The Bronx Stop: A Yankees Blog

Tonight is the arbitration deadline for free agents. The Yankees will extend arbitration to right-fielder Bobby Abreu. I have made it no secret here that I feel Bobby Abreu should be a part of this team in the near future. I really do hope he stays with us.

I see Abreu as one of the most reliable players on the entire Yankee roster. You know what you are getting with a guy like Bobby Abreu as far as offensive production (and contrary to what many think) he still has pretty decent defensive ability. Not bringing back Abreu would leave a big gap in that lineup and in the outfield.

It lived a life most of us would envy. But in the end, Jason Giambi’s mustache never really had a chance, and ended up in a bathroom basin, dead after less than a few months of life.

The American Mustache Institute salutes Mr. Giambi and his mustache, for having the bravery to walk proudly down the same lines upon which other great Yankee mustaches have — including Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Don Mattingly, and Sal Fasano. Our hearts and prayers go out to Mr. Giambi, his family, and the Yankees organization. And while we are all gravely disappointed by the passing of Jason’s mustache, no one, or thing, feels a greater loss than his upper lip. The thick coating of fur had become a part of that lip - like peanut butter and jelly - and we can only hope Giambi’s late lip sweater is in a better place.

It is important during this time of mourning that we all reflect and understand that every time a mustache is shaved, an angel in heaven dies and falls to earth. And the American Mustache Institute has established a fund in memory of Mr. Giambi’s mustache that will be used to educate young people about the merits of facial hair, circus clowns, and juggling.

In the end, while the hearts of mustached-Americans everywhere are broken, we must always remind ourselves that a mustache is a terrible thing to shave.

We look forward to a newly erected monument in the new Yankee Stadium commemorating Giambi’s mustache alongside Ruth, Gehrig, and DiMaggio.

via Peter Abraham's LoHud Yankees Blog

Well. Maybe I was really wrong about Jason Giambi.

He just smashed a no doubter into the upper deck to give the Yankees a fantastic walk off win 9-8. The Yanks clawed back from a five run deficit to pull off the win so that is always encouraging.

Jorge did not reinjure his shoulder (at least I don't think) so that is huge as well.

Farnsworth was Farnsworth and gave up a run, but a huge credit to Jose Veras for working his way out of a tough jam in the 8th.

Bryan Hoch/MLB.Com:

Jason Giambi homered for the second consecutive game, helping the Yankees' night proceed exactly as planned with a crisp 4-2 victory over the Orioles.

For the second consecutive night, Giambi pounded a ball over the right-field wall and onto Eutaw St., slugging a fourth-inning home run off of Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie -- the 42nd ball hit into that area of the ballpark.

Giambi, who leads the Yankees with 11 home runs, also picked up an RBI in the second inning with a single, driving in Hideki Matsui.

Well. I may have been wrong about Jason Giambi. But we will see. Hopefully he can bump the average up a bit while maintaining the power that he has shown. I am crossing my fingers that he can stay healthy and productive.

Franz Lidz/Portfolio Magazine (hat tip River Ave. Blues):

Jason Giambi has a deep, dark secret. Deeper than his compulsion to sleep on the side of the bed nearest the door, and darker than his dream of growing up to be a heavy-metal musician.

The deepest, darkest secret harbored by the New York Yankees first baseman is that whenever he is in a prolonged hitting funk, he wears a gold lamé, tiger-stripe thong under his uniform. "I only put it on when I'm desperate to get out of a big slump," he confides.

Over Giambi's checkered career in the Bronx, he has left the "golden thong" in the lockers of slumping teammates Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Johnny Damon, Robin Ventura, and Robinson Cano. "All of them wore it and got hits," he reports. "The thong works every time."

Bryan Hoch/MLB.Com:

Bobby Meacham had both palms firmly jutting toward the left-field wall, doing everything he physically could to stop Jason Giambi, short of actually interfering with the play and tackling the chugging Yankees' first baseman.

"I put my head down to see the bag, and the Big G can't slow down," Giambi said. "Once the train gets going, there's no brakes. I need to pull the rip cord or there's no chance."

