Giambi 'sorry,' but not specific

By wire services
Published February 11, 2005

NEW YORK - There was a moment Thursday when Jason Giambi looked as if he might cry. He had not yet taken a question from a room full of reporters at Yankee Stadium, and he seemed to be sincerely sorry for the steroid controversy that engulfs him.

"I feel I let down the fans, I feel I let down the media, I feel I let down the Yankees, and not only the Yankees, but my teammates," Giambi said, and he turned to look in the eyes of manager Joe Torre, sitting next to him.

Giambi kept his composure, and continued. "I accept full responsibility for that," he said in reference to the distractions he has created for the Yankees, "and I'm sorry."

What he did not fully say was what he was sorry for.

It was Giambi's first public statement since the San Francisco Chronicle in December quoted what it said was Giambi's testimony to the federal grand jury in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative case. In the testimony, which was illegally leaked to the Chronicle, Giambi admitted to using steroids before and after he joined New York for the 2002 season.

In his first response to a question, Giambi said he had not read the Chronicle article. He added that he had told the grand jury the truth, and he did not deny any aspects of what the Chronicle reported, which seemed to be as close as he was willing to come to confirming the article. Still, he did not directly admit to steroid use.

"I know the fans might want more," Giambi said. "But because of all the legal matters, I can't get into specifics. Someday, hopefully, I will be able to."

That day was not Thursday. Giambi's agent, Arn Tellem, said the U.S. attorney in the BALCO case had instructed Giambi not to comment on the investigation. Tellem said he and Giambi's lawyers also had told him to be careful in discussing legal issues.

But Giambi's answers came so close to acknowledging the accuracy of the Chronicle story that at one point, Tellem said, "The answers are there if you look for them."

Meanwhile, the Yankees said they will let pitcher Kevin Brown make a charitable donation rather than pay a fine for punching a wall and breaking a bone in his left hand in September.

ASTROS: Right-hander Roy Oswalt avoided arbitration by agreeing to a two-year, $16.9-million contract.

RANGERS: Kenny Rogers wants a contract extension, and the left-hander, 40, might retire if he doesn't get one, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

RED SOX: Pitcher Curt Schilling donated the bloody sock he wore during Game 2 of the World Series to the Hall of Fame. ... Third baseman Bill Mueller had arthroscopic surgery to relieve swelling in his right knee.

[Last modified February 11, 2005, 00:53:10]