Two-time World Series champion Scott Spiezio has described his past struggles with drug and alcohol addiction as a "miracle" that he is still alive. Spiezio, 53, details his nearly fatal spiral, which led to the loss of his children and fortune, in his new autobiography, "The Hardest Comeback," set to be released Tuesday.
"I went from a guy that thought I’d never see a drug and wouldn’t drink,” Spiezio told USA TODAY Sports. “to depending on both of them. I gave up everything for drugs and alcohol. I had to have them to function. I would literally shake if I didn’t have them. Really, it’s a miracle I’m alive.”
Spiezio played for the Athletics, Angels, Mariners, and Cardinals during a 12-year Major League Baseball career. His most notable moment came in Game 6 of the 2002 World Series when he hit a three-run home run that sparked a late comeback for the Angels, who went on to win the championship.
His addiction issues became public in 2007, his final MLB season, when the Cardinals announced he was seeking treatment for an unspecified abuse problem. Following a drunken car crash in 2008, for which he was cited by police, Spiezio was released by the team. The spiral continued, with Spiezio reporting that he resumed drinking on his flight home from a month-long stay at a drug rehabilitation center in Tucson.
The substance abuse began during his playing days. After injuring his back in Seattle and while playing on a three-year, $9.15 million contract, alcohol alone was not enough. He admitted to filling Gatorade bottles with vodka during games and soon turned to cocaine.
"I remember one of the first times I did it,” Spiezio said. “I ended up doing four lines that night. Then I had two home runs next day. I did it again, and hit a homer. Then, I didn’t do it, and I struck out three times. So I kept doing it. It became like a superstition, and then it turned into a habit. I was planning to stop after the [2006] season. But then we won it all, and I was using it to celebrate.”
Spiezio has been married twice and has four children. He has faced five arrests. He stated that while he never contemplated suicide, he was aware that the quantity of drugs and alcohol he was ingesting could be fatal. "Sometimes, I would write notes and leave them in case I died, saying, 'I didn’t do it on purpose. Tell my kids I love them. And tell my parents I love them,'" he recalled.
