Early years Kaminski was born in
Seattle, Washington, in 1944. Kaminski attended
King's Garden, a private Christian school in North Seattle before graduating from Seattle's
Lincoln High School, Class of 1962. In high school Kaminski was a right-handed pitcher on the baseball team — an athletic assignment that would train him well for future endeavors. Kaminski began his storied career as a stadium hawker selling
beer — one of the more lucrative sales tasks for the commissioned vendors. However, after missing a number of shifts in order to play competitive tennis, he was demoted to selling lower-priced items. Kaminski's trademark peanut toss was a behind-the-back line drive thrown for distance with velocity — with a Mariners scout clocking one such Kaminski throw at with a
radar gun. Coincident with his job as a peanut vendor, Kaminski worked as a Seattle real estate broker.
Death and legacy Kaminski died July 26, 2011, in Seattle of a
brain aneurysm. Kaminski's career was remembered at the time of his death in a statement by Mariners president
Chuck Armstrong, who recalled: The root of Kaminski's iconic status was analyzed by one Safeco denizen: Kaminski's death was marked by the team with a moment of silence prior to the playing of the
national anthem at the July 29, 2011, Mariners game against the visiting
Tampa Bay Rays. Following this brief memorial, Mariners vendors further paid tribute to Kaminski by hurling ceremonial bags of peanuts into the crowd. Kaminski memorabilia was displayed by the team in its baseball museum and hall of fame at Safeco Field for the duration of the 2011 campaign. ==Footnotes==