$120 MILLION BUST?
Jason Giambi fails when Yanks need him most

I am probably going to anger some people with this article. For that I apologize in advance. I have always been a Yankees' fan. First, last and always I'm in the Bombers' corner. For me it has always been team before player. Long after players in pinstripes come, go or retire I will be a fan of the New York Yankees.

With that being said, I am about to take an individual player to task. That player is Jason Giambi. Yeah, the same Jason Giambi who hit a first inning home run in Game 6 and gave the Yankees a temporary 1-0 lead. Yeah, the same Jason Giambi who failed miserably when the Yankees needed his bat the most. One of a couple of swings of that bat could have sunk the Red Sox' ship. One swing could have put the New York Yankees into the 2003 Fall Classic. That swing never came.

In the fourth inning with the Yankees trailing 4-1 Jorge Posada got a rally started with a single. Five batters later Alfonso Soriano put the Yankees ahead with a two-run double. With the score now 5-4 and Alfonso Soriano standing on second base, Derek Jeter walked giving Jason Giambi a chance to do something he's had trouble with during the playoffs. That is scoring and/or advancing runners in scoring position. Giambi was brought to the Yankees because he is a home run hitter and an RBI producer. Giambi, who had been in a prolonged slump, now had a chance to potentially put this game's outome squarely into the corner of the Yankees. However, like Casey at the Bat, Jason struck out.

Now came the sixth inning. With the Yankees leading 6-4 Jason Giambi came to the plate with runners on at second and third and one out. A simple single would have made the score 8-4. A home run would have made it 9-4. Even as tough as Boston is either of those two scores would have been a devastating blow to the Red Sox. But, like Casey at the Bat, Jason struck out.

The Red Sox took advantage of the Yankees' Achilles heel, the frequent inability to score RISP. Give them credit. They battled back from a two-run deficit to lead the Bombers 9-6 going into the bottom of the ninth inning. The Yankees had just 3 outs to make some noise and possibly take this game back from the Red Sox. With the game, and the right to go to the World Series, on the line Jason Giambi lead off the inning. But like Casey at the Bat, Jason struck out.

As I stated earlier, Jason Giambi was given a truckload of money by George Steinbrenner in 2002 for his offense and to get the Yankees to the World Series. Jason did his job the first year as he batted .314, while hitting 41 home runs and driving in 122 RBI. He also did his job in the playoffs as he hit .357 with 1 home run and 3 RBI in 14 at bats. This year Giambi batted 52 points less than his career average. His power numbers were similar as he hit 41 home runs and knocked in 107 runs. However, this year Giambi has been a tank in the playoffs. In the combined ALDS/ALCS Giambi is batting .216 with 1 home run and 3 RBI in 37 at bats.

In the ALCS alone, Giambi has batting a whopping buck ninety with 1 home run and 1 RBI. And guess what? He got that today with his first inning shot. That means that before today Giambi has had no home runs and no RBI against Boston. As a matter of fact Jason Giambi is 6 for 21 with 6 strikeouts. Three of those also came today. Now there have been rumors that Jason is sporting a bum left knee, which is supposed to be operated on at season's end. That knee is the power knee for a left-handed hitter. If that's a real problem for Jason then he needs to go to Joe Torre and tell him he can't go and that he is hurting the team. It's also been rumored that it's psychological. All in his head. If that's true then Joe Torre needs to decide who can best fit into the role of this team's DH during the playoff run.

Tomorrow is do or die for the Yankees and their fans. The Yankees haven't lost a Game 6 and 7 since 1926 and have never succumbed to the Boston Red Sox in that manner. Tomorrow it could happen. Ask yourself this question. It is Game 7. The bases are loaded, with 2 outs and the Yankees are down by a run in the bottom of the ninth. Would you want your team's chances of going to the World Series resting on Jason Giambi at the plate? I know my answer and you live with yours.

PLAY BALL!

(c) 2003 Yankees Talk Shop @ ezboard.com

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