Giambi's Mysterious Power Surge

[YankeeDoodle]

MC Hammer: I said "Yankee or no Yankee" - in that I didn't mean to insinutate that you guys picked on him strictly because he was a Yankee - but that MY personal stance has nothing to do whether he is a Yankee or not. He's human, he makes mistakes...umm, he was sorry about something? Contrite as can be - as far as press conferences go.

 

Not to lecture, but I'm not going to cast the first stone, seeing as I would want a second chance for my mistakes. And yeah fine, there will probably always be cheaters and guys who skate around the rules - that's a personal decision, and in the end, it's something they're going to have answer to, in some way, shape, or form. But go play Ethics Polics if you want.

 

Why don't you guys just turn on ESPN and watch Cubs-Cards and see two clean guys who represent the league quite well, Lee and Pujols go at it. Baseball needs another story; this triple-crown pursuit by a guy who's body frame looks like a basketball player, certainly is a good one.

[CrespoBlows]

You have just as much proof as I do. You can't say that he's off steroids unless you're with him 24/7, which you're not.

 

You're gonna try and insult me because I dont want to get behind someone who cheated the game I love? I'm a bad fan because I think that a known cheater is still cheating. I apologize for not having faith in someone that spent, atleast several years, lying to me and every other fan.

 

I'm not insulting you, I'm just saying I don't care that much.

 

I think it's commenable that he was able to pull himself out of the s*** hole he was in.

[MC Hammer]

I'm not insulting you, I'm just saying I don't care that much.

 

I think it's commenable that he was able to pull himself out of the s*** hole he was in.

 

You were insulting me because you said "good fans" would be behind him or whatever. Calling me a bad fan is an insult.

 

Right I guess it would be if we were 100% sure he did it legally.

 

I don't care if Giambi walked to my house and handed me his check for this season ... I'd still hate him, and think that he is on steroids. Like I said earlier this has nothing to do with him being a Yankee. I hate Barry Bonds even more and I could give two shits about the Giants

[schillingouttheks]

MC, couldn't the same thing be said about him going back ON steroids? I mean, you have just as much proof as I do that he went back ON the 'roids.

 

(From his appearances in games earlier in the season, it's clear he wasn't using 'roids.)

 

I dunno, I just think it's a bunch of hard work and trying to redeem himself and it's all paying off now. I don't think he's still cheating...I think he has a hot streak going on.

[YankeeDoodle]

You were insulting me because you said "good fans" would be behind him or whatever. Calling me a bad fan is an insult.

 

Right I guess it would be if we were 100% sure he did it legally.

 

I don't care if Giambi walked to my house and handed me his check for this season ... I'd still hate him, and think that he is on steroids. Like I said earlier this has nothing to do with him being a Yankee. I hate Barry Bonds even more and I could give two shits about the Giants

No offense - but I think it's sad if you let that bitterness get in the way of enjoying baseball. There are actual *gasp* positive things going on!

 

OKOK, that's it - I am not touching this thread with a ten foot pole.

[CrespoBlows]

You were insulting me because you said "good fans" would be behind him or whatever. Calling me a bad fan is an insult.

 

Right I guess it would be if we were 100% sure he did it legally.

 

I don't care if Giambi walked to my house and handed me his check for this season ... I'd still hate him, and think that he is on steroids. Like I said earlier this has nothing to do with him being a Yankee. I hate Barry Bonds even more and I could give two shits about the Giants

 

I said if he were a RED SOX, then the people on YES would be thinking that he's on steriods, and he was hitting for the Red Sox. Good fans would just chalk it up to either a good stretch or a good hitter.

[MC Hammer]

No offense - but I think it's sad if you let that bitterness get in the way of enjoying baseball. There are actual *gasp* positive things going on!

 

OKOK, that's it - I am not touching this thread with a ten foot pole.

