First baseman Jason Giambi announced on Monday that he is retiring.
Last year Giambi said that he would talk with his family whether he should keep playing or not. While Alex Rodriguez is the biggest name of the players involved in baseball’s PED’s scandal, Giambi was one of the many players involved in the scandal. He was involved in the BALCO PED investigation, publicly admitted that he has used PEDs in 2007, and he has apologized for his past actions, according to the Associated Press. Giambi has remained a popular and well-respected player despite being involved with PEDs.
Giambi announced his retirement in a statement that was sent to the New York Daily News.
"After 20 seasons, I have decided to officially announce my retirement as a Major League Baseball player,” Giambi said in the statement. “Ever since I was five years old, all I ever wanted to be was a Major League Baseball player. The Oakland A’s, New York Yankees, Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Indians were a big part of helping that dream come true. To the managers, coaches and players, it’s been a tremendous honor sharing the field with you and thank you very much. To the writers, local and national, and to the broadcasters, I want to express my appreciation to the media for covering the game we all love. I want to thank the fans for being a part of this incredible journey. I especially want to thank the fans that gave me a second chance to let me show you the human being you see today.”
Giambi played in the majors for 20 years. He played for the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Colorado Rockies, and the Cleveland Indians. Last year he played in just 26 games for the Indians. He is a five-time All-Star and in his 20 year career he hit .277 with 440 homeruns and 1,441 RBIs, according to ESPN. Giambi had a .399 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage of .516.
Before he joined the Indians in 2013 Giambi was a finalist for the Rockies managerial job. He is one of 20 players in MLB history to have at least 400 homeruns, 1,400 RBIs, 1,200 runs, and 1,300 walks.