The play occurred with two outs in the fifth inning, as the Yankees chased Tigers right-hander Jeremy Bonderman in favor of reliever Bobby Seay. Robinson Cano stroked a single through the hole, and Giambi took off from second base, stomping around the third-base bag and running clear through a stop sign.

The throw came home from Detroit right fielder Magglio Ordonez, and catcher Ivan Rodriguez threw to Carlos Guillen at third base to retire a scrambling Giambi, who later laughed that his chances would have been better if he'd just tried to motor through the plate.

"I should have just kept going," Giambi said. "The Big G is coming."

All joking aside, the Yankees have been mildly encouraged by signs that, well, the Big G may actually be coming -- around, that is. Giambi's batting average still sits at an unsightly .183, but he pounded an RBI double in Saturday's game and he has five hits in his last 13 at-bats (.384), including two homers, six RBIs and three runs scored.

"That's the kind of guy he is," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Jason, in his career, has carried lineups. He's a big hitter for us."

Giambi said that he has been hitting the ball hard for most of the year, so it is finally nice to be getting some results for it -- and particularly putting the ball in play so often, as the slugger has not struck out twice in a game since April 20.

AP/Fox Sports:

Bobby Abreu hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh, Johnny Damon added a three-run shot in the eighth and Jason Giambi also homered, helping gritty Chien-Ming Wang get his 50th career win in a 9-5 victory Tuesday night.

"The guys did a good job of getting on base and we scored eight of our runs off home runs," Damon said. "When you are able to get a grand slam and a three-run homer, it makes things a lot easier."

The Yankees had struggled scoring runs with only 85 in their first 20 games. But with the injured Alex Rodriguez missing his first game while in Miami for the birth of his second daughter, New York's offense took off.

"We're supposed to score runs. We're an offensive team. That's what we're here for," said Abreu, who's used to having Rodriguez bat behind him.

"You have a guy like behind you like Alex, they are going to just come right at you. It's a different thing. You just have to get yourself prepared when Alex is not here," Abreu said. "I just make my adjustments and that's pretty much what it is."

Abreu connected for his seventh career grand slam off Octavio Dotel with two outs in the seventh to rally New York from a 3-2 deficit. It was his sixth homer in only 14 games at U.S. Cellular Field.

"I like to hit here. It's a very nice ballpark to hit. The first time I came here it felt good," Abreu said.

In 15 games played for the Yankees this season Jason Giambi is five for forty-six, has ten strikeouts and is batting a very robust 1.09 (haha not). Now to be fair he has walked eleven times and hit two homeruns with 11 RBI's (yay!!!).

On the other hand Shelley Duncan has been wasting away for 11 games with Scranton Wilkes/Barre going thirteen for forty with six doubles, four homeruns and 10 RBI's and batting an extremely healthy .345.

Can anyone explain to me what Girardi is trying to accomplish here???

Bryan Hoch of MLB.com has the information:

Legends Field's right-field party deck had its first souvenir delivered by Jason Giambi, who mashed an inviting fastball into a crowd of assorted sunbathers early in Sunday's 7-7 tie with the Phillies.

But for Giambi, the real reason to celebrate came two innings later. The slugger, long chastised for a pull-happy approach, ripped a well-struck double up the left-center-field gap in the third inning, trotting into second base with an RBI and a sense of accomplishment.

"I'm more excited about that than anything," Giambi said. "[Hitting coach] Kevin Long and I have been working hard in the cage. I'm excited. It's a good start and we're going to keep it going this year. I'm not going to let it get away."

"He's worked very hard in the cage going the other way and just reacting when the ball is inside," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He's making sure that he stays on everything and doesn't get pull-conscious. The work is paying off."

He'll never be a burner on the bases, but the Yankees hope that Giambi can go from first to third without limping. He showed a little burst of renewal in the second inning on Sunday, when Andy Pettitte nabbed Pedro Feliz leaning on a pickoff play. Giambi chased down Feliz to apply the tag.

"I'm a cat out there," Giambi said.