 

It's definatly not getting in the way of me enjoying baseball. I still enjoy watching the sox every chance I get. Still enjoy watching the Pirates every 5th day to see Zach Duke. I still enjoy a 0-0 game going into the 9th inning. I still enjoy double plays, and strike outs, and homeruns, and everything about baseball ... aside from the people that attempted to destroy it. On a daily basis I don't give Giambi a thought, but if the topic is going to come up I'm going to voice my opinion.

 

schillingouttheks that is what I said in one of my other posts. I said that people saying he is on roids, and people saying he isn't have the exact same amount of evidence.

[schillingouttheks]

Oh yeah, heh..f*** I suck, as we've seen before, I suck at reading effectively

[YankeeDoodle]

Oh yeah, heh..f*** I suck, as we've seen before, I suck at reading effectively

I'm getting you Hooked on Phonics sometime. I'm only kidding.

 

MC Hammer: Yeah, I know it's unfortunate with how the game became tainted, but I was just getting at that eventually let bygones be bygones.

 

If anything, WE still have his colossal contract on our hands here!

[Boogie]

Can the anti-Yankee bias be removed?

[MC Hammer]

Can the anti-Yankee bias be removed?

 

Can I ask you who here has been anti-Yankee? I'm pretty sure everyone who said they think he's still on roids said it has nothing to do with him being a yankee.

 

Can we get the annoying ass cry baby Yankee fans removed?

Note: That doesn't apply to everyone ... just certain fans.

 

Just like America ... if you dont like it ... you can get the f*** out.

[soxie thefangirl]

He's on steroids. Come on. Get serious. You've got to blind and dumb to not think that.

 

And that's not being anti-Yankee. It's being truthful. He was on my team, I'd say the same thing.

[CrespoBlows]

He's on steroids. Come on. Get serious. You've got to blind and dumb to not think that.

 

And that's not being anti-Yankee. It's being truthful. He was on my team, I'd say the same thing.

 

He's on steriods? Well I don't know, and I don't really care, but just take a look at Giambi's swing in April, and look at it now.

[YankeeDoodle]

He's on steriods? Well I don't know, and I don't really care, but just take a look at Giambi's swing in April, and look at it now.

DONNIE IS THE MAN! True Yankees help uhh...ok I withhold the "True Yankee" title from Giambi for now.

[MC Hammer]

whoops wrong thread.

[ARod2212]

I can't say I'm surprised someone made this thread, but it is one of the dumbest things ever.

 

I'd still hate him, and think that he is on steroids.

That's your right, but that is what we call being ignorant. He's worked his ass off with Mattingly, more importantly he's gotten his mechanics back. If you watch Giambi's swing, and know thing one about hitting mechanics you would know why he hits so well. Steroids only do so much, but his eye and mechanics made him a great hitter, exactly why he's back. It was a matter of when, not if.

 

I think it's commenable that he was able to pull himself out of the s*** hole he was in.

:clap: I agree. I lost respect for him when I heard about the steroids thing, a lot of respect. But he has redeemed himself a great deal in my book, for how he has handled himself and how he has gotten back to this point. He's went through PR hell and physical hell. He's worked his ass off to get to this point, and is a model of how to handle yourself after making a major mistake.

[CrespoBlows]

I can't say I'm surprised someone made this thread, but it is one of the dumbest things ever.

 

This thread equals those dumb ass "DRILL PAPI" or "FIRE CLUELESS JOE LOL" threads over there on YES.

[JohnnyDug]

I dont know if he "redeemed" himself in my eyes just because of his previous usage etc. but I would be def. surprised if he was on roids again. Plus, even giambi isnt dumb enough to think that no one will notice if he suddenly became awesome again. I think the contrast between his dry spell and the sudden pay-off has shocked people that's all.

[ARod2212]

I dont know if he "redeemed" himself in my eyes just because of his previous usage etc. but I would be def. surprised if he was on roids again.

I know, that's just my opinion there. I admire how he came back from where he was. Fighting back from something like that is one of the harder things someone will ever have to do. He's worked hard to get to where he is now, and I respect that.

