I will always remember you, you were topped by no one.

My prayers go to your wife and kids.

+

(I'm having a hard time hitting "submit reply" on this one). :(

[codell]

can someone post the Rob Neyer Insider article from ESPN?

[JBIIRockets]

I've been to one Astros road game in my life. It was late July in 1995. The Padres won 3-2 and Cammy hit a homerun for them.

+

[Joe Joe]

+

[shawn786]

Just shocking he was such a young guyy...

RIP!

[Austin70]

Has there been any reaction from Bagwell and Biggio? I know they will have something on their cap tonight.

[Nashvegas]

didn't he homer and then hit a triple off the wall in his first game as an Astro?

He was one of my all time favorite Astros.

[Alimoe84]

Wow....I just can't believe this. I can't possibly imagine what some of these guys are going through right now. I've been stressed out ever since the NLDS started. The Astros have to play game 5 with a heavy heart. Hopefully they use this to go out and play their f**king a$$es off. Let everything they do on the field from here on out go to Cam.

RIP Cammy

[codell]

Originally posted by Nashvegas
didn't he homer and then hit a triple off the wall in his first game as an Astro?

He was one of my all time favorite Astros.

From Chron.com archives:

Youngsters key Astros' 2-1 win

By NEIL HOHLFELD
Staff

Ken Caminiti and Gerald Young, two players who were considered the future of the Astros only 10 days ago, gave a glimpse of what is to come Thursday night.

What is to come, the Astros hope, in the second half of the season.

Third baseman Caminiti , making his major-league debut, had a triple and a home run and made four excellent defensive plays.

Center fielder Young made two outstanding catches in the top of ninth and delivered a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the inning to give the Astros a 2-1 win over Philadelphia.

Though the slogan on the scoreboard "You Gotta Like These Kids," was not original - San Francisco used it last year - it was certainly fitting.

Danny Darwin went nine strong innings, allowing only four singles. But without Caminiti and Young, the Astros would not have won the first game after the All-Star break and moved to within 1 1/2 games of Cincinnati.

The Reds lost to New York while the Astros were riding their kids to a win.

Through four innings, the first game after the break resembled the All-Star Game. No runs. For that matter, neither Darwin nor Phillies starter Kevin Gross had allowed a hit through four.

Which is not to say the pitchers were completely trouble-free. Gross had issued four walks in the first four innings, and Darwin had walked two and hit a batter.

In addition, Darwin needed extraordinary plays by infielders six times to avoid giving up his first hit. Four of the plays were made by Caminiti , who was sparkling right from the start in his debut.

Juan Samuel, the game's first batter, his a one hopper that Caminiti back-handed and fired across the diamond.

For his next trick, Caminiti charged a slow bouncer by Von Hayes and threw off-balance to barely get the runner.

In the second inning, he made two more good plays, diving to his right to snare a line drive hit by Lance Parrish and diving again to his right to come up with a ground ball by Gross.

By the time the rookie took his first major-league at-bat in the bottom of the second, he had become a crowd favorite. It mattered little that Caminiti bounced out routinely, the fans were on his side. Their reward would come later.

Though Gross walked three batters in the first inning, the Astros lost a runner when Young, who led off with a walk, was caught stealing on a pitchout.

After Denny Walling and Glenn Davis walked with two out, Kevin Bass swung at the first pitch and rolled out.

Darwin allowed the first hit of the game to Chris James, who led off the fifth inning with a line-drive single to left. After Luis Aguayo struck out, Gross bounced into a double play after failing to lay down a bunt.

In the bottom of the inning, Caminiti led off with his first major-league hit. He came within a few feet of his first major-league home run, bouncing a line drive off the right-field wall for a triple.

Despite the leadoff triple, Gross, through none of his merit, wormed out of trouble. First baseman Hayes made a good stop of a bouncer by Craig Reynolds, holding the runner at third.

Gross walked Darwin, almost an unthinkable sin. But Darwin, not the best of base runners, was doubled off first on Young's liner to short.

Three batters into the sixth, the Phillies had the first run of the game. Samuel led off with a first-pitch single, and Thompson moved him to third with a hit-and-run single to right.

Darwin got Hayes to hit into a double play, but Samuel steamed home with the first run of the game.

Though Gross didn't allow a hit in the bottom of the sixth, the Astros left their fourth runner in scoring position. With one out, Walling walked for the third straight time. He moved to second on Davis' bouncer, but Bass lined out to right to end the inning.

Caminiti put the capper on a memorable night with his home run to tie the game in the seventh. He jumped on a high breaking ball from Gross and sent the ball high over the fence in right. The crowd wouldn't let up until Caminiti took a curtain call from the dugout, which he did with enthusiasm.

