Former Oakland A's Slugger Jeremy Giambi Dies At 47
OAKLAND (CBS SF / AP) – Former Oakland A's slugger Jeremy Giambi, who played for the Green and Gold in the early 2000s, has died at the age of 47.
"We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of a member of our Green and Gold family, Jeremy Giambi. We offer our condolences to Jeanne, Jason, and his family and friends," the team said on Twitter on Wednesday.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Giambi died at his parents' home in Southern California, according to his agent. His cause of death was not immediately known.
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."
Born in San Jose, Giambi attended high school in Southern California alongside his older brother, Jason, and played baseball at Cal State Fullerton, winning the 1995 College World Series. Giambi was then drafted by the Kansas City Royals and made his Major League debut in 1998.
In 2000, Giambi was traded to the A's, where he played alongside his brother for one season. He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2002 and played his final season in the big leagues with the Boston Red Sox the following year.
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.
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.
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