[MC Hammer]

That's your right, but that is what we call being ignorant. He's worked his ass off with Mattingly, more importantly he's gotten his mechanics back. If you watch Giambi's swing, and know thing one about hitting mechanics you would know why he hits so well. Steroids only do so much, but his eye and mechanics made him a great hitter, exactly why he's back. It was a matter of when, not if.

 

 

Again, how do you know that? How do you know he even spent 5 minutes with mattingly? You don't. You're just believing what Giambi, a guy that lied to you in the past, is telling you. When I look at his swing I see the same one I did in april. The only difference is that he has enough bat speed to catch up to the pitches so he doesn't look so bad when he swings and misses. Improved bat speed doesn't come from a hitting coach.

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

I know, that's just my opinion there. I admire how he came back from where he was. Fighting back from something like that is one of the harder things someone will ever have to do. He's worked hard to get to where he is now, and I respect that.

 

Yankee fans will stand by him as long as he produces. They dont care how he does it as long as he does it. Yankee fans would have been just fine if A-Rod slapped that ball out of Arroyo's glove on verge of a comeback. Whatever they can do to win...cheating, buying, etc it doesn't matter in NY and you know this is true. I'm living in NYC and thats all everyone talks about..."Just win baby"

 

Whether Giambi is on steroids or not I have NO respect for him. Cheating never deserves a second chance when you are considered a pro athlete. Its a privilage to play for the Yankees, Red Sox or any other team in the major leagues. You get payed to play baseball even if you are one of the worst players in the league and its still a lot of money compared to the average person. The fans pay their salary in the end and how dare the cheaters wreck the game for us.

 

I watch a fair amount of Yankee games and no question...his body looks like it has more bulk. Don Mattingly is just a name in the Yankee organization (sounds like a good cover). He is a legend for the Yanks so why not add his name next to Giambi....looks a lot better. Barry Bonds has taken a very strange route in his return. It's sketchy so don't stand by players who are cheaters....they don't deserve anything because they didn't earn it.

[bobby jr]

I can't say I'm surprised someone made this thread, but it is one of the dumbest things ever.

 

 

That's your right, but that is what we call being ignorant. He's worked his ass off with Mattingly, more importantly he's gotten his mechanics back. If you watch Giambi's swing, and know thing one about hitting mechanics you would know why he hits so well. Steroids only do so much, but his eye and mechanics made him a great hitter, exactly why he's back. It was a matter of when, not if.

 

 

:clap: I agree. I lost respect for him when I heard about the steroids thing, a lot of respect. But he has redeemed himself a great deal in my book, for how he has handled himself and how he has gotten back to this point. He's went through PR hell and physical hell. He's worked his ass off to get to this point, and is a model of how to handle yourself after making a major mistake.

 

I agree he deserves respect for having gone through hell, but what if the way he has handled himself is simply to go back on something? To stop the hell he was going through, to go back to what worked before. Steroids or something similar. We have no way of knowing.

 

To attribute this tremendous improvement to working with Mattingly, and not to consider something else may be involved, seems to me to be looking at the situation with blinders on.

 

If Giambi continues to hit HR's at this ludicrous pace of the last week, a HR per day, suspicions will only get worse.

[ARod2212]

Yankee fans will stand by him as long as he produces. They dont care how he does it as long as he does it.

That's an unfair and biased generalization.

 

Again, how do you know that? How do you know he even spent 5 minutes with mattingly?

How do you know the world even exists. Prove it to me. You're being contrary for the sake of it.

You don't. You're just believing what Giambi, a guy that lied to you in the past, is telling you.

Actually I'm believing what ESPN, Joe Torre, Don Mattingly and the entire media has said. Also, out of the entire BALCO s***, Giambi was the most honest out of anybody. All of the 'I know nothing' s*** from Sosa, Bonds and McGwire was disgusting. Giambi came out at the trial with the truth, and apologized to the public for what he did. What more do you want from the man?

When I look at his swing I see the same one I did in april.

And that is because you don't know thing one about hitting mechanics .

