FORMER ASTROS PLAYER CAMINITI PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG CHARGE

After submitting to a tongue-lashing from the judge, former Houston Astros
third baseman Ken Caminiti pleaded guilty Thursday to possession of cocaine.

In exchange for his plea, Caminiti was given three years of deferred
adjudication, meaning that -- barring any further trouble with the law --
no conviction will appear on his record. He could have been sentenced to up
to two years in a state jail and fined up to $10,000.

The charge stemmed from Caminiti's arrest with two other people in November
at the Ramada Limited Motel in the 6800 block of the Southwest Freeway. He
was charged with possession of less than 1 gram of cocaine. Police said
they also found crack pipes in the motel room.

Visiting state District Judge Bill Hatten told Caminiti that he had taken
his last drink and used his last controlled substance.

"You're getting a break," Hatten said. "You better take advantage of it."

Caminiti, 38, whose parents were in the courtroom, said the judge's words
were "very understandable" under the circumstances.

"You do bad things, you get scolded for it," he said after court. "I tell
my kids that all the time."

Under the terms of the agreement, Caminiti must continue the 12-step
Alcoholics Anonymous program and see a therapist weekly.

"It's good stuff that I need to be doing anyway," he said.

Hatten also ordered Caminiti to pay a $2,000 fine and perform 200 hours of
community service. Through an arrangement with Harris County prosecutors,
he can perform the community service by working with children in schools or
on Little League teams, said his attorney, Kent Schaffer.

"This is a guy a lot of kids have looked up to for years, and he can make a
major difference in the lives of kids in this city," Schaffer said.

"We see professional athletes getting in trouble all the time in every city
in America. Kids need to learn it's more than glamour, it's more than success."

Caminiti, who had two stints with the Astros over 12 years, was named the
National League's Most Valuable Player in 1996 while slugging 40 home runs
with the San Diego Padres. He returned to the Astros in 1999, played
briefly for the Texas Rangers and finished last year with the Atlanta
Braves. He has said he does not expect to return to professional baseball.

After his arrest in November, Caminiti said he spent about 70 days in
rehabilitation programs in Arizona and New Mexico. Now, he said, he lives
in the moment.

"I'm not trying to get too far ahead of myself, and I'm definitely not
trying to dwell on the past," he said. "I'm just trying to move forward
taking baby steps, you might say."

Caminiti said he wanted to thank everyone who has supported him through
"this mess."

His co-defendants, LaToya Bowman, 19, and Cedric Palmer, 24, also have
pleaded guilty to possession of less than a gram of cocaine. Bowman reached
a plea agreement in December and was sentenced to three years of probation.
Palmer pleaded guilty less than an hour after Caminiti on Thursday and was
sentenced to eight months in a state jail.