TAMPA, Fla. -- Back in a venue where grand slams are
discussed more often than grand juries, Jason Giambi took batting
practice and homered on four of 29 swings.
"I didn't think I was going to hit grounders to second," he
said, laughing.
He was back to hitting baseballs in public, not dodging
questions about steroid use.
Giambi, Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson and the rest of baseball's
first $200 million team took the field together for the first time
Tuesday as the New York Yankees began fullsquad workouts ahead of
their March 3 spring training opener.
Fans were lined up an hour before the gates opened, and 2,772
came to Legends Field just to watch batting practice, bullpen work
and conditioning drills by this glittering array, which included 18
All-Stars with a combined 77 All-Star appearances. The group has
five Cy Young Awards (all by Johnson) and 13 Gold Gloves.
There are three World Series MVPs (Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera
and Johnson), two American League MVPs (Giambi and Rodriguez), two
AL championship series MVPs (Rivera and Bernie Williams) and one
All-Star game MVP (Jeter).
Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui and Mike Mussina don't even merit
above-the-title billing. When the Yankees play an intrasquad, it's
an All-Star game by itself.
"It's good to know they're on my side," Johnson said.
"Tomorrow I'll introduce myself to a few of the players."
He grinned.
"I'm throwing batting practice tomorrow," he said.
It was the first time all the Yankees were together since
October's historic collapse against Boston in the championship
series, when the Red Sox became the first major league team to
overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a series.
"I think we developed even more of a thirst after the way we
ended last year," Rodriguez said.
Yankees manager Joe Torre addressed the team for an hour before
the workout, but didn't touch on last year's low point. Then the
players, counted on by owner George Steinbrenner to win the title
for the first time since 2000, took the field.
Giambi tried to use all parts of the field, hitting 17 balls to
right, eight to center, three to left and one off the batting cage.
Last year, when he tried to play through an intestinal parasite,
strained groin, respiratory infection and benign pituitary tumor,
he became a pull hitter. By the time his season ended, he didn't
hit much at all.
He'll be a designated hitter for the first three weeks of
exhibition games, so he can get as many at-bats as possible, and
Tino Martinez will play first base.
But will Giambi regain the form that earned him the 2000 AL MVP
award? Did performance-enhancing drugs cause his body to break
down? Can he be a top player without using steroids?
"As far as really trying to learn something, I think it's too
early now," Torre said. "He takes batting practice for about five
days or so, I think you can start getting a feel on how comfortable
he is."
Giambi felt his legs under him while hitting for the first time
since the illnesses. He joked with Jeter in the batting cage and
acted like just another guy.
But for him to have a renaissance, it will take more than just
feeling right.
"It's a rebuilding of the confidence and the ego and that sort
of inner conceit you need to be successful," Torre said.
Giambi is sure to receive a hostile reception on the road,
especially at Fenway Park. A December report in the San Francisco
Chronicle said he told a federal grand jury that he used steroids,
and fans are sure to needle him about that.
But In New York's own ballpark, fans have backed him.
"For the fans to give me that kind of support, look at you as a
human being, that's special," Giambi said.
He took grounders at first base along with Martinez, back with
the Yankees for the first time since the seven-game World Series
loss to Arizona in 2001. Giambi, signed to a $120 million,
seven-year contract, took over at first from Martinez. Giambi
recruited him when Martinez faced the Yankees.
"Every time he got on first base, he'd say, `We have to get you
back here," Martinez said.
Giambi spent the winter working out twice a day. He ran, threw
and hit in the morning, then did lifting in the afternoon. His body
looked sturdier this week -- his uniform pants even seemed a bit
tight around the thighs as he pulled them on.
He says he has no doubts he can do it. In many ways, he has to
in order to prove himself, if not to everyone else, to Jason
Giambi.
"When you're a player at this level, you expect to be great,"
he said. "I'm always going to have that expectation level."