Giambi must come back

by ohad on May 12, 2005 5:26 AM PDT

I think this whole team could use a dose of Giambi. He embodied what the a's were, and should be. Power, patience, wild, and a child at heart.

The story goes that Giambi has suffered in NY ever since he got there, and that he has also told friends he made the wrong decision. Giambi was influenced by his father, a lifelong Yanks fan as well. Giambi could be free here, with his goatee and his wild attitude. He could inject that leadership and that spark into this team. When he was here, he was the leader. He was the guy. He was a huge part of the glory days, an MVP. He's part of what we are missing, and would take some pressure of Chavez for sure. And Chavez want's him back:

From Susan Slussers latest A's Report (http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2005/05/12/SPGJ6CN2AB1.DTL)

"It would be ideal,'' said A's third baseman Eric Chavez, discussing the topic strictly hypothetically, in the event New York decides to part ways with Giambi. "It would be great. I would love that.''

I think if we can get him back for a cheap price like 10 percent (less than two million) than we should take that chance. If not only for his clubhouse presence, helping the team with veteran leadership. And if he can regain his stroke, then it will be an extremely high reward.

Monty Poole from the Oakland Tribune has a pretty good opinion on this as well:

http://www.insidebayarea.com/sports/ci_2727481

There were rumors in 2003 that Giambi was not his impish self in New York. According to several sources, the Yankees, who make certain demands before granting individuals the privilege of being a Yankee, had sucked the personality out of a guy who had created quite an image for himself and his team in Oakland.

Giambi was, you might recall, the face of the A's. Long hair, goatee, with an assortment of tattoos. In an unconventional organization that encourages boys to be boys, Giambi was the leader of the pack.

New York, with all its corporate rules -- cut your hair, shave your face, hide your tatts, make your bed, eat your broccoli -- is Planet Uptight.

Even as Giambi was putting up good numbers, as he did his first two seasons in the Bronx, he was struggling to breathe.

Now that he's the least productive hitter in pinstripes, he has to be suffocating.

When Giambi signed up in December 2001, he glanced at his father and shed tears. John Giambi is a Yankees fan and his son's lifelong batting instructor. This was his dream come true.

John's dream, that is.

Jason's dream then was winning, admiring his paychecks and seeing his dad happy. That was about it. He did not buy into the mystique.

For the other parts of the article, click the link.

Poll

Should we get him back?

Yes, we sorely miss him and it would help our team

86 votes

No, he's a sellout.

68 votes

154 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 73 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

Ohad...

It worries me that I've thought much the same thing as you.

Actually, it's downright scary.

by grover on May 12, 2005 5:46 AM PDT reply actions

same here!

i wrote something similar, ohad:
http://www.athleticsnation.com/comments/2005/5/11/192552/407/64#64

AAA bat ... and jason giambi!
i say bring up a bat from sacramento to shake things up, and get giambi if it's possible to pay under $2 million a year for him.

i was never a giambi fan, but he's hitting .195 and still has the third highest OBP on the yankees at .386

this could be a decent lineup until chavez starts hitting:
kendall
giambi
kotsay
kielty
chavez
durazo
AAA outfielder
ginter

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

the fact is, the a's need to take some risks, giambi is a very acceptable risk. even if he hits .200, he's got close to a .400 obp. and of course there is the chance that he hits even .250-.265 with a little bit of power, plus a small chance he hits like .310 with a lot of power.

bat him high in the lineup, ahead of guys like kotsay, kielty, and durazo who are hitting fairily well.

who knows, maybe he starts hitting some home runs, all of a sudden we have the cleanup hitter we need.

by xbhaskarx on May 12, 2005 8:14 AM PDT up reply actions

I meant

Personality wise.

My last signature was bad luck, since the A's have sucked so far. I needed to shake things up. Flagggablaggaggabagg (try and say this fast)

by ohad on May 12, 2005 10:17 AM PDT up reply actions

Why Not?

Some people fark (is "fark" acceptable, forgive me if it isn't) up sometimes. That doesn't make them horrible people, does it?

One mistake and that's it, seems pretty heartless to me. Sorry, not trying to call you out personally, but I think we can forgive and forget. If he's sorry for his transgressions and says he won't do it again we should take him at his word.

