Nice Giambi* article

[Blackout]

Yankees see no sense in juggling lineupBy Bob Klapisch

Special to ESPN.com

Archive

BOSTON -- Once upon a time, when the Yankees weren't sure whether Jason Giambi was healthy, (and were convinced he would forever wound them in the field), there was a Plan B at the ready: Giambi would be eased into the DH spot, even if it cost Bernie Williams face time with his adoring public, and another, more gifted defender would end up at first base.

The Yankees didn't just daydream about a better fielding percentage; they signed Carlos Pena, who had been released by the Tigers in late March, with the idea of grooming him to be Giambi's backup at first, and maybe even take over the position altogether.

One month into the season, that plan is officially on hold, perhaps nuked out of existence. Giambi is batting .328 with nine home runs, while Pena is struggling to hit his way out of Triple-A Columbus, where he doesn't have even one home run yet.

It's a remarkable story of a hitter so dangerous, he's forced the Yankees to overlook his defensive shortcomings. And even that deficit, Giambi says, doesn't seem so ugly anymore.

"I feel healthier overall, and it's helped me in the field, too," Giambi said Monday evening, before the Yankees' 7-3 loss to the Red Sox.

Of course, there were plenty of compelling story lines to this year's edition of the Great Rivalry, including the most obvious (Johnny Damon's return to Fenway) and the most creative (the Red Sox's acquisition of Doug Mirabelli in time to catch Tim Wakefield).

But the Yankees will tell you Giambi's offensive explosion is a primary reason they're leading the East in runs, second in the AL only to the Indians, and why there's no compelling reason to find a new first baseman.

It was only Gary Sheffield's wrist that forced the Yankees to temporarily alter their lineup Monday; Bubba Crosby started in right field, Miguel Cairo was at first base and Giambi became the DH, where he has hit 59 points lower over the course of his career than as a first baseman.

Despite the disparity in those numbers, Yankees manager Joe Torre reasoned that had he kept Giambi at first and used Williams as the DH, "then we wouldn't have any backups in the outfield, and that's something we didn't want to take a chance on."

And besides, Giambi has been so unstoppable, even his DH numbers look imposing: 7-for-22, including three HRs.

So the Yankees consider it a win-win, even as Sheffield says his left wrist is "still stiff, still sore, the same as [sunday]," and could miss both games in the Boston series. Once Sheffield returns, Giambi will reclaim his place in the field and, the Yankees hope, keep hitting at a pace that resembles his prime years of 2000 and 2001.

"Jason is one of the top five offensive forces in the game right now," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "With the combination of power, on-base percentage and his walks, he's lethal."

As long as Giambi keeps hitting, the case for Pena's promotion is rendered moot, especially as his average hovers around .200. Pena has the contractual right to demand his release if he isn't added to the Yankees' 25-man roster by today, but given his poor offensive numbers, it's unlikely he'll force the Yankees' hand.

"It's not like anyone's going to come after him right now, anyway," is how one major league executive put it.

For now, the Yankees will lean on Andy Phillips as Giambi's backup, although Cairo was given the start Monday night against Wakefield because, "I like his approach [against the knuckleball]," Torre said.

"Jason is one of the top five offensive forces in the game right now. With the combination of power, on-base percentage and his walks, he's lethal."

-- Yankees GM Brian CashmanJust how long can Giambi keep hitting at this rate? He's not crazy enough to venture a guess, convinced only that working with hitting instructor Don Mattingly has paid an enormous benefit.

Being healthy for an entire year has helped, too. Giambi said, "After [the 2004] season, I was too tired to do anything until December, but last year I was able to go home and start working out right away. I was able to stay with it."

Giambi is also flying beneath the steroids radar, which has allowed him to focus on baseball -- for now, anyway. While the investigation of Barry Bonds intensifies, both on the federal level and in the commissioner's office, Giambi is living controversy free.

Unlike Bonds, who may have perjured himself in his testimony to the BALCO grand jury two winters ago (at least according to the book "Game of Shadows"), Giambi was completely honest about his past use of steroids.

The Yankees have had no comment about the contents of the book, and don't appear to be conducting any investigation of their own. Left on his own, Giambi has enjoyed a mini-renaissance that's fulfilling the Bombers' dream of a thousand-run summer.

But if there's really a need to explain the emergence of the New Giambi (which is actually the Old Giambi) he doesn't discount this theory: being reunited with Damon, a former A's teammate and his best friend in pinstripes, has created an uncharacteristic hipness in an otherwise corporate and uptight clubhouse.

"Johnny is definitely a missing piece of the puzzle here," Giambi said. "I've known him for a long time, he's a great guy and a great teammate. He adds an element to this clubhouse."

Giambi smiled and added, "I wish he could swing the bat for me."

Although given that .328 average, the Yankees think Giambi is doing just fine on his own.

Bob Klapisch is a sports columnist for The Record (N.J.) and a regular contributor to ESPN.com.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=klapisch_bob&id=2429386