"I feel like I'm marrying my ex-wife," Beane said in mid-speech.
Giambi's homecoming sparked all sorts of positive emotions and memories. His let's-have-a-good-time demeanor still exists, so it's good to see those Yankees millions didn't turn him into a snob.
But what his return really must do is boost a lineup that lacked punch last year as the A's rotated its prospects through the order.
Giambi's addition, coupled with the trade for Matt Holliday, gives the A's legitimate, proven hitters in the heart of their order.
"I didn't come back just to be the prom queen to ride on the floats," Giambi said. "I want to win."
Great attitude. Winning has seem like such a far-fetched notion considering all the trades and prospects that have run through the Coliseum in recent years. Beane agreed that this year's team will be better, and he insisted that the Giambi and Holliday acquisitions are not derailing the A's rebuilding project.
"Sometimes you rebuild quicker when you get a cast that can carry the load, and Jason's a part of that," Beane said. "We are committed to rebuilding."
The A's stockpile of young pitching is, in Beane's words, the strength of the organization. Unlike that team across the bay, the A's are supporting those unproven pitchers with offense.
"To give them a chance, we've got to give them some offense," Beane said.
Can I get a "Hallelujah!" Giants, please take note. Well, as long as Giambi holds up his end of the batter's box.
Manager Bob Geren said Giambi will be an "every day" presence in the middle of the lineup, either as a designated hitter or first baseman. Geren wouldn't commit as to exactly whether Holliday would bat third and Giambi fourth, but that'd be my guess. There's that matter of stacking up too many left-handed bats in a row (see: Giambi, Eric Chavez and Jack Cust). Fortunately that is something Geren gets paid to figure out instead of me.
Beane is very optimistic about Chavez's progress from offseason shoulder surgery. But until Chavez proves himself healthy in a matter of weeks, the A's can't totally bank on him, and thus they needed more offense, sparking the acquisitions of Holliday and Giambi.
As Geren gladly pointed out, all four of those guys have shown the ability to belt 30 home runs in a season. "If they can all repeat that in the same year, that'd be a lot of home runs," Geren said.
* * *
In Beane's eyes, Giambi again will be a fan favorite. Giambi is hoping so, too, and you could tell how much this homecoming means to him when his eyes welled up with tears as he put on his No. 16 jersey (which he didn't button, keeping with that scraggily look he promises).
"In our mind, he's still one of the best offensive players in the league. He was one of the best when he left," Beane said. "... We're also talking about one of the most popular players we've ever had as an Oakland Athletic ."
Giambi said he hopes fans are excited and he feels he's always had a good rapport with the A's fan base. (Not all, however, treated him swell upon his returns to the Coliseum in pinstripes.)
* * *
Reunion central
Beane said he told Giambi last week: "We're getting the band back together." OK, which makes me wonder this: Will one of the A's biggest rock stars come out of hiding for this?
I'm talking about Mark McGwire. He's gone underground in the wake of his Congressional testimony or lack thereof about his perceived performance-enhancing drug days.
McGwire was one of Giambi's mentors. Ex-A's infielder Mike Gallego just joined the coaching staff. Holliday credits McGwire for helping with his swing. So, connecting those dots, could Mac come back, too?
I asked that of Geren, who didn't seem too excited about that idea and respectfully said he doesn't know McGwire that well. If Geren's not hot on the idea, I doubt Beane would try unearthing McGwire.
By the way, former A's manager Tony La Russa talked about McGwire with Gary Radnich on KNBR 680-AM earlier Wednesday, saying he's tried to coax McGwire into show up as a pseudo hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals at past spring trainings. La Russa, by the way, remains McGwire's staunchest defender, crediting him for his work ethic and decision to sacrifice a hefty contract en route to retirement. That said, La Russa did agree that McGwire's Congressional testimony was, well, not good.
* * *
Giambi's look
True to his unique form, he declined to put on the obligatory A's cap for the photo op. "It took too long to work on my hair," said Giambi, who showed up in blue jeans, a cool-dude pullover shirt and a black, fishnet scarf.
