SAN FRANCISCO – Jason Giambi is happy to see more baseball players going public with their involvement in performance-enhancing drugs and hopes the fascination with baseball’s steroid era soon will fade.
That includes former Yankees teammate Alex Rodriguez.
“I think Al did the right thing,” said Giambi, who played with Rodriguez for the past five seasons. “I think it was enough pressure playing in New York without having to look over your shoulder all the time. … I hope he gets through this all right, because he is a good friend.”
Giambi, who returned to the Athletics this year after seven ringless seasons with the Yankees, spoke briefly about performance-enhancing drugs at the close of a season kickoff luncheon hosted by Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, the A’s television broadcasters.
“It’s starting to be a time to move forward,” Giambi said. “There’s too many great things going on in this game. I know it’s great media, but … I don’t know how long you want to dredge up the past. There’s some really great things going on in this sport now.”
Giambi was among the first major leaguers to acknowledge his involvement in steroid use, though he made the admission in an indirect way. During a strange news conference in 2005, Giambi said he was sorry five times and apologized three times – without saying for what.
“It’s been a great thing for me to not be looking over your shoulder,” Giambi said at the luncheon on Treasure Island, midway between mainland San Francisco and Oakland. “There’s never going to be an end to the questions. There’s just going to be a point where you’re moving forward and talking about what happens in the future.”
Giambi, who was mentioned in the 2007 Mitchell Report on doping in baseball, also could be called to testify at Barry Bonds’ trial next month on charges of lying to a federal grand jury.
And Giambi has been a teammate of Rodriguez and Miguel Tejada, both center stage this week. Rodriguez acknowledged using banned substances while playing for the Texas Rangers from 2001-03, and Tejada pleaded guilty Wednesday to misleading Congress about performance-enhancing drugs and admitted to buying – but not using – human growth hormone.
Giambi also praised Tejada, his teammate on the Athletics’ playoff teams in 2000 and 2001.
“He’s moving forward too, and hopefully he can play baseball now,” Giambi said.
A’s owner Lew Wolff echoed Giambi’s weariness of the constant doping revelations that take focus away from the sport.
“I’m disappointed that it continues,” said Wolff, who took over the club in 2005, after Giambi and Tejada had left. “However, now baseball has the most rigorous testing and penalties of any sport. Those who have violated this in the past … have a chance to rewrite their careers in a really positive way. Players playing today, they have a chance to prove themselves in the era I’m involved in.”