Jeremy Giambi, R.I.P.

Former big league outfielder, first baseman and DH Jeremy Giambi passed away at his parents' home in California of an apparent suicide. He was 47. 

After winning a College World Series championship with Cal State Fullerton, Giambi would become a  6th round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals in 1996 and would reach the majors with the Royals towards the end of the 1998 season. After the 1999 season, the Royals traded Giambi to the Oakland A's where he was reunited with older brother Jason Giambi. The younger Giambi would taste post-season experience with the A's in both 2000 and 2001. However, Giambi will probably be best remembered for being thrown out at home plate via a flip throw by New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter in the 2001 ALDS. It was a turning point of that series as the A's were up 2-0, but it would be all Yankees after that play.

During the 2002 season, the A's would trade Giambi to the Philadelphia Phillies for outfielder John Mabry. After hitting a combined career high 20 HR with the A's and Phillies, the Phillies would send Giambi to the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Josh Hancock (who sadly was killed in a traffic accident while pitching with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2007). The Red Sox envisioned Giambi as their DH, but he would soon be supplanted by some fellow named David Ortiz. 

After being released by the Red Sox after the 2003 season, Giambi spent the 2004 season in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and the 2005 in the Chicago White Sox organization. However, he would never see big league action again. In parts of six seasons, Giambi played in 510 games collecting 347 hits for a lifetime batting average of .263 with 52 HR and 209 RBI. Giambi would later admit to taking steroids during his player as did older brother Jason. 

Here is Jeremy Giambi speaking to group of men about his path to the majors with Jason Giambi looking on. He ends his story by saying "never give up." While Giambi might not have given up on baseball, it would appear he had given up on life. R.I.P.