Former MLB player Jeremy Giambi found dead at his parents' California home at age 47
Jeremy Giambi, a former major league player and the brother of five-time All-Star Jason Giambi, died Wednesday at his parents' home in Southern California, police and his agent said. He was 47.
Officers responding around 11:30 a.m. to reports of a medical emergency found Giambi dead at the residence in Claremont, east of Los Angeles, said police Lt. Robert Ewing. The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office will determine the cause of death, Ewing said.
Giambi's agent, Joel Wolfe, said the family requested "that we all respect their privacy during this difficult time."
Giambi spent six seasons in the major leagues as an outfielder and first baseman with Kansas City (1998-99), Oakland (2000-02), Philadelphia (2002) and Boston (2002-03).
Jeremy hit .263 with 52 homers and 209 RBIs. His best season was 2001, when he batted .283 with 12 homers and 57 RBIs for the Athletics.
"We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of a member of our Green and Gold family, Jeremy Giambi," the Athletics said on Twitter. "We offer our condolences to Jeanne, Jason, and his family and friends."
Giambi played in the postseason twice with the Athletics and in 2001 was tagged out at home on Derek Jeter's famous "flip" toss in the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees.
He was notably a part of the "Moneyball" Athletics in 2001, the team that just missed a chance to play for a World Series berth despite their limited payroll and unique approach to roster creation, CBS Los Angeles reported.
Giambi made his debut in 1998 with the Kansas City Royals. They drafted him in 1996 out of Cal State Fullerton, where he played his college ball, helping the Titans win the 1995 College World Series.
Giambi testified before a federal grand jury in San Francisco investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative, or BALCO, the company at the center of the sports steroid scandal. He was quoted by The Kansas City Star in 2005 as admitting he used steroids.
"It's something I did," Giambi told the newspaper. "I apologize. I made a mistake. I moved on."
In a 2007 report by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell into drugs in baseball, BALCO founder Victor Conte said he sold steroids known as "the cream" and "the clear" and advised on their use to dozens of elite athletes, including Jason and Jeremy Giambi.
"He could take a teasing and give it back. It's a tough shadow when your brother is Jason Giambi and he wore that with pride. He was well liked and fun loving," longtime A's executive Billy Beane told Shayna Rubin of the Mercury News.
