Jason Giambi is lime green in a tan world. Or more appropriately, shining gold. The slugger held his first press conference as a Rockie today, talking about his willingness to play any role, to pinch-hit when necessary or fill in at first base. And of course, he talked about his golden thong. The thong, as my loyal readers might remember from my Sunday page a few years back, is broken out any time a guy is in a deep slump.
“A guy has never not gotten a hit when he’s worn it,” Giambi said. “But it is a desperation move.”
Giambi convinced Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon and Bernie Williams to wear it during his time with the Yankees. Giambi brought that with him and a smile to the Rockies’ clubhouse.
“The guys were excited to see me, and I am excited to be here. I remember talking to Todd (Helton) when the Rockies were in Oakland and he said what a great group of guys were here. That was one of the reasons I signed here,” said Giambi, who spent the past week sharpening his skills in Triple-A after a long layoff.
Giambi is prepared for his role as a pinch-hitter. Basically, contenders are looking for that Matt Stairs moment. Remember when Stairs beat the Dodgers in the playoffs last year with one swing. If Giambi gets one big hit, this experiment is worth it. He’s wearing No. 23 by the way.
Footnots
In other notes, Ian Stewart is not at the ballpark today. His wife went into labor with the couple’s first child.
…Aaron Cook threw from 60 feet and is making strides with his shoulder strain.
…Dexter Fowler got his knee drained of fluid. He’s hoping to ride a stationary bike today, a clear sign that he’s making progress.
…New starter Jose Contreras is expected to arrive tomorrow. He will pitch Saturday against the Diamondbacks.
“The intriguing thing with regards to him is that he completely understands this time of the season. He has pitched in the World Series,” Tracy said. “I have seen this scenario play out as a positive more than once with a change of scenery. A different guy shows up.”
A look at the lineups entering tonight’s series vs. the Mets:
ROCKIES
CF Gonzalez
LF Smith
1B Helton
SS Tulo
RF Hawpe
3B Atkins
2B Barmes
C Torrealba
LHP De La Rosa
METS
CF Pagan
2B Castillo
3B Wright (returning from DL and will wear new protective helmet)
RF Francouer
1B Tatis
LF Evans
C Santos
SS Hernandez
RHP Pelfrey
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
