By now we've all heard about Giambi's "confession" in USA Today on Friday. I know this is not a favorite topic of this blog, but I think this is worthy of posting simply because it strikes me as career suicide.
My guess is that Giambi wanted to lay claim to the vacant job of poster-boy for cleaning up baseball. It's a stretch, I admit but why else would he shoot himself in the foot? We've seen what has happened to Palmeiro and McGwire who opted for silence. They have been shut out. Maybe Giambi saw the writting on the wall and thought he could get more out of playing the confessed sinner card. A risky gambit for sure, but potentially the only move he had (other than silence). The timing of it is smart because Bonds still hasn't tied the record. As soon as he does, reporters are going to start asking questions and now Giambi is positioned to become the spokes-person for the formerly guilty. This will certainly get him air time. Although, he might not want it after the fall out.
At least one media outlet picked up "Giambi as hero" story (albeit a fringe group called NewsBlaze): "Giambi teaches Bonds a lesson". Far more news outlets are reporting about Giambi's lack of timing and potential permature end of his career with the Yankees. Last night on air, Gammons called Giambi's judgement into question. MLB has taken the silence approach, refusing to talk about it until after next week (read the Red Sox/Yankees series is over). As for the Yankees, Cashman has come out and put up a wall.
Where does this leave our "hero"? Shit out of luck.
My guess is that the Yankees will not terminate his contract right away, but might try to find a middle ground (e.g. set a date for reviewing his contract at the end of the year). My guess is that Selig will be happy to let this play out in the quiet of the offseason and can always point to Mitchell's "progress" or involvement in the investigation (including Giambi's recent remarks). It's not like the clubhouse at Yankee stadium could get any worse so I am sure the Yankees won't care as long as he hits (which is a problem right now).
(Photo courtesy of Bostondirtdogs.com)
I don't mind this being played out...but include other sports, too.
ReplyDeleteHow about the 200+ pound football players running 4.4 40s? I hate how they get a free pass when guys like Romanowski claimed to have taken everything under the sun...and guys like Alzado died from it.
Yes, the home run race was huge for baseball, and the numbers over the years have gotten inflated...
But, let's be equal about it all...
Giambi didn't really say much more than he said in his original apology. However, calling out MLB is not good. Not that Selig has any balls...
Selig is probably happy because maybe it turns away from Bonds a little now...
I definitely don't think Selig is happy about this at all, but I do agree 100% that this is the same "apology" as before, but what has raises it is that he called out baseball. My favorite part is that he wants everyone else to apologize for what HE did.
ReplyDeleteMy sneaking suspicion is that he made his latest comments just as Dino thinks (after some pressing by the reporter). I can see Giambi thinking that "hey, NY embraced my after I made my first apology, now the rest of the country will embrace me."
Two problems. 1) Giambi should leave such "thinking" to people more qualified. and 2)the only reason NY embraced him was after a slow two months, he hit the crap out of the ball for the last 2/3 of the 2005 season.
What I think is funny is that the Daily News are reporting that the Yanks may try to void the contract. Silly if you ask me. He is struggling now with a bone spur (probably caused by some HGH making his feet grow in new directions), but he is still one of their better hitters and an amazing OBP machine. And they only have him for 08 and an option for 09 (with buyout).
So if they cut him, they "save" $27MM, but will have to go out and pay $100+MM to replace him. Its like the Manny options - all of a sudden the contract is not sol ridiculous. In Spring of 05 it was $85MM, now it is practically pocket change.
So let the Yanks cut him and piss him off. Then the Sox could swoop in and grab him on the cheap ($5MM). Huge revenge factor for Giambi. Stick him at first base for 100 games. Youk at 3rd assuming Lowell won't come back on a two year deal. Imagine the impact on runs scored of the OBP machines Youk, giabi, Ortiz, Manny, Drew. I know, it will never happen.
I didn't want to say, but now that X did I'll admit to thinking. How sweet would it be if the Yankees listened to the Daily News and canned Giambi. The Sox could pick him up on the cheap and give him an opportunity for "redemption". Alas, this will never happen.
