Jason Giambi

Lore & Background

Giambi was the American League (AL) MVP in 2000 while with the Athletics, and is a five-time All-Star. He led the AL in walks four times, in on-base percentage three times, and in doubles and slugging percentage once each; he also won the Silver Slugger Award twice. Giambi has publicly apologized for using performance-enhancing drugs during his career.

In Their Own Story

The late-inning crowd at Coors Field was on its feet. The Rockies were down by one in the eighth, and the next batter was Giambi. He walked to the plate slowly, the way he always did, as if the entire stadium were a minor inconvenience. The pitcher, a lefty from a rival staff, stared at him from the mound. Giambi adjusted his batting gloves, took a practice swing that barely moved the air, and settled in. The first pitch was a fastball, high and outside. He let it go. The second was a curve, low. He let it go. The third pitch came in—a slider, just inside the zone. Giambi's bat came around like a switchblade, and the ball left the diamond with a sound that the fans in the upper deck described later as "a gunshot inside a cathedral." It cleared the left-field wall and landed somewhere in the parking lot. He didn't run fast. He didn't wave his arms. He just stood at first base, watching the ball, already thinking about the next at-bat. The Rockies dugout erupted behind him, but Giambi's face said only: *That's what I do.*

Reader's Guide

Giambi made his major league debut with the Oakland Athletics in 1995. He signed a seven-year, $120 million deal with the New York Yankees on December 13, 2001. He later played for the Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Indians. The source does not specify his exact tenure with the Rockies or Indians.

Did You Know?

• Giambi hit two home runs in Oakland's 2000 season opener, the first Athletics player to do so.
• He won the AL Comeback Player of the Year award in 2005.
• Giambi's brother Jeremy also played in MLB.