It would be cool to have G back to "atone" for his sins, so to speak. But frankly, I don't think he'd help us all that much. But I also think we should sign Rickey again so that he can finally retire and start the countdown to Cooperstown. He wouldn't help us either, and might even be detrimental to the young guys' development. But, entertaining.

by timed exposure on May 13, 2005 12:19 AM PDT up reply actions

Would he really go back to being his old self?

Part of me thinks that New York has sucked something out of him that'll never come back. Can he be the same carefree frathouse leader that he was back then? Especially with his little "secret" revealed? Giambi is a guy who needs other people's approval. Do you think he could completely turn back the clock and relive the late 90's early 2000's again when he knows that everybody else knows he was cheating? I don't think so. The old Giambi is never coming back.

by OaktownTribesman on May 12, 2005 6:18 AM PDT reply actions

Everybody knows he cheated

But it didn't take his personality. Giambi didn't all of a sudden become like a depressive or something. He's clearly suffering in NY, and a change of scenery back to his old humble abode in Oakland where he is not under constant scrutiny would do him a world of good. When somebody gets back to their comfort zone, they feel rejuvenated. I think he could be reborn here in Oakland.

My last signature was bad luck, since the A's have sucked so far. I needed to shake things up. Flagggablaggaggabagg (try and say this fast)

by ohad on May 12, 2005 7:18 AM PDT up reply actions

Giambi will be under

constant watch no matter where he is. It could be Kansas City. As the doors are being blown of steroids, he is the poster boy for the drugs and what they can do for someone. He isn't going to escape the limelight by coming back to Oakland. National media will be watching him every day and shoving a microphone in his face non stop.

by ChavyGoldX4 on May 12, 2005 8:14 AM PDT up reply actions

I don't see Giambi...

in Green and Gold any time soon. And, I don't want him here. Despite the fact that he sold out and followed the money to my most hated team in all of sports, he's a cheater who has admitted to using steroids and hasn't been the same since going off of them. He can't hit for power...hell, he can't hit at all. Sure, he could be a clubhouse leader again, but if we want to acquire a leader, we should get one who can still play.

I don;t want him as the "face of teh A's" b/c Oakland, more than most organizations, needs to separate itself from steroids as much as possible. With all the steroid controversy surrounding the A's from Canseco's book (89 and after), we need to be more conscious about separating ourselves from that image. Giambi would not help that at all.

Despite the fact that he would be just another high salary (even if we only paid him 2 mil, thats 2 mil we could use elsewhere) who isn't hitting and another 1B/DH, something we really don't need.

A's fan for life!!!

by ZeroIndulgence on May 12, 2005 3:36 PM PDT up reply actions

I can't agree

If Giambi still had the qualities that you mentioned, then it might make sense. But I fear that the roid scandal sucked out of him what bits of life NY and the Evil Emperor hadn't already consumed. Even separate from his baseball abilities, he appears to be a changed and diminished person. His kid-at-heart persona has gone from impish to broken down, and I don't think the odds are good that he can recapture his earlier roguishness -- especially since he would have to do it without the chemical additives his body was allegedly relying on in the old days.

It's a sad fate for him. But I don't think he and the A's can do each other any good at this point.

by sarajune13 on May 12, 2005 6:21 AM PDT reply actions

It's exactly why

I think he should come to Oakland. NY sucked everything out of him. He wasn't allowed to be who he really was. Coming back to Oakland will remind him. It will be good for him to be out of the media spotlight and go back to his old ways.

I don't see how a roguish personality is connected with performance enhancing drugs.

My last signature was bad luck, since the A's have sucked so far. I needed to shake things up. Flagggablaggaggabagg (try and say this fast)

by ohad on May 12, 2005 7:30 AM PDT up reply actions

I think he's changed for good

Watching him during the last year is like watching a ghost of his old self. The trauma he's been through has made him Grow Up, and not in a good way. While coming back to Oakland could remind him of what he was, I don't think it would enable to him to recapture his old self -- skills or personality.

As for the roids, I was thinking of the testosterone energy/agression sort of kick that they're reputed to give. Who knows how much of effect that had on his personality...perhaps none, but it's just another risk that makes him not worth taking back.

by sarajune13 on May 12, 2005 8:38 AM PDT up reply actions

BTW Ohad

I wish I could agree with you on this one (in fact, I enjoy reading your posts, and usually agree with them)...this whole thing about Giambi just makes me sad. It's awful watching his career shrink and shrivel before our eyes. I'm admittedly still bitter about him selling out, but no one deserves the horror that he's been going through for the last year.

by sarajune13 on May 12, 2005 8:50 AM PDT up reply actions

Horror?

