Jason Giambi

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Jason Gilbert Giambi

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 200 lb.
• High School South Hills High School
• School California State University, Long Beach
• Debut May 8, 1995

• Born January 8, 1971 in West Covina, CA USA

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[edit] Biographical Information

Controversial Jason Giambi, the 2000 American League MVP, has hit 415 home runs in the major leagues through 2010, thus putting him at # 43 on the all-time list. His entire career has been spent with three teams, the Oakland Athletics, the New York Yankees and the Colorado Rockies.

He has driven in 100+ RBI seven separate times. He has also drawn 100+ walks in a season seven times, and his 1262 walks rank as # 45 on the all-time list. He also gets on base frequently via hit-by-pitch, with 164 times lifetime.

He was at Cal State Long Beach at the same time as Steve Trachsel. He competed for the United States at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He was originally a third baseman, but was moved to first base and enjoyed his best seasons at that position.

He is the brother of Jeremy Giambi, who had 52 home runs in the majors.

He testified before congress in 2005 in the steroids hearing. That year, he admitted previously using steroids. Although presumably not on steroids in 2005, he led the American League in OBP. His renaissance that year after a very poor 2004 season earned him the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Giambi was back with Oakland at the start of the 2009 season but was released in August, after he hit .193 in 83 games, although with decent power. Colorado picked him up to use as a power-hitting pinch-hitter for the pennant drive. He hit .292 with 2 homers in 19 games, prompting the Rockies to invite him back in 2010. He got more playing time than expected because of injuries to regular first baseman Todd Helton, and ended up hitting .244/.378/.398 in 87 games. He started 2011 in a slump, but got a rare starting assignment on May 19th and made the most of it: facing the Philadelphia Phillies, he hit homers in his first three at-bats for the first three-homer game of his career. He failed in next two at-bats to make it four homers, but still became the second-oldest player ever to hit three long balls in one game; Stan Musial was 41 when he did it against the New York Mets on July 8, 1962. He had entered the game hitting just .115 with 1 homer and 4 RBI.

Through 2009 he was one of 11 major leaguers born in West Covina, CA. Six of those 11 were born there in the 1970s.

[edit] Notable Achievements

• 5-time AL All-Star (2000-2004)
• AL MVP (2000)
• 2-time AL Silver Slugger Award Winner (2001 & 2002)
• 2005 AL Comeback Player of the Year Award
• 3-time AL On-Base Percentage Leader (2000, 2001 & 2005)
• AL Slugging Percentage Leader (2001)
• AL OPS Leader (2001)
• AL Doubles Leader (2001)
• 4-time AL Bases on Balls Leader (2000, 2001, 2003 & 2005)
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 11 (1996-2003, 2005, 2006 & 2008)
• 30-Home Run Seasons: 8 (1999-2003, 2005, 2006 & 2008)
• 40-Home Run Seasons: 3 (2000, 2002 & 2003)
• 100 RBI Seasons: 7 (1998-2003 & 2006)
• 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 4 (1999-2002)

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