Jason Giambi

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"Giambi" redirects here. For his brother, see Jeremy Giambi. For the surname, see Giambi (surname).
"The Big G" redirects here. For other uses, see Big G (disambiguation).
Jason Giambi
Giambi with the New York Yankees in 2006
First baseman / Designated hitter
Born: (1971-01-08) January 8, 1971 (age 54)
West Covina, California, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 8, 1995, for the Oakland Athletics
Last MLB appearance
September 27, 2014, for the Cleveland Indians
MLB statistics
Batting average.277
Hits2,010
Home runs440
Runs batted in1,441
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  United States
Pan American Games
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Havana Team

Jason Gilbert Giambi (/dʒiˈɑːmbi/; born January 8, 1971) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter. In his Major League Baseball (MLB) career, which began in 1995, Giambi played for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Colorado Rockies, and Cleveland Indians. He is the older brother of the late MLB player Jeremy Giambi.

Giambi was the

performance-enhancing drugs during his career.[1]

Early life

Giambi attended Sacred Heart Private Catholic School in Covina, California. He then attended South Hills High School in his native West Covina, where he was a three-sport standout. Giambi was on the baseball team, whose roster also included his brother Jeremy and three other future major league players: infielder Shawn Wooten, pitchers Aaron Small and Cory Lidle. He batted .386 during his three years of varsity baseball, leading his team to the state finals as a senior. He was voted MVP in both baseball and basketball. In American football, he was an All-League quarterback. Giambi was selected in the 43rd round (1,118th overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers during the 1989 MLB draft.[2] He did not sign and went on to attend college.

College career

Giambi attended

Alaska Goldpanners, in the Alaska Baseball League.[citation needed
]

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues

The

Kauai Emeralds in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league.[citation needed
]

Oakland Athletics (1995–2001)

Giambi made his major league debut with the Athletics in 1995. Originally used occasionally as an

MLB Most Valuable Player Award voting.[citation needed
]

Giambi hit two home runs in Oakland's 2000 season opener on April 3, the first Athletics player to ever do so.[5] In the 2000 season, he led the league in on-base percentage (.476; leading the majors) and walks (137; a personal high and still the most walks in the AL since 1991). He hit .333 (seventh in the league) with 43 homers (second; a career high), 137 RBIs (fourth; a career high), 108 runs (10th), and a .647 slugging percentage (third). Giambi narrowly won the American League Most Valuable Player Award over Frank Thomas.

His 2001 season was nearly identical. He led the league for the second year in a row in both on-base percentage (.477; a career best, and still the highest OBP in the AL since 1995) and walks (129). He also led the league in slugging percentage (.660; a career best), doubles (47; a career high), times on base (320), and extra base hits (87). He batted .342 (second in the American League; a career high) with 38 homers (seventh), 109 runs (sixth), and 120 RBIs (eighth). He was second in the league in intentional walks (24), the only time in his career that he was in the top 10 in this category. He finished a close second in MVP voting to Ichiro Suzuki, and won the Silver Slugger Award.

Both years, he led the Athletics to the postseason, both times losing in the American League Division Series to the New York Yankees in five games.

New York Yankees (2002–2008)

Giambi, as a member of the New York Yankees, during spring training in 2007

On December 13, 2001, Giambi signed a seven-year $120-million deal with the New York Yankees. In line with Yankee team rules, Giambi cut his long hair and shaved his goatee.[6] The signing upset many Athletics fans, who felt betrayed by the departure of their team leader. Giambi became an object of the A's fans' wrath whenever New York visited Oakland. During a game on May 14, 2005, he was hit with a beer thrown by an unruly fan on his way back to the dugout.[7]

Giambi continued slugging with

MVP voting, and again won the Silver Slugger Award. He also hit an "ultimate grand slam"—a walk-off grand slam against the Twins in a rain-soaked extra-inning game, that won that game 13–12.[8]

Although his average dipped to .250 in 2003, he led the league in walks (129) for the third time in his career and in HBP (21) and percent of plate appearances that were walks (19.4%),

2004 MLB All-Star Game despite finishing the year with a .208 batting average and just 12 home runs. Giambi's performance in 2004 was so poor that he was not added to the Yankees postseason roster.[13]

Towards the middle of the 2005

Comeback Player of the Year
.

