Giambi: A-Rod’s Head Is His Weak Link & Someone Needs To Kick Him
Well, that’s sorta what he’s saying…via a GQ Interview with a hat tip to Deadspin -
A-Rod famously wants badly to be liked, too. Why do you think it messes with his head on the field when it doesn’t seem to mess with yours?
[Giambi:] You gotta learn how to compartmentalize what goes on, on and off the field. There’s also a big difference, I think, when you’re the best player in the game. There’s a different responsibility than getting to be the fun-loving Frank the Tank that I am. When you’re the best player in the game, they want you to be this person—like, the uniform fits perfectly, you say the right thing, you do the right thing. But when you’re Superman you gotta be not good at something, or else you’d be a robot. I guess that’s his little kryptonite, you know?
Did he call you to ask for advice about how to deal with publicly admitting that he used steroids?
[Giambi:] He didn’t call me, but I think Al is gonna learn a lot about himself and come out of this great. I know it made me a lot better. Hopefully he’ll bounce out of this.
As you said, a lot of fans and reporters today look at you with admiration, even if they didn’t at the time. And evidently they see A-Rod as having done the opposite. In what way do you think he could have handled it better?
[Giambi:] Such a tough question. The way I did it was best for me. In my opinion, he did the right thing. He did the hardest part, which is coming forward and saying he did it.
In their clubhouse exposé, The Yankee Years, Joe Torre and Tom Verducci report that you approached Torre at one point and told him, regarding A-Rod, “Skip, it’s time to stop coddling him.” What made you say that?
[Giambi:] I don’t think anybody had ever been real with him. When you’re a superstar, everybody tells you what you want to hear. I know, in my life, sometimes it’s just nice for somebody to be honest with you, like, “Okay, you [bleeping] stink right now. Now what are we gonna do?” I know what it was like when I struggled that one year, and maybe that was my wake-up call. They said they were gonna send me to the minors. Somebody was [bleeping] real with me and said, “Listen, you’re [bleeping] struggling, you [bleeping] right now, let’s get it going!” And then I took off. So that’s why I said that.
Yeah, I know, I know…
“…but A-Rod has won two MVPs during his five years in New York and he’s been the best hitter on the team in three of those five years…”
Yet, his former teammate, Jason Giambi thinks that Alex’s pressing is his “kryptonite” and that no one has “ever been real with him” in regard to his issues. Interesting, huh?
This is just rehashed from the Torre book. And he says that no one “had” ever been real with him. Big difference.
More armchair psychology, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary… It’s a good thing Giambi tore up the postseason and led the Yanks to a series title while he was here… No, wait…
such a phony, if he wanted someone to be real with him why didnt he do it himself? As one of the most respected dudes in the clubhouse he would have been able to i’d say
I don’t think its all that interesting between psychology class, Oprah, Dr. Phil, etc. Besides, the “Alex presses” memo was has been written and signed off on by everyone including the player himself.
Anyone who says anything about A-Rod gets props. Its funny to me. If the Somali pirate said something about A-Rod he’d get a pardon by some.
A-Rod was struggling but I don’t think Jason or Joe saying, “Okay, you [bleeping] stink right now. Now what are we gonna do?” was going to make a difference.
But I’m jaded by the idea of self-motivation so I would think hitting a buck nothing would have been the motivation Jason needed to get his crap together instead of the threat of the minors.
Straight up question: I know Alex was bad but was Alex ever that bad that anyone thought of sending him down? I don’t remember how long his low point was and how low it was compared to Jason. And Alex’s contract wouldn’t be a reason for not sending him down because Jason wasn’t exactly standing in line for government cheese.
And I know I’m just being an A-Rod apologist throwing Jason, a great Yankee, under some imaginary bus for the sake of defending A-Rod but I guess that’s just me. I like to turn the lens on everyone not just one.
I’m just annoyed that someone hasn’t taken Wang aside and simply tossed a few f-bombs at him about how he’s sucking right now. If they had we would have seen a no-hitter the other day.
but A-Rod has won two MVPs during his five years in New York and he’s been the best hitter on the team in three of those five years…
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Actually, A-Rod’s been the best hitter on the team for ALL FIVE years. Facts are facts.
MJ wrote:
RCAA tells a different story. It’s three out of five. And, that’s a RCAA fact.
Actually, A-Rod’s been the best hitter on the team for ALL FIVE years. Facts are facts.
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i dunno, id say in ’04 matsui was our best hitter…i remember him bein a monster, and hitting in the clutch to boot (as he has through his career when healthy) and u can argue sheff was better as well
RCAA tells a different story. It’s three out of five. And, that’s a RCAA fact.
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If memory serves, 2006 (Jeter) and 2008 (Giambi) were the other batters that outperformed Rodriguez
RCAA is not a rate stat right? its a counting stat? So if you factor in A-Rod’s time on the dl last season, I’d say he’d out perform Giambi (don’t haev the RCAA numbers in front of me, but this is based on gut from watching the games)
For all of Arod’s strengths on the field, his much vaunted work ethic, his prodigious numbers he sees 3 psychologists! Since game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, he has not been very good in the post season either and their is a perception that he is unclutch by many in the fanbase. That being said, Arod is a headcase. When he came clean about doing Roids, he couldn’t even keep the story straight. It’s funny how the press and fans reacted to when Giambi got caught shooting up and Aroid did. Giambi is the more likeable guy and people reacted accordingly. Giambi was right about coddling Alex….it’s getting to be too much.
Eh, the most interesting thing to me was this, when Giambi is asked:
“David Wells has said that the Torre/Verducci book violates the clubhouse code of confidentiality. Do you agree?”
And he responds, “I think it’s tough. I wouldn’t do it.”
It would have been nice if the reporter had followed it up with the question of “Why did you cooperate with ‘The Yankee Years,’ then. (Verducci thanks him for his cooperation in the book’s afterword!
Lisa, that’s rich.