Giambi praises the Cap’n
ByPraising Derek Jeter for his leadership has become something of a baseball cliché over the years. There is, after all, a reason why some fans derogatorily call him Captain Intangibles. But in a recent Bob Klapisch piece, Jason Giambi praises Jeter’s leadership and sounds genuinely sincere in doing so. “I’ll thank Derek until the day I die,” Giambi said. “What he did for me, after what I’d been through, made it possible for me to keep playing in New York. The fans forgave me because of Derek. I’ll never forget that for the rest of my life.”
While I generally think that Klapisch painted an accurate picture of Giambi’s complex tenure in New York, I don’t like how he compared the situation to A-Rod‘s. In comparing Giambi’s steroid problems to A-Rod’s he praises Jason and says the current Athletic is “unlike A-Rod, who’s had two chances to come clean (and still hasn’t).” This is a point blank attack that serves no purpose and is grounded in nothing more than unhealthy skepticism. It doesn’t help what is otherwise a solid example of a profile piece.
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Still to this day I have not a clue as to what the media and some of the fans want ARod to say. Seriously, what else do you want from the man?
As to the subject player of the piece, I’m afraid that Jason Giambi’s tenure in pinstripes will forever be underrated – *whether it be because of his injury riddled 2004 and 2007 seasons; his $120M contract that brought no World Series titles over the seven-year campaign; or some other unfair, unfounded, bias reason people can conjure up.
*To be clear, I in no way am in agreement with the reasons listed, I am just speculating as to what reasons some fans might undervalue Giambi’s thong-wearing stay in New York.
I agree with you on the underrated thing. He was a great hitter for most of that contract.
Amen brother….and a real stand-up guy.
except for the one time when the franchise needed him the most, he was out with steroid related health issues.
i like Giambi, but let’s be honest, replace Tony Clark/John Olerud with Jason Giambi and the 2004 ALCS doesn’t happen and the Yankees probably win the WS.
for that, he deserves a shitton of blame that he never gets, and that A-Rod is STILL trying to recover from.
An injury is an injury, regardless of the reason. If he had torn his ACL doing something or other on the field, would you have the same sentiment?
is this a serious question?
if Giambi had broken his hand in an on field accident, NO, of course i wouldn’t feel the same way.
EXCEPT THAT’S NOT WHAT HAPPENED. so why is it relevant?
dude gave himself a tumor from shooting horse piss into his ass for 3 years, and that directly lead to him missing one of the biggest postseasons in franchise history.
are you actually suggesting that if, say, Giambi hurt himself riding a motorcycle while drunk, that he shouldn’t be blamed for that? because “an injury is an injury regardless of the reason”?
i can’t believe this is even being questioned.
Fair enough.
So now we’re judging a 7 year contract based on 4 games? That sounds ridiculous to me.
Oh, and then there was this gem:
I’m sorry, but that’s just hack-esque. How many times did ARod say, ‘I’m taking full responsibility for this; I am the one to blame; I tried to find someone to blame during the time between my interview with Peter Gammons and my press conference here today, but all I kept coming back to was the man in the mirror’? Seriously, how many times, Klapisch?
Oh, silly Jamal! What A-Rod says doesn’t matter!
What I can’t stand is how brainwashed and monolithic they all are! A-Rod blaming other people or employing too many advisers, and of course, above all, being hated and looked down on by the Captain, becomes the designated story, and then they all keep bleating it ad nauseum like a bunch of brainless sheep!
Not a one of the Yankees beat writers seems to want to stand out from the crowd and present a different perspective on this story. I’d love for even one of them to try to look into who chose to leak A-Rod’s and only A-Rod’s name. Someone had an agenda, and they’re just blindly serving it. If nothing else, you’d think their pride would make them not want to be such willing puppets.
When ARod didn’t mention a third party (in the Gammons interview) he was criticized for not revealing where he got the steroids. Then he talks about his cousin and get’s criticized for dragging in a third party.
I agree with your first point – there is absolutely nothing ARod could say that would make the media happy.
i’m tired of defending A-Rod, b/c at the end of the day, the guy DID f*ck up and he DID take steroids, BUT………
this is absurd.
comparing A-Rod’s admission to Giambi’s and concluding that A-Rod’s was inferior is just beyond delusional.
i understand why Giambi did what he did, but just ask yourself one question: read the transcript of Giambi’s apology and then tell me what would have happened if A-Rod offered the same exact apology word for word?
he’d have been SLAUGHTERED…
Yea, seriously. I’m not the biggest A-Rod fan, but the guy actually gave us the NAME of the steroid he used, and the time period during which he used it. Giambi apologized for an unspecified act. He refused to elaborate on what he was saying sorry for. This angle is totally ridiculous.
I made of game of what Jason was apologizing for. Leaving up the toilet seat, not taking out the garbage, forgetting his wife’s birthday.
And they wonder why no one respects their writing. But of course, pointing out this garbage only means you’re blaming the media for A-Rod deciding to take steroids.
Too bad some of these hacks didn’t work for The Rocky Mountain News.
Steve [different one] calling the media on their BS is not defending A-Rod. Its separate issues.
Agreed. I reserve the right to both disapprove of what A-Rod did and despise the media coverage of it. There’s no other way to stay sane!
When the heck did Giambi come clean? He apologized for something but he never said what he was apologizing for. Klapisch needs to go back and revue his own writings from that time where I am sure he grilled Giambi. All these writters are full of shit!!!!!!!! The one that’s come the most clean is ARod. He actually told us what he took and more or less when he took it. It wasn’t an Andy “I only took it once or twice”. ARod actually said he took stuff for a few years. We may never know the whole truth about it but a least he’s said more than any other player.
There was also another paper that said roids aren’t sold over the counter in DR and yet they bought them at GNC type store. Guess what they bought it over the counter.
NEW YORK — Jason Giambi twiddled his thumbs, crossed his legs and fidgeted in his chair.
He said he was sorry five times. He apologized three times.
To the New York Yankees. To his teammates. To the fans.
But he never said why. And he never talked about using steroids, never mentioned the word.
Giambi came to Yankee Stadium on Thursday to make his first public comments since it was reported in December that he’d told a federal grand jury in 2003 that he took steroids for at least three seasons.
“When I went into that grand jury, I told the truth,” he said.
But that’s about as far as he went, despite repeated prodding.
He said he had not read the San Francisco Chronicle story, which cited transcripts of his grand jury testimony, and he would not say whether the newspaper’s report was accurate.
“I know the fans might want more, but at this present time because of all the legal matters, I can’t get into specifics,” he said. “Someday, hopefully, I will be able to.”
Said his agent, Arn Tellem: “The answers are there if you look for them.”
Could you imagine if A-Rod stood up there with Boras and said “the answers are there if you look for them?”
that was from ESPN.com
Refuse to read Klapisch, he thinks he’s Dick Young but he’s not even close! (imo).. and I get infuriated at all of his unnamed sources that are endless in his columns. he should replace anonymous with imaginary when he cites these sources.
When has Giambi ever even mentioned the words “banned substance”?
Always liked the giambino
““Alex did OK,” Giambi said finally. “The hard part is saying you did it, so at least that’s over for him.””
When did Giambi ever say that HE did it? All he said was sorry, I think Arod’s apology was better then Jason’s, atleast Alex gave some details.
ARod cant win no matter what he does, they all say apoligize, he does, but his apology isnt good enough. We all know he did roids, he admitted it, who cares where he got them or who injected him.
Jason would have given Alex props if he said, “Someday, HOPEFULLY, I’ll be able to [be more specific].”
Its all a joke.