Take him, please

[yhova]

How 'G' could be an A again

THE TWO THINGS we know for sure about Billy Beane are that he has an itchy trade finger and a maniacal desire to outsmart everyone.
He would trade his wife, if he thought it were the wise move.

He'd reacquire her the next day, if he thought it were a wiser move.

Which brings us to Jason Giambi, who 41 months ago left the A's for the Yankees and now finds himself in the darkness of woe and desolation.

Giambi, whose spirit never took to the Yankee way, is in such despair that he met with manager Joe Torre and general manager Brian Cashman. Though specifics weren't divulged, we know Giambi in the lineup has been no more effective than Giambi on the bench.

The general feeling is he wouldn't mind escaping New York.

The general feeling is the Yankees, who owe Giambi about $80 million, would open the gate.

The Yankees reportedly are trying to coax their first baseman into the minors, in hopes of recapturing his stroke. Giambi, understandably, would just as soon avoid the bus trips.

It's a stalemate. For now.

Which is enough, knowing Beane, to put Oakland in the picture.

The sports world is down on Giambi, though not nearly as down on him as it is on Barry Bonds. As one of those linked to the ongoing steroids scandal, Giambi will forever wear the scarlet "S."

The Yankees are down on Giambi because they hired him to anchor their lineup, and he's simply being an anchor. He's batting .195, and he's striking out at a rate better than once every third at-bat. While the jester might say this makes Giambi a perfect fit with the A's offense, the reality is the GM tends to take a longer view regarding someone he likes.

And Billy likes Giambi. Always has.

Which is why the GM, who doesn't discuss trade possibilities, would not in a million years dismiss the possibility of a reunion.

He'd require conditions, including a clean bill of health and being on the hook for maybe 10 percent of Giambi's contract, which runs through 2008. If Giambi and the A's medical staff can produce the former, the Yankees likely would assume the latter.

There were rumors in 2003 that Giambi was not his impish self in New York. According to several sources, the Yankees, who make certain demands before granting individuals the privilege of being a Yankee, had sucked the personality out of a guy who had created quite an image for himself and his team in Oakland.

Giambi was, you might recall, the face of the A's. Long hair, goatee, with an assortment of tattoos. In an unconventional organization that encourages boys to be boys, Giambi was the leader of the pack.

New York, with all its corporate rules — cut your hair, shave your face, hide your tatts, make your bed, eat your broccoli — is Planet Uptight.

Even as Giambi was putting up good numbers, as he did his first two seasons in the Bronx, he was struggling to breathe.

Now that he's the least productive hitter in pinstripes, he has to be suffocating.

When Giambi signed up in December 2001, he glanced at his father and shed tears. John Giambi is a Yankees fan and his son's lifelong batting instructor. This was his dream come true.

John's dream, that is.

Jason's dream then was winning, admiring his paychecks and seeing his dad happy. That was about it. He did not buy into the mystique.

If championships were important, he went to the wrong place. The Yankees haven't won a World Series since 2000. The paychecks won't change. His dad will be happy, if Jason is producing.

Giambi isn't winning, isn't hitting, isn't enjoying himself and isn't a happy Yankee.

Because he performs better when he feels uninhibited — sexy, as he once described it — Oakland could be Giambi's tonic. He would be free to be "G," the Robin Hood of the clubhouse, riding his hog and holding court in his favorite booth at P.F. Chang's.

He might give the A's some of the presence they sorely lack.

Giambi's hitting philosophy — patience and power — makes Beane's brain dance. In the baseball world beyond Bonds, Giambi was one of Billy's practically perfect players, along with the likes of Gary Sheffield, Brian Giles and Adam Dunn.

There's one little thing, though.

How much does Giambi have left? He's 34, and some of his years are dog years. Is he slumping? Or is he finished?

Given the prevailing skepticism, don't bet against Beane taking what would be a small risk. If he made a deal and Giambi responded as, say, John Jaha did when Billy pulled him out of baseball's Dumpster, the GM would look real smart.

Real smart indeed.

[Providence A's]

Giambi is done...get over it

[love_that_reefer]

Didn't I already post this?

[Steak]

It's really sad how Giambi has fallen apart as a player and as a person. I thought he would lead the Yankees to championships, but it just hasn't happened and it will likely never happened. He had a solid first year and he did okay in his second year, but last year and so far this year, he has really fallen on hard times.

Giambi was the people's champ when he led the A's during their renaissance. Unfortunately, he never became the same in New York. He never felt comfortable with the Yankees. He never felt comfortable with the bright lights, the media here, and the environment. He never clicked with the fans and he never clicked with a demanding city. I think NY was not for a guy like Giambi. Then he got exposed for using steroids.

Giambi has just been a sad story.

I wish I can feel sorry for him, but I lost whatever respect I had for him when he signed with the Yankees and he showed me what he was all about when he ripped the A's and the fans.

[Staze19]

but I lost whatever respect I had for him when he signed with the Yankees and he showed me what he was all about when he ripped the A's and the fans.

What did he say about them?

[Steak]

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NAS..._oak&fext=.jsp

Here you go, Staze.

I might look more stuff up on his return to Oakland later.

[A's Baby Girl]

I wish I can feel sorry for him, but I lost whatever respect I had for him when he signed with the Yankees and he showed me what he was all about when he ripped the A's and the fans.

Yup me too.