Giambi's Mysterious Power Surge

[soxie thefangirl]

Yeah I change my stance. I don't think he's on steroids.

[MC Hammer]

LOOK AT THE PITCHES HE HITS OUT! He works the count in his favor, gets his pitch, and drives it to right field, and if he doesn't get it he's happy with the walk. You're arguement is "yeah he had a good month, and he must be on steriods" What about David Ortiz? In 2003 he had 5 HR's on July 3rd, then finshied with 31. That's a serious power spike, but I don't look at the fact that he might have taken steriods, he's fixed the holes in his swing, like Giambi has.

 

Papi compiled 26 Hrs in 3 months. So he hit 12 more HRs in 3 months than Giambi did in 1. That's your arguement? Good try. Not to mention that Papi just started coming into his own in 2003. Also he didn't suddenly get bigger.

 

Look Giambi isn't the only hitter thats patient at the plate. Every good hitter in the league waits for a pitch they can crush, and if they dont get it they take their walk. He's hasn't fixed holes in his swing ... he's improved his bat speed. The problem with the first 3 months for Giambi is that he was behind everything. His swing looked so ugly because he was trying to catch up to the pitches. How does your bat speed increase this much in a few days? There's only one logical answer.

[riverside sluggers]

did papi hit 26 HRs in July, no he had hit 26 from July to end of the season

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

We won't know until he is tested properly

[CrespoBlows]

Papi compiled 26 Hrs in 3 months. So he hit 12 more HRs in 3 months than Giambi did in 1. That's your arguement? Good try. Not to mention that Papi just started coming into his own in 2003. Also he didn't suddenly get bigger.

 

Look Giambi isn't the only hitter thats patient at the plate. Every good hitter in the league waits for a pitch they can crush, and if they dont get it they take their walk. He's hasn't fixed holes in his swing ... he's improved his bat speed. The problem with the first 3 months for Giambi is that he was behind everything. His swing looked so ugly because he was trying to catch up to the pitches. How does your bat speed increase this much in a few days? There's only one logical answer.

 

I guarnatee you Giambi won't hit 14 HR's this month, that was Giambi at his best. I gave you someone who plays in a deeper ballpark, who had hit nothing in the first half, turn into a potent cleanup hitter, what more proof do you want?

 

Giambi is probably one of the most patient hitters in the game, you think Ichiro's waiting for his pitch? Nope, he's hacking away. Pudge? Same logic.

 

As for the "only" logical answer. Maybe he's working out more, maybe he's starting his swing earlier, maybe he's waiting for his pitch. Steriods isn't the only logical answer, but you do make a very good point that it might be.

[MC Hammer]

Palmiero's positive test wasn't taken the day it was annonced. Giambi could have test positive 2 months ago, and we may not find out about it for another 2 months.

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

Just so we keep a complete open mind about this....Curt Schilling was sent before Congress as well. We know McGwire and Palmeiro did steroids, there is a great chance Sosa did steroids. Now that Ryan Franklin tested positive you just never know. However, it some cases I don't think steroids are bad....it is a drug used to fight certain injurys and such. That was always my argument with Lance Armstrong. If he took steroids...it probably had something to do with getting his strength back...he was fighting cancer after all.

 

...I've seen enough of Jason Giambi to know this is too far fetched. Its interesting how I never hear him say much. A lot like Palmeiro didn't say much when he hit 3000 hits. Almost like he knew it would blow up in his face. Very strange

[MC Hammer]

I guarnatee you Giambi won't hit 14 HR's this month, that was Giambi at his best. I gave you someone who plays in a deeper ballpark, who had hit nothing in the first half, turn into a potent cleanup hitter, what more proof do you want?

 

Giambi is probably one of the most patient hitters in the game, you think Ichiro's waiting for his pitch? Nope, he's hacking away. Pudge? Same logic.

 

As for the "only" logical answer. Maybe he's working out more, maybe he's starting his swing more, maybe he's waiting for his pitch. Steriods isn't the only logical answer, but you do make a very good point that it might be.

You're arguement about Ortiz isn't a bad one, but its still no where close to what Giambi has done. I don't know how many times its been said in this thread, maybe 30, but you can ask any player thats every played in MLB ... you cannot increase your power during a season. Day 1 of the season is the healthiest, strongest, and most in shape you will be for the entire season. Every day past the first day of the season it's down hill. If Giambi would have taken a few weeks off to work out and try to get his swing back then I would be fine with your arugment. But he didn't. You're honestly going to tell me that Giambi had enough time to gain this much strength in a few days WHILE playing the season. Just doesn't happen.

 

Saying that he is patient has nothing to do with his HR total. If you look at his BA and OBP the month before his power surge he looks like a very patient hitter, and a good singles hitter.