The man can still take all his money and go live a very comfortable life someplace exotic where nobody follows MLB and therefore nobody has never heard of him and his dark past. He'd still have his old "real" friends like Chavvy a private jet plane flight away, plus he can make new friends. It's not like he's totally broke or his family has disowned him.

by OaktownTribesman on May 12, 2005 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions

yeah

I kind of smirked when I saw the term horror. I agreed with the point but I think that the world horror was not quite right to use. Horror in baseball terms, maybe. But not in terms of life.

I own 2 Tony Armas jerseys! I am an A's fan for life.

by Athletics fan and runner on May 12, 2005 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions

horror?!?!?!?!

this man turned his back on this franchise....yet we'd still take him back??? puh-lease......at the end of the day he still has his inflated bank account and ego.

i for one would not want giambi back....i'd take jeremy "how do you slide?" giambi back before jason

I hate any player thats got the initials NY on them!

by TorontoAsFan on May 13, 2005 6:19 AM PDT up reply actions

No way...

Nothing at all to do with being a sellout, which I never considered him. He wanted to stay and they wouldnt give him the no trade. I saw no way cuz he's finished.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on May 12, 2005 7:05 AM PDT reply actions

Agreed

Giambi looks stick-a-fork-in-em done. Plus the bad karma. Frankly, I don't think veteran leadership is what this team needs. It needs some power, whether from within or without. Big G isn't the answer.

Fearing Mecir since 2000.

by salb918 on May 12, 2005 7:15 AM PDT up reply actions

Finished

I don't think so. I think NY broke him down, and being out of the media spotlight and back to the "good ole days" could revive him. I think he can be reborn in Oakland.

My last signature was bad luck, since the A's have sucked so far. I needed to shake things up. Flagggablaggaggabagg (try and say this fast)

by ohad on May 12, 2005 7:22 AM PDT up reply actions

Have you watched his At Bats the last 18 months?

He has displayed none of the skills that we have come to expect from him. I watch a lot of his games and it just isnt there.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on May 12, 2005 8:00 AM PDT up reply actions

I agree, too.

I think his best days are behind him, but wouldn't mind having him back if he were to find his stroke and we could get him really cheap. I would love to see the Yankees have to eat his salary only to have the A's pick him up for the league minimum.

As for the roids and sellout issues. First of all, I think we should all face facts that roid usage is probably much more rampant than many would like to admit. If so many are "cheating" how can we hold too much against one guy? I don't care about the roids.

Also, I don't consider him a sellout. He made a sound career move, and is only guilty of using bad judgement in allowing his new team and town to goad him into mocking his old one. He's probably regretted that since.

by LD on May 12, 2005 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions

let's also remember

giambi is probably the player least likely to be on roids at the moment, given the health problems he's had over the last year.

i hate cheaters, i hate steroids, and i hate giambi. but i want the a's to win.

by xbhaskarx on May 12, 2005 4:30 PM PDT up reply actions

that's an excellent point

I just needed something new here, since the season had started ...

by devo on May 12, 2005 5:18 PM PDT up reply actions

Not at all

He made a terrible career move. For one million a year and one extra year guaranteed, he went from the team that made him a great player, where he had fun and could be himself and could enjoy the game, to a team that made him shave and put his personality in a box.

He went to the team that had just beaten his team in the playoffs two years in a row. Anybody who has ever even felt competitive about anything at any level would find that disgusting. He couldn't beat the Yankees. He played terribly in the playoffs. He was the leader of his team, and he couldn't get the job done. So, instead of trying to face the challenge head on, he gives up and signs with the Yanks.

He made a terrible choice, and I hated him for it. Now, I'm sure he has realized he made the wrong choice, and he looks like he regrets it. He was on top of the world in Oakland, and he hasn't looked happy in New York since he was in his stupid pinstriped jersey in his first press conference.

I want to forgive Giambi for what I took as a personal insult and an insult to the game of baseball as a whole. He's been through a lot of tough shit these last few years. I really want to forgive him. I think him coming back to Oakland could really pull him out of this terrible situation he's put himself in.

