CHICAGO – Jason Giambi could finish the season as the third player in baseball history to have more RBIs than hits.
He is the only Yankee who has his dog with him on this road trip.
Slugger, an 11-year-old Australian Sheppard, is hanging out with Giambi and his wife, Kristian, during the afternoon on breaks from chemotherapy treatments in New York.
“It’s been fun having him around,” Giambi said of Slugger, who was a custody issue in Giambi’s divorce from his first wife. “I really enjoy it.” Slugger, who drew a lot of attention in the lobby of the team hotel, is being treated at the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan after being diagnosed with cancer of the urinary tract during spring training in Florida.
Giambi, who had to leave last night’s 6-5 loss after his elbow was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning, took the dog to the West Coast when the Yankees opened the season there, to be examined in Berkeley, Calif.
“They told us about the place in New York, that it was very good,” Giambi said.
As for possibly being the third player in history (Paul Sorrento and Mark McGwire, who did it twice, are the others) to have more RBIs than hits, Giambi was surprised then understood.
“That’s shocking to me,” said Giambi, who has 88 RBIs and 85 hits after going 0-for-3 last night. “Especially for as many guys who have hit home runs through the years.” Giambi then produced a reason: the exaggerated shift put on against him that has the second baseman in short right field and the shortstop on the right side of second.
“The shift kills you,” said Giambi, who is hitting .254.
“People say, ‘Your average is down,’ but I have been hitting the ball as good as I have in a long time. The shift has cost me at least 25 hits and I would be hitting over .300 with those hits.”