That homer allowed Darwin to stay in the game. After Reynolds walked, though, Darwin bunted into a force play at second, and Young fouled out.

Darwin pitched a perfect eighth inning, as the Phillies pinch hit for Gross, who was replaced by left-hander Wally Ritchie. Mike Jackson followed Ritchie to the mound, giving up Young's game-winning hit to take the loss and fall to 3 -7.

[WasabiTheNinjaPimp]

It really puts everything back into perspective, now the playoffs going to game 5 and the texans OT loss don't mean as much as they did before. It' sad that he wasn't ever able to beat his addictions :(

[Master Baiter]

Originally posted by Austin70
Has there been any reaction from Bagwell and Biggio? I know they will have something on their cap tonight.
I would like to hear what they have to say also. Must be very very tough for them.

[thegary]

"Needle And The Damage Done"

I caught you knockin'
at my cellar door
I love you, baby,
can I have some more
Ooh, ooh, the damage done.

I hit the city and
I lost my band
I watched the needle
take another man
Gone, gone, the damage done.

I sing the song
because I love the man
I know that some
of you don't understand
Milk-blood
to keep from running out.

I've seen the needle
and the damage done
A little part of it in everyone
But every junkie's
like a settin' sun.

[DFW_Rockets_Fan]

:( RIP

Always one of my favorites. He could throw harder from his knees better than most others could standing up.

+

[edc]

Originally posted by Rocket Fan
looking at that link stack provided... am i the only one who thinks its a little insensitve to put t he steorid thing in the headline.. yeah mention it during story maybe.. but in the headline... come on ...

A little insensitive, but anabolic steroid use has a direct link to heart disease. Add to that years of cocaine abuse...

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/921033839.html

...it is somewhat amazing Cammy lasted as long as he did :(

[DaDakota]

Wow,

I feel terrible for his family.

Maybe the Stros can dedicate tonight's win to him.

DD

[Rocket Fan]

edc.. yeah, I just wouldn't have put it in the headline..

[Al22ex]

Hey guys, Did Ken wear 21 with the Astros or 11..... I seem to remember him wearing 21 his first stint with houston... and 11 his second time around... I could be wrong



In any event... Wear your Astros jerseys tonight... With a Black Armband or write his number or initials on your cap...


Lets win this one for Ken...

[JBIIRockets]

It was always 11 with the Astros.

[DavidS]

Caminiti had the best *3rd baseman arm* I've ever seen! Only Buddy Bell came close.

I bet Baggs has a few stories on how hard Caminiti could throw that ball from 3rd base, on is butt, across his body....whooosh....smak!

Makes you wonder if Baggs said "ouch!" a few times on those hard throws. :)

[bottlerocket]

Honestly my favorite Astros next to Bags.

The guy played with toughness, power, and intensity.

Hated to see when him strike out but love to see him break the bat across his thigh. That is tough.

RIP Cammy, a forever Astro.

[Austin70]

Originally posted by JBIIRockets
It was always 11 with the Astros.

I thought when he came back he had to wear 21 because 11 was taken.

[Surfguy]

Did Caminiti only start using steroids when he was with the Padres or was he using steroids his entire big league career starting in Houston? I guess I was hoping he wasn't using steroids during his stint in Houston but I really have no idea.

[Uprising]

:( I was wondering why guys were saying win this one for Cammy in the game thread.....

RIP Ken.

[Aceshigh7]

My all time favorite Astro.

I still remember that play you made when you dived across the foul line to spear a grounder and then made the throw to first while lying flat on your back.

Aside from being a great ballplayer, I have always heard that you were a great guy with a heart of gold.

I was rooting for you to beat your drug illness. You were a warrior and your life these last years was so tough.

Rest in peace Cammy.:(

[edc]

Originally posted by Surfguy
Did Caminiti only start using steroids when he was with the Padres or was he using steroids his entire big league career starting in Houston? I guess I was hoping he wasn't using steroids during his stint in Houston but I really have no idea.

He claimed it started in San Diego.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/magazine/03/02/flashback_juiced/


The surest sign that steroids are gaining acceptance in baseball: the first public admission of steroid use--without remorse--by a prominent former player. Ken Caminiti, whose 15-year big league career ended after a stint with the Atlanta Braves last season, revealed to SI that he won the 1996 National League Most Valuable Player award while on steroids he purchased from a pharmacy in Tijuana, Mexico. Spurred to try the drugs by concern over a shoulder injury in early '96, Caminiti said that his steroid use improved his performance noticeably and became more sophisticated over the next five seasons.

[Surfguy]

Thanks edc. I guess you could say he chose performance over his health. It may have helped him in the very short term achieve his goals but he really lost. It was gut wrenching that, during my lunch break at home today, I saw an old interview their showing on Sportscenter where Ken was talking about how he just didn't care what happened to him. He talked about how he has, or did have, a self-destructive attitude. He even talked about how, when he felt like that, he didn't care if death was on his horizon. It truly was an eerie interview after his death today.