I want to forgive him, but I can't. The number one reason I can't is that press conference he held, where he "apologized" for using steroids without actually saying what he was apologizing for. It's quite simple, he didn't say what he was apologizing for because if he publicly admitted to using steroids, the Yankees could have voided his contract. Now, he may genuinely regret his choice to use steroids and to go to the Yankees, but I will never believe it. A real man would have fessed up to what he did and accepted the consequences. Giambi instead decided to pseudo confess, while making sure he could maintain his huge contract, illegitimately earned while using performance enhancers. Giambi is a disgrace to the game, and I don't want to see him in an A's uniform ever again.

by RichardP on May 12, 2005 9:05 PM PDT up reply actions

You're entitled to your opinion

And since I assume you have never taken steroids or used unfair advantage or left a job where you were valued and needed for better money, I'm sure you speak from a position of authority. I'm willing to cut him slack on these things because I think that vilifying him for the steroids to the exclusion of all others who undoubtedly did them is extremely unfair. And I think a witch hunt to find and severely punish every offender is just plain unrealistic.

Disgrace? No...he's just human. Save your compassion for those whose actions are truly malicious and show a little compassion for Giambi. He's paid heavy prices for his decisions.

by LD on May 12, 2005 9:35 PM PDT up reply actions

Oops

I meant save your condemnation for those whose actions are malicious...

by LD on May 12, 2005 9:37 PM PDT up reply actions

The flip side of the Tejada move ...

this was one of the best moves the A's ever made -- the guy is broken down and he'd be just another sub .200 left-handed hitter in our lineup right now.

Just what we need.

Finished. Done. Just like his career.

VacaAsFan

by Vacafan on May 12, 2005 7:49 AM PDT reply actions

Steroids

The obvious point about Jason Giambi that I don't see made much is that it's possible he's not as good as he was because the steroids did make a signficant difference in his performance. I think it was pointed out in one article that the difference between a decent season and a terrific season for Giambi was the steroids helping turn 20 flyball outs into 20 home runs.

Take a look at Scott Hatteberg. I've lost count of how many balls I've seen him hit in the past year or so that were caught on the warning track. With extra juice, many of them might have been home runs and all of the sudden he's considered a different caliber of player.

It would seem Giambi needs to show that post-steroids he can play near the same caliber as he did before.

by SA on May 12, 2005 7:55 AM PDT reply actions

it would be an expensive gamble

even with the Y@#*ees picking up the lion's share of his salary. I don't like the idea, personally. Let me say it here, I have never booed him at his games here at the 'net, but I think it would just "taste bad" to have him come back. 'course if it would wake up Chavy.... no, it's too much of a gamble, Billy won't do it, especially with a player who can field AND hit waiting in the wings. As strangely attractive as it sounds, I'm against it.

by Brian in 317 on May 12, 2005 7:57 AM PDT reply actions

Cost

If the Yankees release Giambi than they are on the hook for his entire salary. Another team could pick him up for a pro-rated minimum salary. We're talking a couple hundred thousnad tops.

by grover on May 12, 2005 6:54 PM PDT up reply actions

GIAMBI=TRASH

No way in HELL that he comes back to this team. What would this say? On your way up in the world, you go to the Yankees, and on your way down the toilet, you go to the A's? Besides all the issues with Beane, et al being extremely bitter about Giambi's contract negotiation, there's no need for him on this team. We already have a crappy 1st Basemen making too much money. Giambi's done. He'll be out of baseball by the end of next year. Steroids do not affect hand-eye-coordination. He's done.

by jubjub on May 12, 2005 8:09 AM PDT reply actions

take him back

Sure, he might be done. But I doubt it. Without steroids he likely will not have the power he once did but my guess is that he is in a really terrible slump (not unlike some of our other players such as a certain unamed third baseman). In addition, his OBP is nice and the hitting will come around in time (like our third baseman).

Quite frankly, if we could get him real cheap (about 2 million) it would be a steal. If he pans out, which I believe he would, it would be the ultimate Beane steal. We get Giambi for the next 5 or 6 years for a bargain basement price. I think if the Yankees were to pay most of his salary, we should go for it. And, as I noted in an earlier post, it would certainly make this team more interesting to watch.

by island of misfit toys on May 12, 2005 8:30 AM PDT reply actions

I'd like to see him back(at a huge discount)

only because it would be interesting. He might actually help the A's and he certainly wouldn't make them worse. He'll never be his former self(see Canseco, Jose), but he''ll probably do better than he is with the Crankees.

