Giambi says all is well with Cashman, Sheffield
TAMPA, Fla. -- Jason Giambi took a chapter out of The Godfather on Monday, saying he didn't hold it against the Yankees for investigating whether they had grounds to get out of the $82 million he is owed on his contract.
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"I never took it personal, to be honest with you. It's business," he said.
New York, which signed Giambi to a $120 million, seven-year deal before the 2002 season, has not taken any action against Giambi. General manager Brian Cashman has spoken in general terms of the rights teams have.
"Cashman and I are good friends, so I have no ill feelings at all about that," Giambi said.
Giambi also said Yankees right fielder Gary Sheffield had called him after being quoted last week as saying: "I'm not like Jason Giambi" and "He's the reason he's going through it."
"I've got no problems with Gary," Giambi said. "Him and I are good friends and he's a great teammate."
During his 22-minute interview, Giambi also was asked about his nightlife, whether he will change his style of going out on the town.
"You guys all know I like to have fun," he told reporters. "I like to go and have a good time. But it's never got in my way of my performance or playing ever in the past.
"Baseball," he said, "has always been my No. 1 priority and it always will be."
Ring a ding ding
Cashman on Jose Canseco offering his 2000 Yankees World Series ring for sale for $40,000 on his website. "There's nothing you can do about it. He's not the first one that has fallen on difficult financial times. You don't wish that on anybody."
Unit watch
Randy Johnson and the other starting pitchers threw bullpen for the third time, and the Big Unit threw his slider and two-seamer for the first time. While Yankees hitters face coaches in their first batting-practice session Tuesday, they step in against Johnson and other teammates Wednesday.
Johnson was asked how he would feel taking batting practice against himself.
"Now, as opposed to 15 years ago? Very comfortable," he said.
Johnson was extremely wild early in his career. How would he have liked to hit against himself in BP back then?
"If I was an experienced major leaguer hitter then -- and I wasn't at the time -- I probably would have said, 'Well, I'll just take batting practice off the tee or something,'" he said.
Notes
- CF Bernie Williams has a stomach virus and was not in camp Monday. "He may be giving it to other people, that's why he's not here," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "He's in town and, hopefully, he's here tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest."
- RHP Kevin Brown had another good bullpen session. His back has not bothered him this spring. "Looked like he had an easy time," Torre said.
- Torre said Sheffield is fine after experiencing a "cranky" left shoulder during batting practice in a workout last week. "The other day, I think he tried to do too much," Torre said. "That was basically all it was. There was no damage done." Sheffield had offseason shoulder surgery.
