February 11, 2005

Jason Giambi: I'm sorry... for that thing... that happpened: [NY Times link] "I feel I let down the fans, I feel I let down the media, I feel I let down the Yankees, and not only the Yankees, but my teammates," Giambi said, and he turned to look into the eyes of Manager Joe Torre, who was sitting on a folding chair next to him.

Giambi could have been a child finally summoning the courage to tell the truth to his father. But he kept his composure, and continued. "I accept full responsibility for that, and I'm sorry," he said.

What he did not fully say, however, was what he was sorry for.



posted by psmealey to baseball at 06:51 AM - 31 comments

Well, at least he said that he told the Truth to the Grand Jury! I guess that's something!

posted by daddisamm at 08:48 AM on February 11, 2005

I have a personal dislike of Jason Giambi. In fact, I hate the man as a baseball player. I think he's a dishonest cheat who deserves to be stripped of his MVP, lose his contract, suspended for a year, and thrown under an ultra-powerful microscope of drug testing for the remainder of his playing days. And still, I'm having a very hard time blaming him for not spelling out the words S-T-E-R-O-I-D-S yesterday. Yes, a full on accounting of what he did would have been better, but he's not able to do that and I can understand that at this point. Yet it seems that Mike Lupica, The NY Post, and a host of others are just concerned about the semantics of the whole situation. Me, I'm concerned that the nature of his apology seems to have become the whole story.

posted by 86 at 09:22 AM on February 11, 2005

That might have been the design, 86. Every column inch spent talking about the press conference is a column inch spent not talking about Jason's problem itself and the Balco end of the whole mess. All that wink-&-nudge is pretty smart, actually. And if Canseco's book doesn't hit the stores in the next two weeks, he won't sell any of them at all, no matter what's in it.

posted by chicobangs at 10:02 AM on February 11, 2005

I've got a question for the Yankee fans out there... How do you feel about all this? Do you accept the apology and move on? Do you never let him off the hook? Do you boo him? What if he hits a walk-off home run against the Sox in September? It's a nasty spot to be in, so rest assured I'm not rubbing this in. I'm just curious. I have no idea what I'd do in a similar situation.

posted by 86 at 10:18 AM on February 11, 2005

Me, I'm concerned that the nature of his apology seems to have become the whole story. That bothers me as well. Is this another example of the Oprahfication of America, the obsession with emotional pornography? What I mean is that nobody cares what you did, or God forbid, will hold you responsible for it as long as you can go on TV, get all weepy and apologize for it.

posted by psmealey at 10:32 AM on February 11, 2005

stripped his mvp's he dont deserve it i dont know y baseball players r juicin r creamin watever it is just to hit a baseball shame on him

posted by dhdefrag3x at 10:39 AM on February 11, 2005

No one's stripping anyone's MVP. If Ken Caminiti keeps his, then everyone keeps theirs. And he didn't do steroids just to hit a baseball. I suspect fame and fortune were somehow involved in that decision as well.

posted by chicobangs at 11:16 AM on February 11, 2005

I've got a question for the Yankee fans out there... i have no problem with how he presented himself yesterday. i'm glad that he apologized to the fans and the team. i don't care that he didn't say specifically what he was sorry for (i doubt he was apologizing for hitting .208). i understand there are reasons he can't go into specifics and i hope that one day he will be able to. i think he's taking steps in the right direction with all of this and he realizes it's far from over. and in the future i would love to see him get involved in something like educating kids about steroids and shit like that. he's poster boy for steroids in mlb right now but i think he has a real opportunity to do something constructive. he could easily take the canseco route and start pointing fingers at others. but i can't see how that would help anyone. that being said, what will make it hard to let him off the hook is his contract. they paid for a guy that put up numbers that won't be reached again. but i still think (at least i hope) he's capable of putting up good numbers. he may not hit the home runs he once did, but if he can keep his obp up there are plenty of guys on the team who can knock him in. from what i've read this morning yankee fans seem pretty split on this issue. i think a lot of it has to do with if they liked giambi beforehand. many people never wanted him here in the first place. personally, on opening day i won't boo him. i really want to see him do well and get through this. and i think there's a fair amount of people who feel the same way. seems like around here the only thing better than tearing down a hero is watching him build himself back up again.

posted by goddam at 11:49 AM on February 11, 2005

Ray Ratto (at least that's who I think it was) said on WEEI at lunch that the conference was put on solely for the Yankee organization, which didn't want to go into Spring Training with all the other players having to answer questions on Giambi's situation. Everytime I see Giambi, I wonder what happened to that sloppy mess in Oakland who said he needed to feel "sexy" at the plate to hit well.

posted by yerfatma at 01:04 PM on February 11, 2005

This week on a very special episode of NY Yankees baseball: Jason Giambi Apologizes... He probably needs a hug from Gary Sheffield after that.

