Athletics, Yankees, Rockies, and Indians veteran Jason Giambi is retiring after 20 seasons in the majors. Giambi turned 44 in January, and spent the past two seasons with the Indians. He hadn’t been much a regular since he left the Yankees following the 2008 season.
In a statement released to the New York Daily News, Giambi thanked his family, teammates, coaches, and the media, among others. Here’s a small part of his farewell.
“Ever since I was five years old, all I ever wanted to be was a Major League Baseball player. The Oakland A’s, New York Yankees, Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Indians were a big part of helping that dream come true.
“To the managers, coaches and players, it’s been a tremendous honor sharing the field with you and thank you very much.
“To the writers, local and national, and to the broadcasters, I want to express my appreciation to the media for covering the game we all love.
“I want to thank the fans for being a part of this incredible journey. I especially want to thank the fans that gave me a second chance to let me show you the human being you see today.
“Lastly, to the game of baseball: I started playing you when I was a kid and I’m leaving you a man. Thank you.”
In his 20 year career, Giambi hit .277/.399/.516 with 440 homers. He was a five-time All-Star, and won the 2000 AL MVP with the Athletics. From 2000-2003, Giambi hit an absurd .310/.450/.607 with 163 home runs. Only Barry Bonds had a higher on-base percentage than Giambi over those four seasons, and only Bonds, Todd Helton, and Manny Ramirez had a higher OPS.
However, those elite numbers from Giambi were tainted when he was named in the 2003 BALCO scandal. He apologized to the media and baseball fans in both 2005 and 2007, and admitted to using steroids during the second apology and also in the Mitchell Report.
