Colorado Rockies Jason Giambi: A player par excellence - MLB Player Profile
Jason Gilbert Giambi is a name that needs no introduction. The left-handed hitter has amazed many with his ability to hit over the last 17 Major League seasons. The career of the 41-year-old, who is currently seeking the manager’s position at the Colorado
Rockies, deserves a close look.
The hitter from West Covina, California is a natural athlete. He excelled in baseball, basketball and football at the South Hills High School. His school team-mates comprised of four other such players along with him, who would play Major League Baseball
later on.
Giambi prior to playing in Major League played for Long Beach State University. He also played for several Minor League teams between 1992 and 1995. He was also a player of the baseball team that represented the US at the Barcelona Olympics. He fared well
in his Minor League career as a hitter.
In 1995, he joined the Oakland Athletics, the team that had drafted him in 1992. Initially, his playing opportunities were limited but within a short amount of time, he became a regular feature of the team. Giambi had a high from 1998-2001 for the Athletics.
He was very consistently hitting the long balls. During the period, his batting average soared up to .342 from .295. He hit a total of 141 home-runs in these four seasons.
His patience at the plate meant that he was always amongst the leading players with walks. He helped his team to two consecutive post-season appearances where they lost the American League Division Series to New York Yankees on both occasions.
In 2000, he was named American League’s Most Valuable Player. A title he narrowly missed the following year. He was awarded the Silver Slugger Award in 2001.
In 2002, it proved to be a year of joy for Giambi on both personal and professional accounts. In February, he got married and he also made a move to the Yankees after he was offered a lucrative deal by the New York organisation. His golden run with the bat
continued in 2002 as he ended the season with a batting average of .314. He went long 41 times and drove in a mammoth 122 RBI’s. He won a Silver Slugger Award second year in a row and was also a part of the All-Star team for the second time.
After he had left the team in 2002 for the Yankees, Athletics fans had been unkind to him all the way. He even had a beer thrown at him by an A’s fan.
His average in 2003 went down but he still managed 41 home-runs. However, his overall form in 2004 dwindled as he averaged .208 with just 12 home-runs. The same year he was diagnosed with a benign tumor. After the diagnosis in late July, he was put on the
disabled list. He later returned and played a game in mid of September, 2004.
The same year he had testified in the BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative) scandal. He admitted to use of performance enhancing drugs. He later publicly apologised for his actions on two different occasions.
During 2005, Jason returned to a rich vein of form. He managed a batting average of .271 and hit 32 home-runs. He was particularly brutal in July where he hit 14 home-runs, equaling a Yankees record made by Mickey Mantle. He was named the American League
Comeback Player of the Year.
His bat swung well in 2006 with him hitting 37 home-runs. However, his form in the years 2007 and 2008 was a mixed bag considering his lofty standards. He became a free agent at the end of the season as the Yankees declined to use their option on him.
He had a brief second stint with the Oakland Athletics in 2009. He later joined the Colorado Rockies, where he still continues to play. He has now acquired the role of a mentor whom younger players look up to. He has been playing a limited number of games
during the last three seasons with the Rockies.
During his long Major League Baseball career, Jason Giambi has been a true entertainer. He has had his great moments. He has also had some low ones. But one can certainly say that every time when there was a crisis, he has come out fighting and made his
mark. Giambi is a truly great ambassador for the game of baseball.
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