posted by chris2sy at 01:09 PM on February 11, 2005

What seems to be overlooked in most of the coverage (although it is mentioned in certain places) is the legal implications of Giambi making any admissions regarding the specifics of what he did. We don't know the terms of his testimony before the grand jury (e.g., whether he was given any immunity and, if so, what type) and therefore it is the prudent thing to do not to get into the specifics of what he did or didn't do. I can take, and agree with, the criticism of the whole for-the-media manufactured apology in general, but to criticize him on the substance of what he did or didn't apologize for explicitly without considering the legal implications is unwarranted.

posted by holden at 01:53 PM on February 11, 2005

Does Giambi really need to spell out what he did? Whether he says the word steroids or not, we know what he is apologizing for. With Giambi and several other MLB players, its the big ass elephant in the room that nobody talked about for years. Baseball needs to clean up its players or fans will quit taking them seriously.

posted by curlyelk at 03:32 PM on February 11, 2005

Chalk it up to the arrogance of the whole baseball family. What? Next question please. Bonds hasn't said anything either. Do you think if he came up with the same sort of apology,it would be recieved any better?

posted by volfire at 03:56 PM on February 11, 2005

"I took steroids to be a better ballplayer, it was wrong and I am sorry for that." said [insert jacked up sluggers name here] At least I could respect that. I can't help but think that any ballplayer that did(does) 'roids is doing the wrong (illegal) thing. But...wait for it...they didn't brake any rules in regards to MLB. Why are we shocked? Why is this surprising? Who really cares? I love the game...and prefer it be clean...but players will allways look for an edge. I guess I have come to expect it and really just want to go to the yard on a warm summer day, enjoy a cold malt beverage and have a good time.

posted by stofer71 at 09:18 PM on February 11, 2005

Who really cares? I love the game...and prefer it be clean... This argument has been rehashed a million times, so why not one more time... If you don't punish those doping, it means all the players have to dope just to keep up. Using steroids or other enhancers becomes a requirement for playing pro sports. Most people agree that that is not cool.

posted by dusted at 09:27 PM on February 11, 2005

it means all the players have to dope just to keep up I don't buy that at all. There are players out there that have talent that does not require "enhancement", and bulking up might actually hurt their ability. Do you think Greg Maddux needs to bulk up with steroids to be a better pitcher? Or that Pedro Martinez should start taking 'the clear' to pad his HOF statistics? How about Ichiro Suzuki? Should he pack on 25lb of steroid bulk "just to keep up"?

posted by grum@work at 09:48 AM on February 12, 2005

I dont know what to think anymore I love baseball the game Everyday I am told that there is somehting else wrong with the game. Almost makes me want to not be a fan anymore! The Yankees, Sox , Cubs, etc have all become three ring circus/. The Media doesnt care the more dirt, they can find, the better! Its a sad day You know Jason--I am sorry--I have been following a lie!

posted by daddisamm at 11:52 AM on February 12, 2005

I don't buy that at all. There are players out there that have talent that does not require "enhancement", and bulking up might actually hurt their ability. How can you make that statement? What's implied in the phrase "performance-enhancing drug"? Think about it. All you have to do is look at the erectile-dysfunction-hair-loss-weight-loss-and-mood-elevator industry to know that there are a lot of supposedly intelligent people who are putting all kinds of crap in their bodies, not reading the fine print about side effects, because they want to believe that it'll make them skinny for the beach, with a big head of hair and a giant woody -- and this is stuff that the FDA has given its stamp of approval, at least initially. Now, take the average Major League baseball player -- who, I'm sorry to say, is not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed -- and dangle the promise of a drug that'll make him hit .400. Do you think he's more likely to read the fine print than a software engineer who's woofin' down Viagra? Any argument about whether "performance-enhancing drugs" actually do so is interesting in an academic sense, but it ignores the real problem, and that's one of perception. dusted's got the right of it: as long as the perception exists that the players who juice are getting a benefit, the rest will be strongly pushed to do the same. If you've got proof otherwise, then for God's sake speak up and save these idiots from their own idiocy. Oh, the humanity.

posted by lil_brown_bat at 12:47 PM on February 12, 2005

"I'm sorry I'm the one who will become the poster child for this." "I'm sorry that my career totals are not exemplary enough to be worth protecting by MLB like Messers McGwire and Bonds." "I'm sorry that I have to spend the rest of my (albeit short) career saying I'm sorry."