At least we're not as bad as the Mariners...yet.

by McFood on May 12, 2005 9:00 AM PDT reply actions

I am admittedly intrigued by the idea

It's a good story, and good stories seem to have a way of manifesting themselves, in a totally unscientific sense.

G's peak mojo was in Oakland; will his return to Oakland equal a return of the mojo? Note that mojo is also an unscientific concept...

It would be fun to move a bobblehead in the opposite direction (ex-player to current player, bucking a long-time trend).

"Look what we did!"

by ArakSOT on May 12, 2005 9:10 AM PDT reply actions

I'm all for it

But only if the A's don't have to pay very much.

And hey, it would probably thrill Chavvy

by Alien @ Athletics Nation on May 12, 2005 9:14 AM PDT reply actions

"Strangely attractive"

Brian in 317 nails my own reaction.

My head tells me such an acquisition, even if we could get him for next to nothing, doesn't make sense for the A's. This year, for example, where would he play? Designated hitter? Durazo is a more productive hitter now. If Durazo moved to first, we would get to enjoy his awful defense. Or Giambi's awful defense.

And is Giambi really better than Hatteberg? SA has that comparison right. Hatteberg hits a lot of deep flyouts. If he was on the juice, maybe he'd be the power hitter that Giambi used to be.

And SA is also right to point out the obvious - Giambi appears to have been a "pure" steroid-fueled phenomenon. We're not talking about Barry Bonds, a great player who got even greater with the aid of chemicals. We're talking about a guy who may have been pretty average without steroids even at the peak of his career. The record is hard to ignore.

The other matter is that Giambi is aging and past his prime. He's never going to be the player we remember, not even close. The A's are trying to build for the future. Giambi is part of its past.

That said, if I heard tomorrow that the Yankees reached a contract settlement with him and the A's picked him up for a song, I'll admit that I would be a little excited. He's still an on-base machine, and ohad may be right that a return to Oakland - and certainly a departure from Yankee Stadium - would do him a world of good.

by bear88 on May 12, 2005 9:26 AM PDT reply actions

Word Choice

'He could inject that leadership and that spark into this team. When he was here, he was the leader.'

I don't think 'inject' is a word you want to use with Giambi in the above example. lol

by Wander on May 12, 2005 9:52 AM PDT reply actions

Can you say "Scott Hatteberg?"

At this point in his career Giambi is a good contact hitter with great plate discipline and a nice OBP to match. He has significantly more "pop" that Hatty, but G is the clutch-hitter-type that Hatty has been known to be.

The thing I remember most about Giambi when he was an Athletic was that if he came up in a big spot, he delivered. Does anyone remember Game 2 in 2001 at Yankee stadium? I think the facing of the upper deck still has a dent from the bomb he dropped in the 8th or 9th to give Oakland the lead and a 2-games-to-none advantage.

Bring him back today!

by bvank on May 12, 2005 10:07 AM PDT reply actions

Giambi a contact hitter?

Is this the same Giambi who has batted .233 over the last 2+ seasons?

The same Giambi who has failed to put the ball in play in most of his plate appearances this year? (53/101)

The same Giambi who has more strikeouts than total bases this year?

I just needed something new here, since the season had started ...

by devo on May 12, 2005 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, that's him

If you take away his walks and HBP he is 53/82. That looks a little nicer than 53/101.

Also, he has more hits with runners in scoring possition than double plays (1-0). So take that!

I guess I just miss the old days where we waited for the three-run homer, and actually got it once in a while. Or, maybe I am just a little tired of our #3 guy hitting into another 4-3. Or, maybe I am just sick of seeing runners in scoring position with less than two outs getting stranded.

Bring on a winning streak so that I can wash these negative thoughts from my head!

C'mon Rich, be the stopper tomorrow!

by bvank on May 12, 2005 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions

Giambi

I too would bring Giambi back if it were for a song. (cheap) Hard to see where he would fit in as someone would have to sit, or go. It would be quite a story and this squad needs something or someone to get things going.

Giambi can probably still hit...300/25/100 with a good OBP and he always was "clutch" if anybody is.

Giambi was never great defensivly but he learned to pick well and could catch the ball okay, he just didn't throw worth a damn.