The only difference is that he has enough bat speed to catch up to the pitches so he doesn't look so bad when he swings and misses.Improved bat speed doesn't come from a hitting coach.

Try not playing baseball for a whole year and having the same impeccible mechanics and bat speed you did when you won MVP. It took March, April, May June and some of July to get his power back. If you paid attention, it didn't all come back in one shot. He had a slow recovery, starting with making contact, and finally with the power.

 

 

 

 

Hell if we want to talk about unexplained turnarounds, let us discuss David Ortiz. Barely adequate with the Twins and now the most feared lefty in the AL. (it's sarcasm)

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

Also, out of the entire BALCO s***, Giambi was the most honest out of anybody. All of the 'I know nothing' s*** from Sosa, Bonds and McGwire was disgusting. Giambi came out at the trial with the truth, and apologized to the public for what he did. What more do you want from the man?

 

The same thing I would want from all cheaters and people that are a disgrace.....get the hell out!

 

I don't accept his apology....now he doesn't have it on his conscience which is good for him. Doesn't change the fact he is a cheater and should go find some other kind of honest work. Whether it helped him or not....shouldn't be doing it....

 

Don't stick up for him he didn't earn the right like others...you may think I'm being harsh and I am....what kind of icon do you see in Jason Giambi??? I have the same problem with all athletes who are drug users. It doesn't belong in sports just as it doesn't belong in the everyday working world

[YankeeDoodle]

The same thing I would want from all cheaters and people that are a disgrace.....get the hell out!

 

I don't accept his apology....now he doesn't have it on his conscience which is good for him. Doesn't change the fact he is a cheater and should go find some other kind of honest work. Whether it helped him or not....shouldn't be doing it....

 

Don't stick up for him he didn't earn the right like others...you may think I'm being harsh and I am....what kind of icon do you see in Jason Giambi??? I have the same problem with all athletes who are drug users. It doesn't belong in sports just as it doesn't belong in the everyday working world

Fine, even though I highly doubt what I say will change your opinion, but I'm going to say it anyways. <_>

 

If you've ever cheated on a test, would you want a scarlet "C" around your neck? And if you haven't, good for you, but if you have done something along the lines of that, I doubt you'd want a lapse in judgement in the seventh grade to be indicative of your character FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!

 

Bottom line, I don't put athletes on pedestals, one way or the other. The apology sounded a bit contrived for me - but what did you honestly expect - MLB sending them out to do public service announcements?

 

And please don't stereotype Yankees fan; no, we don't want the rules rigged in our favor. No "fan" of any team in any sport would want that. My assessment of Giambi on this issue doesn't have anything to do with him being Yankee, doesn't even have anything to do with him being a baseball player - just a guy that messed up in life, and I'm going to give him another shot. Users in society - the ones who choose to fix their life - they're given another chance. Life is too short to be bitter - and if you pick your bitterness, there are other things than Giambi.

 

Edit: Phooey tags!

 

Edit 2: Sorry Giambi, didn't mean to compare you to a seventh grader. But with some players' intelligence, I wouldn't really know? *cough* Jose Canseco - what a narrative!

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

I just have no respect for athletes who cheat to gain personal recognition. It's not that he is a Yankee...I have an issue with Yankee fans who applaud him because you are simply doing it cause he is helping your team. If he still sucked you wouldn't like him....I guarantee it and you would be against his steroid use and call him a loser. Its also not because I am a Red Sox fan...I have a problem with all who take steroids...if I found out David Ortiz took steroids....I would dismiss our World Series victory becasue it wasn't completely earned.

 

Jason Giambi hit 2 HRs in game 7 of the ALCS against us....you think he deserved those HRs?? Do you think your team earned that victory?? You can say it has nothing to do with the fact he is a Yankee...deny it all you want...I certainly won't believe you and most others on this board will either...its just a cover up..kinda like Don Mattingly

 

By the way has Jason Giambi done anything to regain his image?? Does he go around and tell kids that steroids are wrong and they shouldn't use them?? Just curious cause I haven't seen anything

[See Red]

If you've ever cheated on a test, would you want a scarlet "C" around your neck? And if you haven't, good for you, but if you have done something along the lines of that, I doubt you'd want a lapse in judgement in the seventh grade to be indicative of your character FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!