 

This is really something thats not worth arguing about as much as we are, because even if Giambi hits 14 HRs next month the Yankees aren't going to the playoffs.

[riverside sluggers]

with their pitching in shambles, all Yankees have going for them is the offense--which yes is looking to be not a chance so far to last into the days of October, now 3.5 back from 1st place and 4.5 back from the Wild Card which either the A's or Angels will easily garb

[riverside sluggers]

Yankees really have had no strides on the road, just 23-27 which ranks them 10th in the American League. Sox rank 4th at 29-27

[YankeeDoodle]

Just so we keep a complete open mind about this....Curt Schilling was sent before Congress as well. We know McGwire and Palmeiro did steroids, there is a great chance Sosa did steroids. Now that Ryan Franklin tested positive you just never know. However, it some cases I don't think steroids are bad....it is a drug used to fight certain injurys and such. That was always my argument with Lance Armstrong. If he took steroids...it probably had something to do with getting his strength back...he was fighting cancer after all.

 

...I've seen enough of Jason Giambi to know this is too far fetched. Its interesting how I never hear him say much. A lot like Palmeiro didn't say much when he hit 3000 hits. Almost like he knew it would blow up in his face. Very strange

Giambi is not allowed to speak about the grand jury testimony. I think that's a legally binding.

 

However, whatever Palmeiro says that he can't talk, that's crap. He can. MLB can't, because it protects the players, but if he wanted to...he could.

[CrespoBlows]

Giambi is not allowed to speak about the grand jury testimony. I think that's a legally binding.

 

However, whatever Palmeiro says that he can't talk, that's crap. He can. MLB can't, because it protects the players, but if he wanted to...he could.

 

Giambi may now talk, because the BALCO case has been resolved.

[YankeeDoodle]

Oh. Ok. Well. Umm he did say that he was sympathetic toward Palmeiro and his family? So far Barry "Rehabbing-Da-Knee" Bonds hasn't muttered a word.

 

Well athletes' "statements" comes from PR peeps/agents trying to use colossal words and full of jargon that I'm not sure they jocks they represent can make out.

 

A simple, "I'm sorry" would suffice. Well, if only we knew exactly what you're sorry for?

[riverside sluggers]

actually, hmm ,its very convenient of Barry Bonds now releasing a statement saying he will not return this season just a day after raffy got caught

[YankeeDoodle]

Barry being Barry. Sucks to be Pedro Gomez.

 

I saw an AP story on how his teammates are "shocked". Would not count on Bonds here. Maybe if the Giants were close, close to making the postseason, even in that stinking division.

 

See here, Padres, this is the NL West. It is yours to grab. NOW GRAB IT! Isn't Chan Ho Park starting tonight? Ouch. Peavy was awesome!

 

Btw, the thing that Raffy tested positive for, umm, that stanozol thing that I can't spell, it's not found in dietary supplements AND it stays in the body for about a month - so I can't see Giambi being that stupid and doping and risk the risk of getting caught.

 

But no, it will not stop you the haters from hating on Giambi, so go ahead. Keep churning those HRs and RBIs, Giambino (well I'm putting myself in the camp that he's learned from the past).

[MC Hammer]

actually, hmm ,its very convenient of Barry Bonds now releasing a statement saying he will not return this season just a day after raffy got caught

Well I was listening to ESPN Radio the other day and the best reason given for Bonds making his annoncement so close to Raffy getting caught is because he wanted to take some heat off Raffy, because they're friends. Isn't it funny that Bonds is friends with Raffy, and they both use roids. Don't you think Barry would know about Raffy using roids if they were friends, and try to stop him? Unless, of course he was using them ... case closed on Barry.

[riverside sluggers]

He will not and hope he doesnt pass Babe Ruth, he doesnt deserve to pass the greatness of a player that was Babe Ruth who had used pure human power

[YankeeDoodle]

Back to Giambi for a moment, if I can pinpoint the exact article(s), I'll post 'em, but I hear that since since last year when he had an intenstinal parasite and a benign pituitary tumor, constant blood tests are being ran by doctors and MLB has access to those tests.

 

So even though steroid testing in MLB today does not include blood work, Giambi is having his monitored - wouldn't that mean he couldn't dope??

 

Edit:

Since his bout with an intestinal parasite last year and the discovery of a benign pituitary tumor, Giambi is constantly having blood work done by doctors and MLB has access to those tests.

Scroll down to sarasoxfan's article.

[MC Hammer]

Barry will not be back. Like I said before when he told Gomez he was done he was. He can no longer perform at a high level without the use of steroids, and cannot recover from the knee injuries he has. Barry's knees will never recovery, because you can not eliminate arthritis. Mark my words, he will never play another game in this league again.

[YankeeDoodle]

Ok, I'm putting that down along with Manny crapping in your cereal.