If Beane can't see his way to doing it, then let's bring up Johnson and Ethier.

by sommers on May 12, 2005 10:42 AM PDT up reply actions

300/25/100? not a chance

If G returns to form, that form would be .260/30-40/100-120.

His bat has slowed, he's not a contact hitter any more. That's not something old guys tend to get back. .260 should be considered a good season in terms of batting average for him.

I just needed something new here, since the season had started ...

by devo on May 12, 2005 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions

Giambi would improve in Oakland

Like most other A's fans, I don't like Giambi.

However, I would support anything that would help this team score runs and win, and I think G might have something to contribute in that area. Given that, I would not want the A's to pay this guy more than $1.5 mill a year. That's a hell of a lot of salary for the Yankees to swallow, plus they would probably get Hatteberg and his $2.45 mill.

Financially I'm not sure this will get done, unless the Yankees are somehow able to buy out Giambi for less than full value of his contract AND THE PLAYER'S ASSOC. AGREES TO THIS (not likely).

Still, I think Giambi would do relatively well in Oakland. He would proably hit .275, 30 HR and drive in 90 - 100 RBI, with an OBP in the .400s. This is better than both Hatte and Durazo. Remeber, many players are not cut out to play in New York. Look at Javier Vasquez and Jeff Weaver as recent examples. Vasquez was the Ace for a (granted crappy) team and now he looks like it in Ariz. Weaver used to be the ace of (again crappy) Tiger team, and is doing much better in LA. I do not think this point can be understated, some players just cannot perform under the lights, focus, and obsession of New York. We all know Giambi has never fit in there and much of Oakland's disdain for him comes from his apparent selling out of who he is:
"cut your hair Jason," "yes, sir;
" shave Jason," "yes sir;"
"cover your tats Jason, "yes sir."

Even those damn deodorant commercials made Giambi look like a clown. C'mon, since when did G become a poster child for good smell. We all knew him as the long hair, tat sporting, smelly guy.

And honestly, if G replaced Hatte, he would be an upgrade in all areas. Yes, even defensively. IMO Hatte is the worst first baseman in the AL. The guy cannot catch anything that is not at his chest. We have seen over and over Chavez be charged with errors b/c Hatte can't scoop a ball out of the dirt. And we all saw his great defense in Boston this week. I know, G is pretty weak also, but at least he can scoop.

If G came and produced and helped the A's win, I think most A's fans would forgive and forget. Anyone who denies this is lying to themselves. Just think, if G delivered one of his classic late inning homers over a hated team like the Angels, Sox or Stanks, we would all stand up and cheer. Or would some of you actually boo? Winning solves a lot of problems, remember?

One last thing: I think G would leave NY in a minute and come to Oakland if given the chance. This would not only help him, but help Chavez b/c it would take the focus off Chavez. In this scenario, I think both players would improve. Plus Chavy misses his friend! Ha Ha!

by oaktownmario on May 12, 2005 11:34 AM PDT reply actions

Not like most

according to this poll.

At least we're not as bad as the Mariners...yet.

by McFood on May 12, 2005 11:58 AM PDT up reply actions

Stop it!

All of you, just stop with the reasoned explanations of why it would be good to get him back. I like hating him and seeing him disintegrate with the Yankees. I don't need a lot of arguments that make me question that position. I like my Giambi hate. It keeps me warm at night.

by peanut gallery on May 12, 2005 11:45 AM PDT reply actions

Get a dog

or a hot water bottle to keep you warm at night. We want our Giambi back!

Besides, if he came back, you watch his disintegration up close and personal.

At least we're not as bad as the Mariners...yet.

by McFood on May 12, 2005 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Got a dog

But you have a point about the up close thing. Nah, I still want to hate him from afar. ;o)

by peanut gallery on May 12, 2005 12:33 PM PDT up reply actions

I have decided...

To support everything Ohad and Nico say and disagree with everything Oaktoon and VacaFan have to say. Then I no longer need to go through the trouble of thinking for myself.

So does '05 Giambi = '99-'00 Matt Stairs? If so, I can go for that.

by almostreggie on May 12, 2005 12:19 PM PDT reply actions

yup

thinking for yourself is dangerous. That's why we buy cards from hallmark on birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

"Happy Anniversary to my love" <--- I wouldn't have thought of that!

The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.

by JJ on May 12, 2005 12:32 PM PDT up reply actions

Now THAT

is a highly recommended, 5 star tactic.