In 2006, Giambi was named the

All-Star roster. He finished the season leading the majors in walk percentage (19.8%)[17] and leading the league in % Pitches Taken (64.4), second in walks (110), HBP (16), and pitches seen per PA (4.37), fifth in at bats per home run (12.1), sixth in on-base percentage (.416), seventh in home runs (37) and slugging percentage (.558), eighth in intentional walks (12), and ninth in RBIs (113), despite playing in only 139 games (half of them at DH, and half at 1B) for the second year in a row. He performed the unusual feat of having as many RBIs as hits, and for the third time in his career had more walks than strikeouts. Giambi's numbers were down precipitously in the 2007 season due to an injury, in which he hit just .236 with 14 home runs and 39 RBIs. He played in just 83 games, 53 of which as a designated hitter. Giambi got off to a horrible start in the 2008 season
, hitting below .200 for more than a month. However, by June, he had turned his season around and become one of the team's most productive players.

On September 3, 2008, Giambi walked into a bathroom door in his hotel room while in Florida before playing against the Tampa Bay Rays. The accident caused him to split his eyelid open but he played through the injury later that night and went 1-for-4 with one RBI, helping the Yankees win the second game of the series.[18]

On September 21, 2008, Giambi recorded the final hit in Yankee Stadium, when he drove in Brett Gardner with an RBI single.[19]

Giambi ended the season with a home run every 14.3 at-bats, beating out Alex Rodriguez to lead the team by a small margin. He was also one of only three players to hit a home run while pinch hitting in 2008, and the only one to do it twice.[20] However, on November 4, 2008, the Yankees declined their option on Giambi for the 2009 season making him a free agent.[21]

Giambi during his tenure with the Oakland Athletics in 2009 spring training

Second stint with the Athletics (2009)

On January 6, 2009, Giambi agreed to sign with the Oakland Athletics.[22] He officially re-joined the A's the next day, and was given his old No. 16 jersey.[23] Giambi hit his first home run since returning to the Athletics on April 25, 2009.[24]

On May 23, 2009, Giambi hit his 400th career home run in an 8–7 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.[25] He was placed on the disabled list on July 20.[26] At the time, Giambi had the lowest batting average in the majors, and fourth-lowest slugging percentage in the American League.[27] On August 7, 2009, he was released by the A's.[27]

Colorado Rockies (2009–2012)

Looking for a veteran bat to help their playoff push, the

bases loaded walk in his first plate appearance on September 1, 2009, after being promoted to the club upon roster expansion earlier that day.[30]
That year, he had many clutch hits which kept the Rockies in contention for the National League Wild Card. He quickly became a fan favorite in Colorado.

On January 23, 2010, Giambi reached an agreement to return to the Rockies.[31] On September 12, Giambi hit a walk-off home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks, extending the winning streak for the Rockies to 10 games.[32]

Giambi with the Colorado Rockies in 2011

The Colorado Rockies announced on January 17, 2011, a deal to put Giambi in the team's minor league organization with a spring training invite for the 2011 season. Giambi made the 2011 Opening Day roster out of spring training.[33]

On May 19, 2011, against the Philadelphia Phillies, Giambi hit three home runs in one game, the first such game for him of his career. The three home runs came in his first three at-bats. Giambi is also the second oldest player to accomplish the feat; at age 41, Stan Musial was the oldest player to hit three home runs in one game on July 8, 1962.[34]

Giambi became a free agent after the 2012 season and was a finalist for the Rockies major league managerial opening, which eventually went to Walt Weiss. Giambi was offered the position of Colorado's hitting coach but turned it down.[35]

Cleveland Indians (2013–2014)

The

Cleveland Indians signed Giambi to a minor league contract on February 9, 2013.[36] Giambi made the Indians major league roster following spring training.[37] On July 29, 2013, Giambi became the oldest player to hit a walk-off home run.[38] He broke his own record for oldest player to hit a walk-off home run in a season saving win for the Indians against the White Sox on September 24, 2013.[39]

Giambi was re-signed by the Indians on October 31, 2013, to a one-year minor league deal. The deal included an invitation to Spring Training.[40] Giambi was hit by an Edwin Jackson pitch on March 7, 2014. This resulted in a broken rib, and Giambi missed the first 18 games of the season.[41] He was activated on April 21.[42]

On August 2, 2014, Giambi gave up his 25 jersey number to Jim Thome to have it unofficially retired by the Indians; Giambi switched his jersey number to 72 that day. On the jersey that he gave to Thome, Giambi put down a message to Thome saying "Jim, It was an honor to be the last person to wear your uniform number in Cleveland Indians history! – Jason Giambi" It was kept a secret from the fans, the players, Thome himself and his family, happening after Thome signed the one-day contract and threw out the first pitch.[43]

On February 16, 2015, Giambi announced his retirement.[44]