[riverside sluggers]

??

[YankeeDoodle]

http://www.talksox.com/forum/showthread.php?p=59730&highlight=cereal#post59730

 

he could s*** in my cereal every morning and I'd still love him.

[BeanTown33]

Back to Giambi for a moment, if I can pinpoint the exact article(s), I'll post 'em, but I hear that since since last year when he had an intenstinal parasite and a benign pituitary tumor, constant blood tests are being ran by doctors and MLB has access to those tests.

 

So even though steroid testing in MLB today does not include blood work, Giambi is having his monitored - wouldn't that mean he couldn't dope??

 

really good point. and i agree....

i'd oubt he's using anything anyway. he's a big man, you can tell he has a lot of power so it was only a matter of time before he got his swing back. just sucks that he did use the roids last year or whenever it was and now that he's like a homerun machine, it's automatically linked to roids.

[sarasoxfan]

from the post.

JASON SHOWS CLEAN STREAK

 

By GEORGE KING

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JASON GIAMBI

Email Archives

Print Reprint

 

 

 

August 3, 2005 -- CLEVELAND — According to multiple sources Jason Giambi's 14 July home runs weren't the product of performance enhancing drugs.

While eyebrows were raised over Giambi's stellar July since he entered the month with five homers, he hasn't failed a drug test so therefore he isn't in the appeal/arbitration situation that Rafael Palmeiro was in before being suspended for 10 games Monday.

 

Nor has the big July led to MLB putting Giambi through additional testing.

 

"Not at all," Giambi said yesterday at Jacobs Field when asked if he had been tested more in light of his monster July, when he was the first Yankee to hit 14 homers in a month since Mickey Mantle in July 1961.

 

The Yankees have been tested three times since reporting to Tampa for spring training. Once during spring training, again in April and last week.

 

"I have gone through my thing," Giambi said when asked if he has been tested. There is no limit to the amount of times a player can be tested but he has to be tested at least once.

 

Since his bout with an intestinal parasite last year and the discovery of a benign pituitary tumor, Giambi is constantly having blood work done by doctors and MLB has access to those tests.

 

 

 

Giambi, who was linked to steroid use when his BALCO grand jury was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle last December, says he isn't bothered by the suspicions that his July had help.

 

"I really don't care," said Giambi, who hit .355 (27-for-76) for the month, upped his average to .286. "If anybody wants to shortchange it, that's there problem not mine."

 

In order for a player to undergo additional testing other than the random tests when his team is tested, the HPAC Committee would have to approve it. HPAC is a four-man group represented by the Players Association, MLB and one doctor from each side.

 

Giambi refused to get into specifics about Palmeiro's suspension.

 

"I was shocked as anybody, but I don't know all the facts so I can't comment," Giambi said. "Raffy is a good guy and has been supportive of me. My heart goes out to him and his family."

 

Gary Sheffield and Mike Mussina say it's time for MLB and the Players Association to come up with a list of what is safe to take and what isn't. Currently there is a list of what's allowed and not allowed, but since it deals with ingredients on the back of supplements or vitamins packages it can be confusing.

 

"We are not experts in this stuff, put it in the experts' hand," said Sheffield, who also testified in the BALCO case. "Give us one choice to buy it and one place. That's how you cut it out; you cut out all the excuses and all the 'I don't know what I was taking.' "

[CrespoBlows]

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/stats/individual_player_splits.jsp?c_id=mlb&playerID=114739&statType=1

 

Giambi isn't a HR machine, he's the product of Yankee Stadium. He's hit 6 HR's away from Yankee stadium, and 2 of them at Fenway just barely cleared Pesky's pole. I guess he's hitting smart.

[sarasoxfan]

there's no denying he had a great july but with his salary he should.

 

giambino is still playing more like joe peptione than babe ruth

[26 to 6]

yeah exactly Mark Bellhorn's 3 homeruns in 3 games is exactly the same as Giambi just having 5 homeruns from April through June, and then breaking out with 14 in July

well did he ever hit three homers in 3 games prior to then

[26 to 6]

As the article in the post stated, and again, if nobody saw it, sarasoxfan posted it. Giambi was tested last week (which according to my calander was during his stellar July. And he is also bloodtested regularly, and blood tests detect Human Growth Hormone, and he is clear on that front. So now can everybody drop this

[26 to 6]

you do realize that everyone on ESPn, Fox sports, average joe fans, etc. are thinking like this? How can we all not suspect him of doing so, with his name being called up last winter for the steroids scanda, this "hot streak" of his and now "truthful" Raffy has been caught doing hard steroids

the Giambi accusations didnt start until Palmeiro tested positive. But Giambi has tested negative.

[CrespoBlows]

Canseco's on WEEI right now, if anyone's interested.