Diamond Digits just recently released an issue on its examination on the milestone of the sport as last week’s happenings tell another sign of baseball’s so-called Steroid Era. One of the game’s top closers getting touched up late and another National League player is also riding an unprecedented winning streak back into contention. The edition has lead off with the Milestone of the Week from the period of May 18 to 24. It states that “career home runs for A’s first baseman Jason Giambi after his blasts against Arizona’s Dan Haren and Doug Slated last weekend—making Giambi the 44th man to reach home runs in his career.”

Giambi has essentially admitted using steroids in a published article of USA Today last May 18, 2007. He was also implicated in the BALCO scandal when his testimony in the grand jury leaked that links him to the rampant steroid use in the big leagues. In the Steroid Era, the single-season statistical anomalies were also prevalent. Since big stars in the baseball world are linked to performance-enhancing drugs, the impact of steroids becomes even more apparent with bloated career marks. When Giambi started in 1995, there were already 25 players in the 400 Home Run Club and except Dave Kingman who had amassed 2,000 hits. After that, 19 more sluggers have achieved the lofty plateau and four more with fewer than 2,000 hits. These four sluggers include Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Juan Gonzalez and now, Giambi. With only 158 hits more, Giambi has not yet surpassed more than 113 hits in any season since 2003.

Giambi has not proven that he can be an excellent hitter since the 2003-All Star Game break, when he reportedly stopped taking steroids. During that time, he only has an average of .216 after building a reputation of being a power hitter and a dangerous hitter for average as well. His poor performance since then made the people wonder if he can play well without steroids.

The controversy linking Giambi to steroid use has stirred other issues. In the book about Roger Clemens entitled, “The Rocket That Fell to Earth” by Jeff Pearlman, it said that when Giambi went through a slump in the 2002 season, Cashman, Yankees General Manager, was heard yelling at the television in the team’s clubhouse during the game. The book said that screamed, “Jason, whatever you were taking in Oakland, get back on it.” Cashman however denied these allegations.

Giambi’s links to performance-enhancing drugs were considered a distraction for the Yankees during his seven years with the team. Before the 2002 season, Giambi signed a seven-year, $120 million contract with the Yankees. Two years after, by the end of 2004, his grand jury testimony from the BALCO investigation revealed that he indeed used banned substance. A news conference was held and he said that he testified truthfully before the grand jury and apologized. After the conference, the Times reported that the Yankees, during the contract signing, had agreed to a request from Giambi to have all references to steroids removed from a guaranteed language of the contract. The team however denied any knowledge in Giambi’s steroid use when they signed him.

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