Giambi

The recent Tampa Bay Devil Rays horror show started with an appearance at Tropicana Field by none other than Stephen King. As the consecutive losses mounted -- 10, 12 ... 15 -- one of the Devil Rays' radio broadcasters tried sticking pins into one of King's novels, hoping the voodoo might work. But the streak didn't die until last night, falling six games short of the Orioles' infamous run of 21 consecutive losses in 1988. Meanwhile, at the other end of the American League East standings, the Boston Red Sox were reeling off their longest winning streak since winning 12 in 1995.

Who's hot Jeremy Giambi of the Athletics has reached base in 18 consecutive games. Who's not The Expos have drawn more than 5,000 in just three of nine home games. Line of the day J.T. Snow, Giants 1B AB R H RBI HR 5 1 4 5 1

The aftermath brought brighter news to the New York Yankees than the season opener at Camden Yards. Precautionary X-rays at the University of Maryland Medical Center on Roger Clemens' pitching hand were negative. Jason Giambi, the most publicized acquisition for 2002, felt more comfortable after settling in. And nobody was about to panic after the Orioles' impressive 10-3 victory spoiled the start of the Yankees' 100th season. It was one game in a marathon, and not even Yankees owner George Steinbrenner expects this powerhouse to win them all. Most important was the status of Clemens' right hand after he tried to flag down a fourth-inning ground ball by David Segui that went for an infield single and launched a five-run Orioles uprising that featured Tony Batista's grand slam.

It was the type of spring to make volatile New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner pound his fist on the desk and virulent Yankee haters dream of an end to seven years of American League domination. The Yankees, quite literally, were hamstrung by a leg injury to Bernie Williams and sideswiped by the sore rib cage of $10 million free-agent acquisition Rondell White. Starting pitcher Andy Pettitte and several other pitchers were behind schedule. Off-season centerpiece Jason Giambi was hitting under .200 with a week to go in the exhibition season and temporarily hobbled by a calf cramp.

Ask him a question and expect an answer. Not a sound bite or some perfumed political response, but the kind of answer that few besides maybe the best hitter in the American League and very definitely the most enticing free agent in next winter's pool can provide. With five weeks left in a season that has anointed his team as the one nobody wants to play, Oakland Athletics first baseman Jason Giambi listens to a question about being the central figure on a team that survived a brutal April, a second-guessing May and now hints at a breakthrough October.

The concept of being a spoiler, of emerging as the team that alters a wild-card race or influences who wins a division, sounds enticing until someone like Oakland's Jason Giambi picks up a bat or Mark Mulder releases another pitch. That's when it becomes clearer what the Orioles are missing by again having to settle for such a role, and how humbling it can become. Giambi didn't miss much last night, at least when given the chance. He hit a long home run and reached base five times in a 6-2 victory over the Orioles before 31,048 that increased the Athletics' wild-card lead and raised more concerns about pitcher Sidney Ponson.

Oakland Athletics All-Star first baseman, incumbent American League Most Valuable Player and pending free agent Jason Giambi yesterday may have put a dent in the Orioles' hopes to land him with a mega-contract this winter. Giambi, who contributed a two-run homer in the A's 6-2 victory last night, said before the game he has little interest in becoming the centerpiece of a rebuilding project. Calling himself "just a guy who wants to win," Giambi said he intends to commit to a contender whether or not he remains with the A's, who have offered him a six-year, $90 million extension that lacks the blanket no-trade protection he seeks.

Patience is supposed to be a virtue, so who could blame the Orioles if they decide to spend another year or two developing their best young prospects and building a better long-term future? The answer is, well, everyone. The club's admirable attempt to rebuild from the bottom up has presented Orioles fans with some fresh faces and some room for hope that the next three years will be much better than the last. But it is clear that the time has come to accelerate the process. There are too many empty seats, whether they have been sold or not. There is too little real punch in the batting order, and too little minor-league position depth to believe that a great offensive attack will suddenly spring forth from the player development system.

The Oakland Athletics, in their haste to bulk up for the final two months of the American League wild-card race, may have taken a lot of the fun out of next week's trade deadline. It was the A's who were supposed to provide much of the intrigue in the days leading up to the July 31 deadline for completing trades without waivers, with three star-quality players threatening to become free agents at the end of the season and the Seattle Mariners so far ahead in the AL West that a division title is out of the question.

Less than a year after the Oakland Athletics proved it was possible to reach the playoffs with a small-market payroll, there are rumblings that the rising tide of baseball economics will soon submerge them again. The club's attempt to re-sign 2000 American League Most Valuable Player Jason Giambi has run aground, leading to speculation that the A's may trade him before the July 31 waiver deadline. Sounds crazy, but it's not. Giambi and the A's have been trying to finalize a six-year, $91 million deal since spring training, but the negotiations have been hung up over Giambi's desire for a no-trade clause.