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Since he's not necessarily the best fielder out there, as both Tony Clark and John Olerud were better defensively than himself in 2004, but he's still the big bopper, as he's managed to turn the page of his illnesses with his pituitary gland, etc.
Presuming he's loosened up from the "deer-in-the-headlights" thing from his "apology" press conference a year ago, I figured he's going to be back to his old self, at least mentally. Hopefully slugging as well.
Now then, since he mashes the ball better when he plays the field than when he sits in the dugout when the other team bats, how would you balance the number of games played at 1B with the number of games as a DH, when Andy Phillips plays 1B?
Should Giambi play for 7+ innings, and after his AB in the 7th or 8th, then be swapped for a defensive replacement? What about in a tight game where we could still use his bat? Then how long do you keep him in?
Here's a nice article about this somewhat:
One theory is that many of Jason Giambi's
at-bats as a DH come when he is banged up
and isn't healthy enough to play in the field.
(Robert F. Bukaty/AP)
Notes: Field work helps Giambi's hitting
Yankees slugger has higher average as first baseman than DH
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com
TAMPA, Fla. -- Jason Giambi may not be the best first baseman when it comes to his fielding, but his bat becomes a lot more potent when he gets the opportunity to play the field.
Last season, Giambi hit .319 with 24 home runs and 65 RBIs in 238 at-bats as a first baseman. In the 175 at-bats he had as a designated hitter, his average plummeted to .211, and he hit just eight homers and knocked in 22 RBIs.
For his career, Giambi is a .312 hitter when he plays first base and a .252 hitter as a DH.
"They're just glaring; when I DH, my numbers are terrible," Giambi said. "I don't know what it is. ... When I play first base -- maybe it's [attention deficit disorder] -- it gives me something to do. If they want me to be that player -- to do the things I did at the end of the year last year, driving in runs and hitting big home runs -- that's the way to go."
One theory is that many of Giambi's at-bats as a DH come when he is banged up and isn't healthy enough to play in the field.
"It probably has a lot to do with it," Giambi said. "I've never really sat down and mapped it out, but it does go hand in hand with being healthy."
While that may have factored into the equation over the past few years, Giambi also points out that in 2002, his first year with the Yankees, he hit .344 as a first baseman and .271 as a DH, and he was completely healthy.
"I don't know if it's a mental block," Giambi said. "I've never been really good with it, even when I was in Oakland. Maybe as I get older, it's something I'm going to have to work on and think about, but right now, I feel healthy and I'm excited to get back out there."
"I think the problem DH'ing for him is a routine between at-bats. That's what causes the inconsistency," said manager Joe Torre. "It's uncomfortable, especially when you're used to playing all the time. But there are certain nicks and bruises that he can play with DH'ing that he can't play with in the infield."
Both Giambi and Torre are hoping that it won't be an issue, and that he will be able to play first base for a majority of the year. With Giambi at first, Torre can use Bernie Williams in the DH spot, or give Gary Sheffield or Hideki Matsui a day off from playing the outfield.
Presuming he's loosened up from the "deer-in-the-headlights" thing from his "apology" press conference a year ago, I figured he's going to be back to his old self, at least mentally. Hopefully slugging as well.
Now then, since he mashes the ball better when he plays the field than when he sits in the dugout when the other team bats, how would you balance the number of games played at 1B with the number of games as a DH, when Andy Phillips plays 1B?
Should Giambi play for 7+ innings, and after his AB in the 7th or 8th, then be swapped for a defensive replacement? What about in a tight game where we could still use his bat? Then how long do you keep him in?
Here's a nice article about this somewhat:
One theory is that many of Jason Giambi's
at-bats as a DH come when he is banged up
and isn't healthy enough to play in the field.
(Robert F. Bukaty/AP)
Notes: Field work helps Giambi's hitting
Yankees slugger has higher average as first baseman than DH
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com
TAMPA, Fla. -- Jason Giambi may not be the best first baseman when it comes to his fielding, but his bat becomes a lot more potent when he gets the opportunity to play the field.
Last season, Giambi hit .319 with 24 home runs and 65 RBIs in 238 at-bats as a first baseman. In the 175 at-bats he had as a designated hitter, his average plummeted to .211, and he hit just eight homers and knocked in 22 RBIs.
For his career, Giambi is a .312 hitter when he plays first base and a .252 hitter as a DH.
"They're just glaring; when I DH, my numbers are terrible," Giambi said. "I don't know what it is. ... When I play first base -- maybe it's [attention deficit disorder] -- it gives me something to do. If they want me to be that player -- to do the things I did at the end of the year last year, driving in runs and hitting big home runs -- that's the way to go."
One theory is that many of Giambi's at-bats as a DH come when he is banged up and isn't healthy enough to play in the field.
"It probably has a lot to do with it," Giambi said. "I've never really sat down and mapped it out, but it does go hand in hand with being healthy."
While that may have factored into the equation over the past few years, Giambi also points out that in 2002, his first year with the Yankees, he hit .344 as a first baseman and .271 as a DH, and he was completely healthy.
"I don't know if it's a mental block," Giambi said. "I've never been really good with it, even when I was in Oakland. Maybe as I get older, it's something I'm going to have to work on and think about, but right now, I feel healthy and I'm excited to get back out there."
"I think the problem DH'ing for him is a routine between at-bats. That's what causes the inconsistency," said manager Joe Torre. "It's uncomfortable, especially when you're used to playing all the time. But there are certain nicks and bruises that he can play with DH'ing that he can't play with in the infield."
Both Giambi and Torre are hoping that it won't be an issue, and that he will be able to play first base for a majority of the year. With Giambi at first, Torre can use Bernie Williams in the DH spot, or give Gary Sheffield or Hideki Matsui a day off from playing the outfield.
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