ReplyDeleteAlso to X's point, why the hell didn't Giambi talk to a PR agent? Daisy and I had a long debate about this and determined that he must have done this on his own because he really put himself into a no-win scenerio. I am suprised that players like Giambi don't have a PR guy on payroll just to keep them out of shit-storms like this.
Seeing how this is an ESPN game tonight, what is the over under on number of times this topic is discussed? My guess is that if he plays at least 3 mentions.
ReplyDeleteMaybe this is semantics, but I disagree with GR and X that this is the same as his old apology. Back in February 2005:
ReplyDelete"There's been a lot of distraction, definitely, over the last year, and I'm sorry for that, I really am. I feel I let down the fans, I feel I let down the media, I feel I let down the Yankees - not only the Yankees, but my teammates. I accept full responsibility for that. I'm sorry, but I'm trying to go forward now. Most of all, to the fans, I'm sorry. I know it's going to be hard, and I understand how they feel."
He never made ANY reference to doing anything wrong; just apologized for being a distraction. Very obviously because of his lawyer and agent - he was trying to keep his job.
Now he says he was "wrong for doing that stuff", in the midst of a discussion about steroids. It's more than just his PR agent - he also ignored his lawyer.
Doesn't matter - even if the Yanks wanted to cut him loose (I agree that they don't) he probably didn't, legally speaking, admit to breaking the CBA or his contract, so his job's probably safe.
And I agree it's hilarious that he wants baseball to apologize for something he did. I suppose the NFL should apologize every time a Bengal gets arrested?
(Actually that would be sort of fun.)
I doubt the NFL has a PR staff large enough to keep up with Cincy.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the apology is not 100% the same, but in essence it is. The first just said "sorry" but did not explain what for (everyone knew). The second was referred to as "stuff." No real admission. He could so easily say "that stuff" he was referring to was covering up for other people, not being more vocal. Who knows.
Over under on tonight's broadcast reference of steroids/Giambi controversy has to be 4.5.
And I might take the over.
Oh and the real reason I just came back. How about this:
ReplyDeleteTattooed on the newest Marlin's (Justin Miller) buttocks is the phrase: "I (heart) Billy Koch." Could you imagine? How on earth do you explain that to someone who does not know baseball. What if the guy inking him made a typo. Or someone reads it wrong. Yikes.
Holy crap - he did it for only $1500. I'm not even remotely a millionaire like these guys, and I don't think I'd get that tattoo for any less than $50,000.
ReplyDelete(...Okay, maybe $20,000.)
(...Maybe even $1,000.)
(...Oh hell, $20. Ah, screw it. I'm off to the tatoo parlor.)
Looks like it was only two mentions so far, but the second one was for the ENTIRE bottom of the second, including going to Erin Andrews for comment and quotes from Papi.
ReplyDeleteWhat is amazing about the steroids story is that some announcers, columnsits, etc will say things like "we know that player X never used steroids." No, they are not referring to me, because as anyone who has seen me knows that steroids have not had a large influence in my development. But really, just in the last few weeks, I have heard a bunch of players referred to as someone that they "know" was clean. Tonight it was in reference to Griffey, but I have also heard McGriff, Ripken, and Gwynn mentioned as 100% clean. And, we've heard it said of A-Rod also. How ridiculous is it for people to say things like that. How can anyone be 100% certain. I don't know, just bugs me.
Yea... it's hard to say. I counted two separate mentions, but it lasted the entire 2nd inning!!!
ReplyDeleteI guess Wake didn't have his shit tonight. He kept it close and maybe, just maybe we can work some magic.
Howard and Pujols are two others who we're always told are clean as well. It drives me nuts.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah and Pujols' trainer was somehow connected to Grimsley or someone with close ties to Steroids.
ReplyDeleteI guess these commentators have no idea how silly they sound when they say it.
And, the other piece of flawed logic, is that if "other" players were not using steroids, mcGriff would be lock for the HOF with his 490 HR.
ReplyDelete