5. On Dec. 13, 2001 after the Yankees had lost the World Series to the Diamondbacks, while struggling on offense throughout the playoffs, Giambi, the 2000 AL MVP with the Oakland A’s would sign a seven-year $120 million contract. In his first year hitting .314 with 41 Homers with 122 RBI while winning the Sliver Slugger for first baseman
4. On July 31, 2005 Giambi hit his 300th career home run off of Esteban Yan of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This was his 14th home run of the month, tying Mickey Mantle for the Yankee record for home runs in July.
3. During the final game at the original Yankee Stadium, Giambi would record the final hit at “The House that Ruth Built” with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning to drive in Brett Gardner in 7-3 Win over the Baltimore Orioles.
2. After a disastrous 2004 season that saw him diagnosed with a benign tumor, and a continuation of that season in the first half of 2005, he was able to turn around his season, around to end the year, hitting 32 homers, leading the American League in walks and on-base percentage and finishing fifth in the AL in on-base plus slugging en route to the AL Comeback Player of the Year.
1. Down 12-9 to the Minnesota Twins in the bottom of the 14th inning with the bases loaded and the game closing in on six hours long, Giambi’s top moment as a Yankee occured in his first season when he hit a game winning grand slam to lead the Yankees to a 13-12 win. Giambi joined elite company in Yankees history. According to the Yankees, Babe Ruth was the only other Yankee to hit a game-ending grand slam with his team down three runs, Ruth did it on Sept. 24, 1925.
-The Falk
(As seen on the blog www.smokingwithhank.wordpress.com)