Awards

  • 1999 Oakland Athletics Player of the Year
  • 2000 Oakland Athletics Player of the Year
  • 2000 AL Most Valuable Player
  • 2000 Hutch Award
  • 2001 Oakland Athletics Player of the Year
  • 2001 Baseball America 1st-Team Major League All-Star 1B
  • 2001 AL Silver Slugger Award (1B)
  • 2002 Home Run Derby Winner
  • 2002 Baseball America 2nd-Team Major League All-Star 1B
  • 2002 AL Silver Slugger Award (1B)
  • 2005
    AL Comeback Player of the Year

BALCO scandal

Late in 2003, Giambi was named by

FBI officers investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) as being one of the baseball players believed to have received anabolic steroids from trainer Greg Anderson.[45]

In December 2004, the San Francisco Chronicle reported it had seen Giambi's 2003 grand jury testimony in the BALCO investigation. The newspaper said that in his testimony, Giambi admitted to using several different steroids during the off-seasons from 2001 to 2003, and injecting himself with human growth hormone during the 2003 season.[46] In a press conference prior to the 2005 season, Giambi apologized publicly to the media and his fans, though he did not specifically state what for. The lawyer who illegally leaked the testimony later pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 2+1⁄2 years in prison.[47]

Giambi apologized again on May 16, 2007, this time specifically for using steroids, and urged others in the sport to do the same.

Mitchell Report included Giambi along with his brother Jeremy Giambi, who also admitted to using steroids during his career.[49]

The prosecution in the Barry Bonds perjury case indicated they intended to call both Jason and Jeremy Giambi to testify against Bonds in his March 2009 trial.[50]

Personal life

Giambi married Kristian on February 2, 2002. His wife is the designer and owner of a lingerie and loungewear company called Brulee. Giambi is one of the owners of Casa Cielo (also owned by Scott Deskins of SCC Development in

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It is an 18,000-square-foot (1,700 m2) home on top of the Pedregal sign. His co-owned property was put up for auction in 2019.[51] Giambi's siblings include former major-leaguer Jeremy Giambi
, who died in 2022, and a sister named Julie.

Video game covers

Giambi has appeared as the featured athlete on the cover of several video games throughout his career.

Year Game Title
2001 Triple Play Baseball
2002
World Series Baseball
(Xbox)
2003
World Series Baseball
2K3
2004 ESPN Major League Baseball
2006 MLB Slugfest

Giambi has also been featured as a playable character in Backyard Baseball 2001 as well as Backyard Baseball 2003.

Other media

Giambi also appeared in The Bronx Is Burning, a television drama that debuted on ESPN in 2007, as a taxi cab driver.

