TAMPA – Joe Namath came from western Pennsylvania by way of the University of Alabama. Clyde Frazier migrated north from Atlanta and Southern Illinois. Reggie Jackson apprenticed at Arizona State and Oakland.
You do not have to be born in the five boroughs to be born to play in New York. And Jason Giambi, the epitome of California from his birth certificate to his previous professional paychecks to the “dude” in his voice, was meant for our city.
“There are just people born to play this stage,” said Brooklyn-bred Joe Torre.
Giambi’s first appearance in Yankee camp yesterday was a tour de force of charisma. If it was a sham, then warm up that seat next to the bearded guy on “Inside the Actors Studio” because Giambi’s New York destination will be Broadway rather than The Bronx.
Giambi knew every eye was on him, yet he never blinked. He worked his way around the clubhouse with ease and good nature. Giambi stopped at a breakfast table for a chat with Roger Clemens, accepted a headlock from coach Lee Mazzilli and chatted up non-roster invites and clubhouse attendants with the same courtesy that he showed Robin Ventura or Andy Pettitte.
No politician ever worked a room with a smile, eye contact and attention better than he did. Many folks shrink when they come into as established and accomplished a place as the Yankee clubhouse. Giambi, however, owned the room. If there was a vote for Mr. Congeniality, he would have won in a landslide. And it wasn’t even 10 a.m. yet on Day 1.
At his introductory press conference last offseason, Mike Mussina grew annoyed at the number of photographs being taken to welcome the best-paid pitcher in Yankee history. That turned out to be Mussina at his friendliest.
Giambi seemed as happy to see a reporting brigade present to chronicle this day as he usually is to see a hanging curve.
“The circus tent is here,” he said as he pied-pipered the media to the dugout for a group interview. He said this without derision. Instead, he seemed enthused to be the main attraction in the big top, admitting, “I kind of like filling in the quotes to help you guys do your job.”
He opened a half-hour chat session with reporters by asking: “Do you want me standing or sitting? You guys tell me whatever you want.”
This level of accommodation from a Yankee is so frequent that I fainted. When I came to, Giambi still looked like a kid on Christmas. Bobby Bonilla, on his first day as a Met, had challenged reporters by saying, “You’re not going to take this smile off my face.” He grimaced the rest of his Met career. Bobby Bonilla of The Bronx was not born to play in New York. Neither were Ed Whitson or Kenny Rogers.
But Giambi marries a personality and talent large enough to warrant $120 million and a starring role on George Steinbrenner’s new network. His training ground was ideal. He grew into The Man in Oakland, serving as spokesman, frontman and fun man in a less pressurized forum. In the heat of the pennant race the past two years, Giambi’s game – in and out of the clubhouse – actually grew bolder and better. And he saw and handled New York-style intensity during each of the past two Division Series.
“It’s apples and oranges,” Giambi said of Oakland and New York, “and this is a lot more apples.”
It is the Big Apple. And Giambi – with a lefty swing made for the Stadium and a gregarious style that should make him Manhattan royalty – kept talking about how excited he was to have this world come open to him. He joked that he could not wait to go over relay plays to see how Derek Jeter was in position to make that backhand flip against the A’s in last year’s Division Series.
He was smart enough to refer to his new Boss as “Mr. Steinbrenner” on every reference. And he went out of his way to say he would “not step on anyone’s toes.”
Giambi, though, is never going to be just another guy, not even on the most famous, successful team around. This forum was not meant for everybody. Jason Giambi, though, was born to play New York.
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NEW YORK LEGEND ON DECK (Graphic)
Jason Giambi’s ability and charisma make him natural candidate to become city icon in mold of Walt Frazier, Reggie Jackson and Joe Namath, says Post columnist Joel Sherman.