by Trevor Freeman
He used to be one of my favorite baseball players. The king of the three-run Jimmy Jack. Leader of the Oakland clubhouse.
Then he left to go to the “Evil Empire” and I turned but did not hate. Until he went on David Letterman and uttered his “Top 10 Reasons for leaving Oakland”. It was the moment that the words, “Have you ever been to Oakland” came out of his mouth that I turned on him. Waited for his first trip back to Oakland so I could listen to the boobirds and the mocking “M-V-P” chants every time Oakland first baseman Carlos Pena came strolling to the plate. I hated Jason Giambi. I despised him for spurning the A’s 6 year $91 million dollar offer to go play with the Yankees (who had rudely eliminated us the year prior in the playoffs). I sent countless e-mails to my fellow A’s fans and we all shared this hatred. One I know even burned the Jason Giambi jersey he owned.
There was no bigger hater of Giambi than this man writing this column. When he struggled the last two years with the Yankees nothing made me happier. When the Yankees, hence Giambi lost in the playoffs and didn’t get “rings” I was ecstatic. The only time my hatred of him took a step back was when there were reports of a tumor. Not even the citizens of Oakland wished death on him after the kick in the groin he gave the faithful.
So this morning when the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Jason Giambi had taken steroids. That Giambi’s name was now dirt and he will always receive the label of cheater, I should have been happy…….right. Screw Jason Giambi…….right? How’s Oakland look in the rear view mirror chumpstain should have been my reaction?
It wasn’t.
Maybe my wish for the man was that he would continue to be mediocre and never win a World Series. You know settle into being a .255, 20 home run guy that is hated by New York fans. Never and I repeat never win a World Series. I wanted him to be an anchor to the team. Be the guy ripped daily in columns by the Phil Mushnicks, Mike Lupicas and Bill Maddens of the world. Be the guy that causes Mike to shriek in horror when his named is brought up while the Mad Dog just laughs.
I never wanted him to be stained like he is now.
The guy provided too many moments for that to happen. Back when he was the non-corporate, Oakland A’s Jason Giambi he was a ringleader with Miguel, Chavvy, and the Big 3. That was a good team. They were the ones who brought me back to baseball post-strike. They were the team that had me checking message boards daily. They gave me back the enthusiasm I had in the late 80s and early 90s.
You know what’s funny about Giambi is that if you take a poll of A’s fans, 95% of them hate the man…………..yet we’re the only ones who might give him a second chance. Yankee fans don’t love Giambi. Right now Yankee fans are ecstatic that they may recoup the $80 million they owe him and use it on Beltran and Johnson. It’s the A’s faithful that is talking about Giambi and asking if he’s suffered enough for his sins on the way out the Oakland door. My Cali e-mail ring sent me the question of “Has he suffered enough” an hour ago and for what it’s worth Oakland fans this was how I responded.
“Giambi is like that hot girlfriend who you really liked who dumped you for the rich guy with the expensive car. You loathed her for it. You don’t talk to her for three years and you openly badmouthed her every chance you got along the way. However then one day you run into her and she is divorced, close to being broke, has three kids, gained 25 pounds, and looks like hell. Would you feel bad for her?”
Of course you might.
4 replies on “Jason Giambi from the Perspective of an A’s Fan”
A’s Memories I have so many fond memories of the great wild long hair leader of the up and coming A’s. Back then, we were still taking people by surprise, storming the league. Then when he deserted the A’s after they actually made him a good offer, I hated him. I could not believe that he would just leave like that. His new crew cut, pretty boy look sickened me, it was not the Giambi that I once loved, he was a sell out. I hated him, he stood for everything that was wrong with baseball, the money grubbing unfaithful players that chase the money and nothing else.
However, I never wanted him to suffer, not like this. He is now the poster child for the new age cheating steroid user. Everything about his career is in question because of his steroid use. I commend him for coming out and saying it. I never thought that I was going to feel bad for him since he left Oakland, thinking that whatever happened to him was well deserved. If you look at his body language and facial expressions from the time that he was playing around in the rowdy Oakland clubhouse to the time where the pressure of playing in the big city, he is a completely different person. Going to New York ruined his career and might have put enough pressure on him to take the illegal drugs.
Would you take back the fat, broke ex? I was just wondering. If Giambi is possibly on his way out of New York, would you like to see him back in an A’s uniform? Or is he carrying too much baggage with him now? Good article.
Giambi Slug Talk, nice to hear feedback from a fellow A’s fan. We think along the same lines about Jason. I love our team for this season. That Kendall trade was great.
Johnny Rockets, if Jason Giambi gets healthy, physically fit AND asks for forgiveness from the fans I would consider it. When I say ask for forgiveness, I mean do a Schilling and go on a message board and apologize for the Letterman comment. OR stand up at a press conference and say, “I apologize for what I said on Letterman about the city of Oakland I apologize to my fans for the way I acted as I left Oakland. I love this city, this organization, and these fans.”
Giambi would also have to know that Scott Hatteberg is the starter at 1st and Erubiel Durazo is the starter at DH until it is proven otherwise.
Good article… …very well written and a good angle was taken. I liked it.