I just hope Ken wasn't using cocaine right before he died Sunday. If you think about it, then he just got out of jail. He visits the Bronx to help a friend out. Who is to say he didn't have a relapse that brought this on? I hope that wasn't the case. I hope and pray some toxicology report doesn't come out in a few days indicating this.

[Severe Rockets Fan]

If baseball rules were stricter he'd be alive today :( . RIP

[Master Baiter]

Originally posted by Severe Rockets Fan
If baseball rules were stricter he'd be alive today :( . RIP
I love Cammy, but he did it to himself. It isnt baseballs fault he took drugs. It isnt baseballs fault that he did steriods. He battled his own personal demons and lost. I absolutely hate it for him and his family, but a man has to take responsibility for his actions. I say all of this with the utmost respect for #11. I hope his jersey hangs in Minute Maid very soon.

[Dave2000]

I saw Caminti last year at Boston Market on Voss and Westhimer. He was HUGE in person, wasnt sure it was him until I saw a Caminiti tatoo on his shoulder. I was hesitate to say something to him as him and a friend were planning on some weekend hunting trip.

I was shocked to hear the news but the Astros will win a game for him today.

[weakfromtoday]

I think Ken was the first pro baseball player I ever got an autograph from. He also had a cannon for an arm.

RIP

[sonique15]

Cami was a class act as a player......Saw him play on numerous occasions and have nothin but respect for him. Just ish he could have worked out his personal life.....i was hopin he could get back his life and go into coaching or something.....sad to see this tale end. RIP Cami.

[Baseballa]

Wow this is a shocker. Caminiti used to live in my neighborhood, but only his kids and wife do now. I have met him on a few occasions and actually played darts with him once. He was one of my favorite players to watch, and he was so incredibly cool and nice in person. Although he did have his recent problems, baseball lost a real class act yesterday.

RIP

[Uprising]

I am listening to a Cammy and Dan Patrick interview right now. :(

RIP in Ken.

[codell]

ABC13 just had words from Bags and Bidge. They didn't look well.

Bidge looked like he was really holding it in, and said that his wife and Cammy's wife (ex) are best friends.

:(

[Rocket Fan]

was cami married now? I don't know if you were saying ex because they got a divorcce or ex because he died..

[RocketManJosh]

Posted this in the game thread, but I decided to put this here too ...

Just saw part of a press conference with Bidge and Bags on Sportscenter and they really looked like they were hurtin bad over Cammy ... Bidge's eyes told the whole story

Bags said the best way they could honor Cammy at this moment was to go out there and play their butts off.

Win or lose ... The Stros will honor Cammy tonight with effort

[codell]

Originally posted by Uprising
I am listening to a Cammy and Dan Patrick interview right now. :(

RIP in Ken.

If you were a Cammy fan, that interview, and the one Rome did with him were hard to listen to. Very dark.

[KingCheetah]

One of my all time favs...

:( :(

[FrontRowJoe]

I remember watching his first game as a rookie and thinking to myself "This guy's gonna be MVP". Little did I know how right I was (though not for the Stros). Watching him throw from third to first was truly beautiful. I've never seen a infielder (or outfielder, for that matter) throw with more power and accuracy than Ken Caminiti. How tragic! Rest easy, Cammy. You'll be missed.

[haven]

Caminiti's one of the first players I remember playing from the beginning of their careers. It's a strange feeling knowing that he's dead. It's an overused expression, but he left it all on the field.

It seems there wasn't enough left for anything left. He'll be missed, but I wish there could have been more.

[Master Baiter]

What an awesome, awesome win for the good guys. That win was for you Cammy. Your teammates love you and so do the fans. I know I have already said it once before but I really hope we see his jersey next to #5 and #7.

PALS

[rrj_gamz]

RIP...

Great Baseball player, just made some seriously bad decisions from a personal standpoint...

[codell]

Detailed report of Cammy's last hours: (looks like up until his last moments, he was reaching out trying to help someone so they wouldn't make the same mistakes that he had)

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1900273

[Summer Song Giver]

Originally posted by codell
Detailed report of Cammy's last hours: (looks like up until his last moments, he was reaching out trying to help someone so they wouldn't make the same mistakes that he had)

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1900273

Looks like to me he was trying to watch a game, drink some beer, eat some chicken and slip off to the restroom to get loaded one more time. And with a wife and three daughters at home, life is about choices and at some point you have to sacrifice all things to make other things (family, daughters) better. It's a sad story with a sad end but it doesn't make him any less of a dumbass for going out like this.

