Jason Giambi Announces Retirement
Monday afternoon, Jason Giambi announced his retirement after a long, successful career in the majors.
The 44 year old spent parts of 20 season with the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, Colorado Rockies, and most recently the Cleveland Indians.
The five-time all star won the American League MVP award in 2000 with the A’s.
Here is Giambi’s statement to the NY Daily News:
“After 20 seasons, I have decided to officially announce my retirement as a Major League Baseball player.
“I really want to thank my wife, Kristian, for going on this journey with me. She’s always been my rock. She’s always been there for me with support and love, and I really couldn’t have done this without her. She’s been everything to me and I don’t think I can state in words how much she’s meant to me. I love you and thank you.
“To my two gifts from heaven, London and Tristan, Daddy’s coming home.
“I want to thank my dad, John, for teaching me this beautiful game and for all the hitting we did on the weekends. I want to thank my mom, Jeanne, for all the practices she took me to and for being the loudest voice in the stands. To my brother Jeremy, playing on the same team as him were two of my favorite years of my career. To my sister Julie, you were always there supporting me and loving me, and my niece, Jenna, who has always been there to support me. I love you.
“So many other people played a huge part in my career, so I also want to thank Ron Simms, Bobby Alejo, Tommy Bolin, Mark Phillipi, Marsha Utain and Barbara Reeder. I also want to thank Nike, Reebok, Oakley Sunglasses and Louisville Slugger for supplying me the tools of the trade all these years.
“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.
“Lastly, to the game of baseball: I started playing you when I was a kid and I’m leaving you a man. Thank you.”
Giambi hit a walk-off grand slam on September 24th 2013, breaking his own record he set earlier in the season for the oldest player to hit a walk-off in the MLB. It sparked the Indians on to a 10 game winning streak to clinch the #1 wildcard spot.
Good luck in your future endeavors Papa G.
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