 

I've cheated on tests before -- sure. And no, I wouldn't want a scarlet C around my neck either. But at the same time, I didn't use that math tests, or whatever, that I cheated on to net me millions of dollars or to get a competetive edge against those that chose to go about their business purely through hard work and playing by the rules. Besides, though I understand your point and what you're trying to say, but I'd say having made a poor choice in 7th grade is different than doing something you know is wrong when you're an adult and you know that kids look up to you.

[bobby jr]

Jason Giambi hit 2 HRs in game 7 of the ALCS against us....you think he deserved those HRs?? Do you think your team earned that victory?? You can say it has nothing to do with the fact he is a Yankee...deny it all you want...I certainly won't believe you and most others on this board will either...its just a cover up..kinda like Don Mattingly

 

 

That bothers me too, those two HR's. Nobody could have hit that pitch from Pedro Martinez over the center field wall like that except for someone heavily juiced and bulked up on steroids, as Giambi later turned out to be. The Red Sox may well have won two WS in a row if Giambi had not cheated like that. What a great game seven that was, too bad that the memory of it is now diminished by what Giambi did.

[JohnnyDug]

I've cheated on tests before -- sure. And no, I wouldn't want a scarlet C around my neck either. But at the same time, I didn't use that math tests, or whatever, that I cheated on to net me millions of dollars or to get a competetive edge against those that chose to go about their business purely through hard work and playing by the rules. Besides, though I understand your point and what you're trying to say, but I'd say having made a poor choice in 7th grade is different than doing something you know is wrong when you're an adult and you know that kids look up to you.

 

Most logical thing on this thread, THANK YOU!!!

[YankeeDoodle]

I just have no respect for athletes who cheat to gain personal recognition. It's not that he is a Yankee...I have an issue with Yankee fans who applaud him because you are simply doing it cause he is helping your team. If he still sucked you wouldn't like him....I guarantee it and you would be against his steroid use and call him a loser. Its also not because I am a Red Sox fan...I have a problem with all who take steroids...if I found out David Ortiz took steroids....I would dismiss our World Series victory becasue it wasn't completely earned.

 

Jason Giambi hit 2 HRs in game 7 of the ALCS against us....you think he deserved those HRs?? Do you think your team earned that victory?? You can say it has nothing to do with the fact he is a Yankee...deny it all you want...I certainly won't believe you and most others on this board will either...its just a cover up..kinda like Don Mattingly

 

By the way has Jason Giambi done anything to regain his image?? Does he go around and tell kids that steroids are wrong and they shouldn't use them?? Just curious cause I haven't seen anything

Well, ACTUALLY, maybe I've just seen some pretty bitter Yankee fans, but most of them are wishing he came around much sooner, and others are pretty unapologetic about getting all over him when he wasn't producing - if anything, they're sorry he took steroids to damage his body. But, gah, go back to - '00-'01 - most fans were probably salivating at the mouth over the thought of landing him.

 

Uh no, he has not made any charity appearances, as far as D.A.R.E. or something...because then we'd all figure out exactly what he was "sorry" about...pretty vague you were, Jason!

 

Explain the Mattingly shot there...the cover-up that he helped Giambi bat better?

 

No, I would never insinuate that Ortiz, or any Red Sox player took anything; ya won it fair-and-square. But I mean, what about botched umpring calls - Cardinals fans will tell you about '85 against the Royals; "fair" is not a word that exists in sports.

 

This is a different can of worms, but I don't think athletes should be role models, See Red; otherwise kids will think they should have silver spoons in their mouths. Pfft. <_ yeah i concede the point that children shouldn think cheating leads to capitalism well it still happens in corporate world. src="//d1mqtyoopj0gsc.cloudfront.net/emoticons/default_wink.png" alt=";)">