[codell]

Originally posted by Summer Song Giver
Looks like to me he was trying to watch a game, drink some beer, eat some chicken and slip off to the restroom to get loaded one more time.

Thats what I was thinking too.

I'd be shocked if they didn't find drugs in his system.

[Master Baiter]

Originally posted by codell
Thats what I was thinking too.

I'd be shocked if they didn't find drugs in his system.
I'd be shocked too but I hope they dont. I think it would be nice for him to go out clean. It sucks having someone cool have their name drug through the mud like that.

[Surfguy]

That's very sad. I mean when I'm reading that article...I'm thinking who the hell is up at 4 am and what are they up to? I mean I'm thinking he may be on a binge or something. I hope that wasn't the case but that whole article read out as if it were a drug filled night but no drugs were mentioned. I was almost thinking if this guy is calling this other guy at 4 am...that this other guy is a drug dealer fixing him up. I mean he is an ex-con and he did meet Caminiti at a party. I would expect normal sleep patterns from people not up to no good.

Maybe I'm just reading too much into it and the toxicology report comes back clean. I hope so, anyway.

[codell]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1902814

Bidgio, Astros bid tearful goodbye to Caminiti

ESPN.com news services

HOUSTON -- Craig Biggio gave a tearful remembrance and Houston teammates Jeff Bagwell and Brad Ausmus also were in attendance Friday at a memorial service for Ken Caminiti.

Astros owner Drayton McLane, general manager Gerry Hunsicker and manager Phil Garner were at the service at Second Baptist Church, as were San Diego owner John Moores and GM Kevin Towers.

Caminiti died last Sunday in New York at 41. Tests are being conducted to determine the cause of death for the 1996 NL MVP. A source in the New York City police department told ESPN's Jeremy Schaap that Caminiti died from a drug overdose, according to preliminary results of his autopsy.

Caminiti spent most of his 15-year career with the Astros and Padres. He made his major league debut with Houston in 1987.

"He took me under his wing when I got here," Bagwell said.

"Before I went to sleep last night, I was talking to my wife about our time together," the first baseman said. "I have nothing but great memories of Cammy -- nothing bad. If you say negative things about him, you obviously didn't know him."

Bagwell and Ausmus were late to the Astros' afternoon workout at Minute Maid Park and Biggio was absent.

The Astros plan to honor Caminiti before Game 3 of the NL championship series Saturday. There will be a moment of silence and a video tribute, and a spotlight shining outside the ballpark shows his No. 11.

[codell]

Did anyone watch Outside the Lines last night?

I've heard on the radio today that there was quite the disturbing recap of cammy's last hours. charlie pullilo couldn't even bring himself to recap.

Anyone?

[leroy420]

Originally posted by codell
Did anyone watch Outside the Lines last night?

I've heard on the radio today that there was quite the disturbing recap of cammy's last hours. charlie pullilo couldn't even bring himself to recap.

Anyone?

I watched some of if on Sunday. It was basically his final days after getting out of jail and going to New York with his (toothless) lady friend. It wasn't an overly positive piece. I usually like Jeremy Schapp's reporting, but he should have just left this alone.

I didn't watch all of it because I chose to remember Camy for the good things. I wish they wouldn't have done this report and let the man lay in peace and leave his family alone. They've been through enough.

[Austin70]

Supposedly he was engaged to that woman, I dunno, that's what she said.

[MadMax]

straight from the Dave Bliss School of Journalism.

[rrj_gamz]

RIP...

I watched ESPN yesterday and they had a piece on his last days...weird...just that he made all this money but was living like a bum...sad...

[Surfguy]

Isn't the autopsy overdue? Where the hell is it? I want to know how Cammy died.

[Another Brother]

Originally posted by rrj_gamz
RIP...

I watched ESPN yesterday and they had a piece on his last days...weird...just that he made all this money but was living like a bum...sad...

He still had money. I know a guy that made custom bikes for him, as recently as a few months ago Cami bought him a custom bike worth over a 100K.

[drapg]

That episode of "OTL" just confirmed in my mind what a loser Cammy was.

He told his girlfriend (whom he wasn't supposed to be with)... "Man, I left my girls for you." When was was supposed to be hanging out with his daughters, he was with his druggie friends.

Ugh.

[Surfguy]

My understanding is Cammy was a crack smoker so I have no doubts about anything he may have done which could be classified as stupid or crazy...especially if he was craving it or binging. In my old neighborhood growing up, there was a guy who was a crack smoker. To this day, he still goes through bouts where he is clean and bouts where he jumps off the wagon. He would literally disappear and spend days MIA at a crack house. His former wife had to take extraordinary actions like closing bank accounts and credit card accounts so he wouldn't spend all their money because he would spend whatever until it was gone all for crack.