Grantland Q&A with Jason Giambi

[skatingtripods]

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-trian ... -lifestyle

Pretty good stuff here.

[googleeph2]

Cool.

Jase, 'tutelage' those kids to value security.

[skatingtripods]

Fangraphs also did a Q&A with Giambi, talking exclusively about the art of hitting:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.ph ... ting-guru/

[googleeph2]

Thought his comment on strikeouts was interesting. He's not going to beat out a hit anyway, so why stop trying to hit the ball hard with two strikes.

If you disdain the bunt because it hinders your chance for a big inning, should a power hitter also disdain the idea of shortening up his swing in a two-strike count?

Or should Giambi just stay the heck away from Carlos Santana, who needs to keep improving his situational awareness?

[WiscTribeFan]

Giambi is an interesting story this year. He's the 'veteran presence/clubhouse leader' mediocre numbers, veteran retread-type player that most folks here used to loathe under Wedge. Universally he seems to have been accepted even with marginal numbers last year and a pedestrian spring. Couple this with being an admitted 'roids user, and someone who, before the ink was dry on that contract, seemingly made the 25-man roster, I'm shocked more folks aren't asking why he is even on this team...

[googleeph2]

I guess because he is a bench guy, and not being relied on to play everyday or in a platoon a la Michaels and Delucci.

[skatingtripods]

Giambi is an interesting story this year. He's the 'veteran presence/clubhouse leader' mediocre numbers, veteran retread-type player that most folks here used to loathe under Wedge. Universally he seems to have been accepted even with marginal numbers last year and a pedestrian spring. Couple this with being an admitted 'roids user, and someone who, before the ink was dry on that contract, seemingly made the 25-man roster, I'm shocked more folks aren't asking why he is even on this team...

Personally, I don't care if he's on the team one way or another. The difference, I think, is that Giambi's clearly your 25th player and a guy who won't play a big on-field role. The other retreads (OCab, Nixon, even Damon) were expected to play prominent roles that they couldn't handle.

I don't know. I agree that it's a bit of a double standard. In a vacuum, carrying Giambi makes no sense. But, with the position players and the versatility that the Indians have around him, it becomes more acceptable.

I guess.

[leadpipe]

If nothing else it's yet another example of the benefit of being a likable teammate.

Literally thousands of career years have been lost in time cause a guys being dicks.

Not talking stars or stiffs here, because we all know if you can PLAY, you can be about the biggest dick on GGE and still have a spot, and if you stink, being the nicest guy in the world ain't gonna help you. But for many guys there's gonna come a time when you're in that spot - for a guy like Giambi it's early and late - some guys are in that spot the entire time, but clearly, if Jason Giambi rubbed teammates the wrong way, he'd a been gone years ago.

Funny how guys don't understand this - or have no ability to comprehend it.

[1Perry]

I'm also not a big fan of him making the team as I don't see him adding much but as noted, it's a minor note to this offseason.

If this off season had consisted of losing Hafner and replacing him with Giambi it would indeed be a different argument.

[bookelly]

Who would you rather have hit in the 9th inning with RISP against the other teams RH'ed closer? Giambi or Stubbs?

THAT is why he's on the team. QED

[skatingtripods]

Only two Indians World Series titles have been with a player/manager. Tris Speaker and Lou Boudreau.

In essence, Giambi is a player/coach.

[bookelly]

I wonder if he's allowed to drink in the hotel bar with the managers, or if he still has to go out with the boys.

[WiscTribeFan]

Who would you rather have hit in the 9th inning with RISP against the other teams RH'ed closer? Giambi or Stubbs?

THAT is why he's on the team. QED

With having to choose between those two, is death an option? Winning sure isn't.