My last signature was bad luck, since the A's have sucked so far. I needed to shake things up. Flagggablaggaggabagg (try and say this fast)

by ohad on May 12, 2005 12:39 PM PDT up reply actions

I completely agree.

by almostreggie on May 12, 2005 12:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Roids, confidence, and the mental edge

Would a return to Oakland, where Giambi has succeeded in the past, help to give Giambi a mental edge that would lift him out of the funk he is in?

I think it would help. Would he return to MVP form? No. Might he return to the 1996-1998 version of himself? Maybe, and it would be a huge upgrade over Hatteburg.

By the way, his career fielding percentage is .992. We could do worse (like Durazo)

The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face.

by JJ on May 12, 2005 12:30 PM PDT reply actions

As far as I'm concerned

Jason Giambi can fuck off and die.

by jmoney on May 12, 2005 1:52 PM PDT reply actions

In that order?

by oaktownmario on May 12, 2005 2:18 PM PDT up reply actions

Wouldn't it have to be?

"If I had any hair left, I would be pulling it out" Author Unknown

by rook on May 12, 2005 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions

My three cents...

I heard yesterday that Beane met with his team (I am assuming him and Dave, talk about it...but he is an owner now), and they all said no. There is nothing we need from him,he can't field, he can't hit anymore, he is like every lefty we have on our team right now.

The thing I find interesting, I have heard all day today from the talking heads (Rome, Patrick, Gammons) how he will be an A again, it makes too much sense for him not to come home. So if these guys ran our team, he would be on it tomorrow carrying his .195 batting average and sitting on the bench behind Ruby. But Chavez would be happy again, because one of his buds is back.

Roids, and partying are not the life for a ball player any more. Hell he is still getting bashed for partying with Ricky Williams the night before game 3 of the WS (I think it was 3), and then saying he could not play in the game due to a knee injury, but then pinch hit and hit a bomb later in the game. Rumor has it Jeter, Posada and crew never got over it. What a mistake picking JG over Tino two years ago, but at the time who wouldn't have? I hope the Yanks have to swallow the 80 MM and never get anything from him again.

He is not our future, he is our past. Get over it.

"If I had any hair left, I would be pulling it out" Author Unknown

by rook on May 12, 2005 3:33 PM PDT reply actions

What does that mean

You "heard" yesterday. What are you takling about.

My last signature was bad luck, since the A's have sucked so far. I needed to shake things up. Flagggablaggaggabagg (try and say this fast)

by ohad on May 12, 2005 4:07 PM PDT up reply actions

I would quote it...

If I remembered where I read it/heard it, but I know I heard that Beane and team said they had no interest in Giambi, after discussing it.

"If I had any hair left, I would be pulling it out" Author Unknown

by rook on May 12, 2005 4:25 PM PDT up reply actions

oh

maybe that was from the article in another diary that said Giambi is NOT coming to the A's.

My last signature was bad luck, since the A's have sucked so far. I needed to shake things up. Flagggablaggaggabagg (try and say this fast)

by ohad on May 12, 2005 4:27 PM PDT up reply actions

That was it...

I knew I read it somewhere. This is not a quote from Beane directly but:

The A's have "zero" interest in the embattled first baseman/DH, and have already made an internal decision not to pursue Giambi even if he were released by the Yankees.

"There's no way, none, not even if he came for free,"

Named by an executive close to BB (or something like that)

"If I had any hair left, I would be pulling it out" Author Unknown

by rook on May 12, 2005 5:27 PM PDT up reply actions

The quote was from

"an executive familiar with Beanes thinking" which could be just anyone. Those are totally bogus.

What exactly did Giambi say on letterman? I know he dissed us, but what did he say?

My last signature was bad luck, since the A's have sucked so far. I needed to shake things up. Flagggablaggaggabagg (try and say this fast)

by ohad on May 13, 2005 1:26 AM PDT up reply actions

It was just

a Top 10 list of why it's better to be in New York than Oakland.

by LD on May 13, 2005 6:10 AM PDT up reply actions

Giambi

i also should add, he's got something to prove. He wants to prove he can still hit without steroids, and what better place to do it than here.

My last signature was bad luck, since the A's have sucked so far. I needed to shake things up. Flagggablaggaggabagg (try and say this fast)

by ohad on May 12, 2005 4:08 PM PDT reply actions

I love Giambi ...

