Giambi Tries to Reverse the Irreversible

Joe Girardi’s decision to use Jason Giambi as his regular first baseman was anything but a no-brainer. Certainly, Giambi’s recent history argued against it.

Giambi is hoping that a doctor’s diagnosis and his first-ever winter that included running will allow him to be an exception to the rule that first basemen become designated hitters, then slowly fade away. And Girardi is clearly betting Giambi will be the exception to the rule, playing him at first base in each of his first three games as Yankee manager.

Since signing a seven-year, $120 million contract with the New York Yankees prior to the 2002 season, Giambi has been an increasingly irregular presence in the lineup, and seeing him in the field has been an even greater rarity. In his first two seasons with the Yankees, Giambi played in 313 of a possible 324 games, 97 percent, including 177 at first base. But in the past four seasons, Giambi played just 441 of 648 games, and just 211 of those at first base. Last year, Giambi appeared in just 18 games at first base, and often was replaced in the late innings for defense.

The reasons ranged from a series of injuries, including a plantar fasciitis tear that kept him out for much of 2007, to a lack of mobility that made his presence at first base a millstone for the infield defense.

“I’d get hurt all the time, and I just took it as part of getting older,” Giambi said as he stood near his locker before yesterday's game against Toronto, a bat leaning against his leg. “But when I worked toward getting back from the plantar fasciitis, I worked with a new doctor, who deals with—well—ballet dancers. And he told me that I had really high arches. I got these inserts"—he gestured toward prescription orthotics in his cleats—“and suddenly it didn’t hurt to run anymore.”

Giambi suffered knee and back pain so quickly, along with “dead legs,” when running in the past that it was never part of his offseason regimen. But this winter, he said, he ran every day. Giambi found a track near his Las Vegas home and learned how to run without pain for the first time, 60 yards at a time.

With the new orthotics, more running led to better quickness. And this spring, in exhibition games, he played nearly every time at first base.

His quickness and defense has earned positive reviews from his manager so far. Though he committed an error in the Yankees’ second game on Wednesday, he got to several balls in the opener that he likely wouldn’t have even in his prime. He added a nice scoop on a ball hit Thursday night to end a Toronto threat.

“I mean, last year was my first full year as a DH,” Giambi said when asked about returning to full-time field play.

He turned 37 on Jan. 8, and once players cross the line from first base to DH, very few of them jump back. For instance, Frank Thomas of the Toronto Blue Jays last played more than 32 games at first base at age 32. He last played first base at all at age 36, though he continues to play DH at age 40.

Just one player last season age 36 or older played in as many as 100 games at first base—and that player, Ryan Klesko, played in exactly 100 at first, and poorly enough that he was not invited to repeat the feat in 2008.

While Giambi refused to put a limit on his appearances, he conceded that he might need some extra rest now and then.

“Joe Girardi and I have an extremely good relationship,” Giambi said. “We’re going to communicate. He’ll let me take some days off. And we have a lot of other options, so team strength will dictate when we get other guys in there.”

Of course, even assuming Giambi finds a comfort zone in the field, his hitting will largely dictate playing time, too. When he was in his prime, he walked more than 100 times four straight seasons, hit at least .314 each year and averaged nearly 39 home runs per year. What part steroids may have played in that performance is impossible to determine. But either way, that Jason Giambi is probably gone for good.

His high in batting average since 2002 is .271, and last year he even saw his power drop precipitously, to just 14 home runs in 254 at bats.

His ability to take walks remained, though, and Giambi believes that his stronger legs will improve his offense as well.

“Well, for one thing, I hope my doubles go back up,” said Giambi, who had as many as 47 doubles in his prime, but just eight last year. “A lot of singles last year should be doubles this year. And there should be more first-to-third, more second-to-home.”

Though he’s yet to collect a hit in the season’s first three games, Giambi hit .413 this spring. Giambi believes that if his legs hold up, the hitting will take care of itself.

“I still have the batting eye, the power,” Giambi said. “I’m hoping for a big year.”