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 02:18 PM on February 12, 2005

as long as the perception exists that the players who juice are getting a benefit, the rest will be strongly pushed to do the same. If you've got proof otherwise, then for God's sake speak up and save these idiots from their own idiocy. Oh, the humanity. "How much would you pay for one logic error? Don't answer that folks! For the low, low price of $0.00, you get . . . " I don't know, what are there, three in that statement? Do you have any evidence what Jose Canseco says is pushing other players to drugs? There are plenty of MLB players who have used steroids. That does not mean all of them are. It doesn't even mean a simple majority are. I think the burden of proof is on those making unsubstantiated claims, not those asking for evidence. This is going to be one of those isses online where asking people to slow down, keep the rhetoric to a minimum and think about what they're saying gets you labeled as having your head in the sand, but oh well. It's a problem, it may taint the performance of every player from this era and both MLB ownership and the MLBPA have conspired to hide it, but that doesn't make it the end of the world. No one's hair should be on fire just yet.

posted by yerfatma at 02:46 PM on February 12, 2005

It's a problem, it may taint the performance of every player from this era and both MLB ownership and the MLBPA have conspired to hide it, but that doesn't make it the end of the world. No one's hair should be on fire just yet. Maybe, but still, the match is lit!

posted by daddisamm at 02:54 PM on February 12, 2005

an interesting column from hardball times. is the steroid era really that much different from the spitball era?

posted by goddam at 04:00 PM on February 12, 2005

First off let's get this right. The AVERAGE guy taking viagra or anything else is just that. He's not making millions at his regular job, doping is'nt going to make him a better computer guy. Let's keep this in context. This is their JOB. Are we supossed to tell kids nows the time to start if you want to be like so and so? Kids look up to these guys. And it's still not any cheaper to take a family to a family game. They won't stop or care till it starts to hit them in the pocketbook. Owners and players.

posted by volfire at 05:45 PM on February 12, 2005

He said "taint."

posted by chicobangs at 06:33 PM on February 12, 2005

Do you think Greg Maddux needs to bulk up with steroids to be a better pitcher? Or that Pedro Martinez should start taking 'the clear' to pad his HOF statistics? How about Ichiro Suzuki? Should he pack on 25lb of steroid bulk "just to keep up"? Those three are exceptions that don't depend heavily on their power. Most players, especially those that are valuable because of their hitting, would no doubt be helped by steroids.

posted by dusted at 06:49 PM on February 12, 2005

"How much would you pay for one logic error? Don't answer that folks! For the low, low price of $0.00, you get . . . " I don't know, what are there, three in that statement? Do you have any evidence what Jose Canseco says is pushing other players to drugs? There are plenty of MLB players who have used steroids. That does not mean all of them are. It doesn't even mean a simple majority are. I think the burden of proof is on those making unsubstantiated claims, not those asking for evidence. I don't see the, what are there, three logical errors in my statement, but I do see two strawmen in yours: first, that Jose Canseco's statements are the source of the perception that 'roids enhance performance, and second, that I claimed that "all" or "a simple majority" of MLB players juiced. Now, is it your contention that a substantial majority -- or even a nontrivial minority -- of MLB players believe that doping does nothing to enhance performance? It's not a provable thing either way, but offer an opinion: what do you think most MLB players think about these substances?

posted by lil_brown_bat at 07:21 PM on February 12, 2005

People like to bring up the "spit Ball era" and compare it to steroids. To my knowledge, putting spit or a lugi didnt effect a mans future health. Cheating may be part of the game, as some people contend but its gotten out of hand. Steroids, Human growth hormone, speed, and vareity of other simulants, drug and suplements have been used to gain the upper hand in baseball. It all meantTo enhance performance. Lets face it, the people who say you cant believe a nut like Canseco want you to bleieve that is alright for players to take steroids--that its no big deal. They want to see the 500 foot homeruns. Lets face it alot of people have look away from this issue for many years. The owners, players and yes, even the media. This is a big mess thats only gonna get worse as now the sports media have taken to Tabloid journalism. Big headlines and sound-bites are now the norm!

posted by daddisamm at 12:59 AM on February 13, 2005

Uh...what exactly was your point, yerfatma? You got a little too cryptic there.

posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:38 PM on February 13, 2005

he is picking apart the sentence: Now, take the average Major League baseball player -- who, I'm sorry to say, is not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed -- and dangle the promise of a drug that'll make him hit .400. - it's a hasty generalization to assume that the average major leaguer is dumb (a lot of these guys went to college or decent high schools) and - smart people are putting some dumb shit into their bodies for things as silly as penis and hair problems (so it's false to assume that only dumb people would use drugs anyways) plus - steroids have not been proven to increase offensive performance (and really, if it was going to make a difference, it would add to your SLG, not your AVG or OBP)

posted by grum@work at 12:04 AM on February 14, 2005

Are we supossed to tell kids nows the time to start if you want to be like so and so? Kids look up to these guys. And it's still not any cheaper to take a family to a family game. As a parent I have to take a stand. I do NOT believe it is for Bonds, Griffey, Big Mac, Canseco, Giambi, or any other athlete to be the role model for my children. It is up to ME to teach right from wrong and to model proper behavior. Until we as parents take back leadership of our kids, we will keep allowing MLB, NFL, NBA, etc., athletes to keep training our kids.

posted by BigAl4Auburn at 01:43 AM on February 18, 2005

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