Peter Abraham reports that Jason Giambi is supposedly in great shape and ready to play this year. Why? Well, because it’s his walk year, of course. Giambi, who’s had three and a half good years and two and a half terrible years on the Yanks, is playing out his age 37 season and could sign another two-year deal with some team if he proves he can still hit this year. While he probably won’t be in the Bronx in 2009, I’ll take a good 2008 from him.
Please, start Giambi today
Not much time to talk today. Feel sympathy for me, please: I have a rehearsal dinner tonight which happens to basically run the length of the Yanks game. The groom is a huge Yanks fan, so I’m hoping he’s accommodated for this. I’m not banking on it, though.
There’s not much to talk about from last night. Wang was terrible, leaving balls up in the zone all night. Ohlendorf didn’t help. Hughes might have pitched his way into a Game 4 start (solo homer or not, that was the best he’s looked since returning from the DL). Matsui and Jorge failed in huge spots, and A-Rod didn’t really get a chance until the game was out of hand (yes, I realize that he popped up with Abreu on first in the third). But all of this was pretty clear; it’s not like anything subtle caused the Yanks to lose last night.
As Ben says, it’s a must-win today. I can definitely see this one going in the Yanks’ favor. And then it’s all up to Clemens and Mussina/Hughes. The Yanks will put themselves in the best position to win the game if they sit Hideki (thereby giving him another two full days off) and starting Giambi at DH. This is so obvious that I expect Torre not to do it.
How well can Giambi hit given regular playing time?
I think we’re missing an important aspect of the Giambi discussion that’s occurring in this thread (beyond the anecdotal nature of defensive abilities). How well do you think Giambi would hit if he was given regular time?
He’s not 29 anymore, and won’t contend for any MVPs. We don’t have much to go on him from this season, since he’s spent mos of it hurt or not playing regularly. Can he still muster .260/.400/.550? If so, I’d clearly play him. However, I’m just not sure that those are the numbers we’ll see from him in September and hopefully October.
But I suppose we should expect it from him until he proves he can’t. Or should we?
Damon, Cabrera, Matsui put Giambi in a bind
Johnny Damon before July 1: .250/.335/.359
Johnny Damon since July 1: .287/.383/.427
Since the calendar turned July, Damon has been an impeccable leadoff hitter. He’s completely hit his way into the lineup every day, and he’s been a real boost at the top of the order.
This is a tougher comp, since he began his ascension before July 1 and had a terrible first couple of months.
Melky Cabrera before July 1: .259/.320/.371
Melky Cabrera since July 1: .332/.374/.500
With those numbers, Melky can slot into a number of lineup spots. Nine seems to be his home, though his OBP is surely good enough for the No. 2 spot.
This leaves us with Jason Giambi, who is seemingly the odd man out. Given his monster April — .322/.404/.517 — no one really could have seen that coming. Many were down on him in May, but his cold hitting turned out to be related to a serious injury.
Memo to Joe Torre
Jason Giambi just hit a ball so hard he hurt the pitcher’s shoulder. That’s his 5th homer in 13 games since returning from the DL.
Please quit the shit and put him in the lineup everyday.
</rant>
He’s killing our chemistry!
Yes, it’s a small sample. But in 24 plate appearances since returning, Jason Giambi it hitting .348/.375/.870, with half of his eight hits clearing the fence. Before sustaining the injury to his plantar fascia, he hit .322/.404/.517 in April.
Giambi will help the Yankees in whatever role he can. I just hope he gets to play four or more days a week.
Giambi escapes punishment
Jason Giambi will not be disciplined by Major League Baseball over his comments regarding past steroid use. Bud Selig announced in this press release his decision not to suspend Giambi because the Yanks’ slugger cooperated with George Mitchell’s investigation and has donated a lot of money to charitable organizations, work Selig considers to be “terribly important.” Somehow, Selig managed to turn Giambi, who was just being honest, into a sympathetic figure here, and now we know that money will go a long way toward acting like a Get Out of Jail Free card.
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