As for that Mattingly-esque mustache he sported last season, he swore it off, saying it ran its course during a hitting streak. "It was a bad look but it got hits," said Giambi, who has the workings of a Sharks playoff beard with a lot more gray hairs in there compared to his old Oakland days.
As for the infamous gold-thong underwear he shared in the Yankees locker room as a slump buster, I praise myself for not asking him about it. But, of course, someone else did. His response: "Oh, the gold thong will be here. It travels everywhere I go."
On ditching the pinstripes: "To go back again in green and gold, to put on white shoes again, that's going to be pretty cool."
* * *
Damn Yankees.
Giambi made sure to thank the Steinbrenner family and the Yankees organization for fulfilling his "childhood dream" and letting him suit up for them the past seven seasons.
"I had the time of my life while there, but I'm excited to be home," Giambi said.
Giambi said the Yankees are like a "traveling rock band" and were expected to win every single game, a challenge he liked as a player.
* * *
Pennant contenders
Beane thought the A's could compete last year for the American League West title, and was easily proven wrong. But he and Geren know they'll field a better team this year, and that should bode well considering Anaheim has been weakened with the loss of Mark Teixeira and closer Francisco Rodriguez. (Oh, and let's pick on the Seattle Mariners for picking up reliever Tyler Walker, whose career tanked last year with the Giants when he went 5-8 with a 4.56 ERA.)
"I'm never going to go out and say we're the team to beat," said Beane, whose past teams, you may recall, have never actually gone all the way and won an American League championship.
Giambi tried complimenting Beane for keeping the A's in contention during his absence. When Giambi pointed out the A's were in the hunt until the All-Star break, Beane interrupted and said, "until I traded everyone."
Beane didn't seem too pleased with a reporter's contention a true one, by the way that the A's are penny pinchers compared to the Yankees, who, let's be honest, thought pennies were abolished decades ago.
* * *
Giambi on the A's
"This team needs offense," Giambi said. "We've got a great corps of young players."
Giambi turns 38 on Thursday, so he's not exactly young anymore. He thinks he has three or four more years left. He signed a one-year contract with the A's, who have the option of extending him for 2010.
Beane is thrilled with how Giambi will rub off on the younger players, not necessarily in the clubhouse with his upbeat attitude, but with his hitting prowess.
"Jason understands hitting more than any player I've ever been around," Beane said. "He understands what we're doing here. He's the best teacher we've ever had. ... That's going to really resonate with some of the younger players."
I think Beane's right on that account. Giambi still has a passion for the game and the Athletics.
Not to say that Frank Thomas, Mike Piazza and Mike Sweeney didn't have that in their recent seasons as the A's token veteran leader. But Giambi's return really provides a solid feeling of goodwill.
* * *
Barton's future
With Giambi added to the mix, I asked Beane afterward what this means for once-promising prospect Daric Barton, who virtually bombed last season in his first full year in the majors.
"The short answer is Daric is going to play a lot of first base," Beane said. "Last year was not indicative of him. He hit everyone in the minors. He went through growing pains last year."
Barton hit .226 with nine home runs and 47 RBI in 140 games (446 at-bats).
When Giambi isn't playing first base and is instead the designated hitter, that'll push Cust into the outfield, specifically right field. Holliday will man left field, Ryan Sweeney will play center and Cust will likely share right field with Travis Buck.
* * *
Shortstop quandary
One mystery left unsolved is what are the A's doing at shortstop, having tried ridding themselves of Bobby Crosby with no avail, at least not yet.
"We've still got Crosby and Pennington. We haven't done or are pursuing anything," Beane said.
That'd be Cliff Pennington, not Chad, folks. A first-round draft pick by the A's in 2005, he hit .242 last year in 36 games. Crosby, meanwhile, hit .237, just below his career average of .239, which is also what he hit en route to Rookie of the Year honors in 2004.
Look for Cam Inman's Web-only "Candid Cam" takes whenever there's a breaking sports story, or whenever Cam's got something to say _ in short, just about every day. You can reach Cam at forums.contracostatimes.com/poll/how-will-you-react-to-seeing-jason-giambi-in-as-uniform-again