I have fond memories of better days not long ago. By all accounts, he was a great guy on a personal and professional level. Good to be around on and off the baseball field. Anyone who thinks he was the only who cheated should look up the word gullible. The fact is, he told all and didn't bring anyone else down with him. He could have spilled the beans on McGwire, and possibly Miggy, Chavy and Mulder as well for all we know. There are definitely others on steroids and he didn't incriminate anyone else to help take pressure off himself. I respect that. He told the truth. Is he worse for admitting than Sammy Sosa, McGwire, Bonds and the multitudes of others are for continuing their charade and letting him be the fall guy by himself? He owns it, and he'll live with that scarlet letter. I think he would be a risk, but not an expensive one, and one whose payoff could be big. I say, as I said the day the scandal broke, Come home, Jason!

by iceplant on May 12, 2005 5:29 PM PDT reply actions

I had several comments about this yesterday ohad..

My general feeling is that the media is making this out to be something that "could" happen and "should" happen only because it makes for a good "story".

As I stated yesterday about the subject, I am as big a Jason Giambi fan as you could find when he played for our beloved A's. All of that changed the minute the minute he dissed us to go and serve "Stoogebrenner" for 200 gazillion a year.

Now, since he left I have been saying(Saint is my witness on this one!)that he will never win a championchip in New York because he left on such uncool terms and proceeded to ridicule the team that got him into the big leages in the first place. Not making smart choices there, "G".

So he has a few more good years and then all of a sudden he is hurt all the time and starting to lose his swing, his power, and most of all his "swagger". His smile, gone. His poise, gone. His pride, a distant memory. Something that I think we can all agree upon is that Jason Giambi never had it so good in Oakland and am I the only one who knew that Jason would absolutely just end up getting crushed by the weight of the Big Apple?

Steroids........well that is the last and most telling piece of this story. I'm not one of those baseball fans that says, "I don't care if the players are juicing" because that isn't baseball and they have no place in the sport. What has happened to Jason Giambi as a result of abusing his body thru steroid use has destroyed his reputation with his fans and also with his contemporaries(at least the one's who were not cheating). Not to mention his health which nearly failed him last year.

Lastly, if he were ever even to be considered being a part of this ballclub again, no way I ever give him my support without a "full apology" to all of us A's fans and to the organization for being such a short sighted, selfish, and two-faced sh%thead. Forgiveness is one thing as I am human too, not beyond fault, but coming clean and being humble is the place for anything to start if it were ever to start anywhere. Okay, sorry. I wasn't planning on going into it that deep but it is a very touchy subject because of how much I used to love this guy as an Oakland Athletic.

He used to part of our team, a really important part of our team. Can or will he ever be again?

Time will tell...

by mrod on May 12, 2005 5:48 PM PDT reply actions

Great Post..

But he did apologize...don't you remember:

"I am sorry" For what Jason, "Nah man I mean I am sorry. I am just really sorry."

(Tried that one with my wife, didn't work out so well). But it made the lead story or SplugeCenter.

Maybe he meant us? For me, I can get over Letterman, that was predetermined, written. What still gets me is the "legacy" crap. What no one on Oakland has ever had a legacy? Eck, Stew, Cat etc? You only get a legacy in NY? Uhm right. Hasta Bra....your only legacy will be drinking 19 20 oz drafts at the local wattering hole in Chico (and walking away) and leaving a record $10K with that stripper named Bunny at the Vu. Both still stand today, bra.

"If I had any hair left, I would be pulling it out" Author Unknown

by rook on May 12, 2005 6:03 PM PDT up reply actions

It is a sad day when we are looking for:

A doped out, lost, ineffective former MVP to turn this ship around.

That being said, I am for it. Give em Scutaro and get back 50 million.

by saint @ Athletics Nation on May 12, 2005 6:23 PM PDT reply actions

did I mention..

"I really want to win a championship and I really think I can win one in New York". (J. Giambi on why he wants to play for the Yankees)"Insert reporter's name here".

by mrod on May 12, 2005 6:37 PM PDT reply actions

Giambi

It's probably impossible to say how much giambi has left at this point, because NY is a merciless environment that can suck the life out of any player. Take that psychological burden away from Giambi and who know what type of player you have.

Just ask Kenny Rogers.

by grover on May 12, 2005 6:58 PM PDT reply actions