The former Royals first baseman and a standout in the 1980 World Series looked poised for success until addiction became his downfall.

Author Gregory Jordan has published an account of Aikens’s journey through the peaks and valleys of his life before, during and after his time in prison with unflinching honesty. Aikens told his story of addiction, freedom and redemption, warts and all.

Kings of Kauffman has three copies to give to our loyal readers.

If you want to get yourself a copy, it’s very simple to become eligible:

Tweet @KingsofKauffman or comment on our Facebook page with your choice of the winner and total number of home runs hit in the 2012 Home Run Derby on  July 9. In the event of a tie, the closest to the estimated longest home run hit (in feet) will determine a winner.

The deadline to submit your prediction is midnight central time Sunday night, July 8.

While you’re already there, how about a like on Facebook and a follow on Twitter? If you already follow @KingsofKauffman and like our Facebook page, great!

You can also listen to Aikens tell part of his story on the Royalman Report from January.

The Royalman Report, LIVE Sundays at 7 pm CST

We’ve had a number of guests on the Royalman Report, but none have had as tumultuous a journey as Willie Mays Aikens.

Aikens was a star in the 1980 World Series, hitting two homers in Games 1 and 4, as well as winning Game 3 with an RBI in the bottom of the 10th inning. Within five years, Aikens would be out of baseball and battling addictions to cocaine and alcohol. In 1994, he was convicted on drug and bribery charges.

In describing his fall from stardom and his return to normalcy, Aikens provided us with an intensely honest and personal account of his journey back to baseball and fatherhood.

(Aikens has a book due out in April that is available for pre-order if anyone is interested. We get no compensation for mentioning this or for any sales, but want to make sure you’re aware.)

Click the embedded player below to listen to this week’s show. The downloadable mp3 is available here.

If you want your business featured during breaks on the Royalman Report, contact us at 816-394-9578 or email royalmanreport@gmail.com.  

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