Jason Giambi is a former professional baseball player who played for several teams during his career. He was born on January 8, 1971, in West Covina, California, and attended Long Beach State University. Giambi was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the second round of the 1992 Major League Baseball draft.
Giambi made his Major League debut with the Athletics in 1995 and quickly established himself as a power hitter. He hit 20 home runs in his rookie season and followed that up with 27 home runs in his second season. Giambi continued to improve over the next few years, hitting 33 home runs in 1998 and 43 home runs in 2000. He won the American League Most Valuable Player award in 2000, leading the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and walks.
After spending seven seasons with the Athletics, Giambi signed with the New York Yankees as a free agent in 2002. He continued to be a productive hitter with the Yankees, hitting 41 home runs in his first season with the team. Giambi was named to the American League All-Star team in 2002 and 2003.
Giambi's career was not without controversy, however. In 2003, he was linked to the use of performance-enhancing drugs in the BALCO scandal. Giambi later admitted to using steroids during his career and apologized for his actions.
Giambi played for the Yankees until 2008, when he signed with the Oakland Athletics as a free agent. He spent two seasons with the Athletics before signing with the Colorado Rockies in 2009. Giambi played for the Rockies for four seasons, serving primarily as a pinch hitter and occasional first baseman.
Giambi retired from baseball in 2014, finishing his career with a .277 batting average, 440 home runs, and 1,441 runs batted in. He was a five-time All-Star and won the Silver Slugger award twice. Despite the controversy surrounding his use of performance-enhancing drugs, Giambi is remembered as one of the most productive hitters of his era.
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