See also

References

  1. ^ Thompson, Teri (May 18, 2007). "Giambi admits he took steroids". New York Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on June 25, 2009. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  2. Baseball-Reference.com
    . Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  3. Baseball-Reference.com
    . Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  4. ^ Meisel, Zack (February 28, 2014). "February baseball triggers memories of Jason Giambi's first spring training, which he spent in silence". The Plain Dealer. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  5. ^ Slusser, Susan (April 3, 2017). "Khris Davis powers A's Opening Night victory". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 25, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  6. ^ Curry, Jack (December 14, 2001). "Tearful Giambi Is Proud To Put On the Pinstripes". The New York Times. p. S1. Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  7. ^ King, John (May 16, 2005). "Fan who threw beer at Giambi was jailed". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  8. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  9. ^ "Major League Leaderboards » 2003 » Batters » Advanced Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball". FanGraphs. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  10. ^ "Major League Leaderboards » 2003 » Batters » Batted Ball Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball". FanGraphs. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  11. ^ "Yankees' Giambi Has Benign Tumor". Los Angeles Times. July 31, 2004. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  12. ^ "Mussina strikes out a season-high 11". ESPN. September 15, 2004. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  13. ^ Epilogue: 'The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty'
  14. ^ "Giambi hits two homers, reaches 300 for career". ESPN. Associated Press. July 31, 2005. Archived from the original on January 14, 2006. Retrieved October 9, 2006.
  15. ^ "Major League Leaderboards » 2005 » Batters » Advanced Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball". FanGraphs. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  16. ^ "Major League Leaderboards » 2005 » Batters » Batted Ball Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball". FanGraphs. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  17. ^ "Major League Leaderboards » 2006 » Batters » Advanced Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball". FanGraphs. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  18. ^ King, George A. (September 4, 2008). "Jason Giambi Loses Bout With Bathroom Door". New York Post. Archived from the original on March 19, 2009. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  19. ^ Hoch, Bryan (September 22, 2008). "Yanks prevail as Stadium goes dark". New York Yankees. MLB.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2008. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  20. ^ Chuck, Bill (April 2, 2009). "100 random things about the Red Sox, Rays, and Yankees". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
  21. ^ "Yankees decline '09 options on Giambi, Pavano". ESPN. Associated Press. November 4, 2008. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  22. ^ "A's re-acquire slugger". Fox Sports. MSN. January 6, 2009. Retrieved September 14, 2011.[permanent dead link‍]
  23. ^ Urban, Mychael (January 7, 2009). "Giambi signing is official". MLB.com. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  24. ^ "A's handle Rays to stop skid at 5; Giambi belts first of year". ESPN.com. April 25, 2009. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  25. ^ "Giambi hits 400th home run". Deseret News. Associated Press. May 24, 2009. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  26. San Diego Union-Tribune. Associated Press
    . Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  27. ^ a b "The drumbeat: Giambi released". San Francisco Chronicle. SFGate. August 7, 2009. Archived from the original on October 2, 2009. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  28. ^ "Jason Giambi reportedly agrees to deal with Colorado Rockies". ESPN. August 23, 2009. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  29. ^ "Rockies finalize minor league deal with Giambi". ESPN. Associated Press. August 24, 2009. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  30. ^ "Helton homers as Rockies snap five-game losing skid". ESPN. Associated Press. September 2, 2009. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  31. ^ Martin, David (January 23, 2010). "Colorado Rockies Re-Sign Jason Giambi". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  32. ^ "Jason Giambi's walk-off homer completes rally, extends Rockies streak to 10 games". ESPN. September 12, 2010. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  33. ^ Harding, Thomas (January 17, 2011). "Rockies bring back Giambi with Minors deal". Colorado Rockies. MLB.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  34. ^ "Giambi, 40 and Scuffling, Hits 3 Homers Against the Phillies". The New York Times. May 19, 2011. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  35. ^ Feinsand, Mark (April 10, 2013). "After trying to become Colorado Rockies manager, Jason Giambi emerges as wise leader on Cleveland Indians". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on April 13, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
  36. Cleveland Indians. MLB.com. Archived from the original
    on February 13, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  37. ^ Calcaterra, Craig (March 25, 2013). "Scott Kazmir named Indians' fifth starter, Jason Giambi makes the team". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on May 26, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  38. ^ "Indians win 5th straight on Jason Giambi's pinch-hit homer". ESPN. Associated Press. July 29, 2013. Archived from the original on March 10, 2014. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  39. ^ Pinckard, Cliff (September 25, 2013). "Roll Tribe! Jason Giambi's walk-off homer sends Cleveland Indians fans into joyful frenzy on social media". The Plain Dealer. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  40. ^ Gleeman, Aaron (October 31, 2013). "Indians re-sign Jason Giambi". NBC Sports. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  41. ^ Nowak, Joey (March 13, 2014). "Giambi has broken rib, likely to miss opener". MLB.com. Archived from the original on March 13, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  42. ^ "Indians activate DH Jason Giambi". USA Today. Associated Press. April 21, 2014. Archived from the original on April 25, 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  43. ^ "Giambi gives Thome No. 25 Indians jersey". Fox Sports. August 2, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  44. ^ Adams, Steve (February 16, 2015). "Jason Giambi Retires". MLB Trade Rumors. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  45. ^ "Admissions before BALCO grand jury detailed". ESPN. December 2, 2004. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved October 9, 2006.
  46. ^ Fainaru-Wada, Mark; Williams, Lance (December 2, 2004). "Giambi admitted taking steroids". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved May 25, 2007.
  47. ^ "BALCO leaker Ellerman gets 2½ years in prison". ESPN. Associated Press. July 12, 2007. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  48. ^ "Giambi says MLB should own up to presence of drugs". ESPN. May 18, 2007. Archived from the original on August 21, 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
  49. ^ "Report: Jeremy Giambi admits he used steroids". USA Today. Associated Press. March 13, 2005. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2007.
  50. ^ Elias, Paul (February 4, 2009). "Federal judge unseals evidence against Bonds". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on February 20, 2009. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
  51. ^ "Former New York Yankees Star Jason Giambi Puts Cabo Estate Up for Auction". MarketWatch. Retrieved January 7, 2020. [dead link‍]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jason Giambi.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by American League Player of the Month
September 2000
May 2001
May 2002
June 2003
July 2005
April 2006 		Succeeded by

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