The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • 38

D-6 il 1998 The Kansas City Star Sports-Daily Spotlight The Royals OUTSIDE CORNER John and Jeanne Giambi (right top) of Covina Calif finally got to see their sons play on the same field when Athletics played Royals on Monday night at Kauffman Stadium Brother Questions From Left Field with Hector Ortiz act SERIES SPOTLIGHT It was largely overlooked in the giddy aftermath of the Royals' fourth straight home victory Tuesday 'afternoon but later that night the Cleveland Indians won and mathematically eliminated the Royals from the American League Central race And you thought the Royals were out of it in May Still at stake though is second place in the AL Central And the Royals are playing the Chicago White Sox the team they must overtake to finish in the money In fact including tonight's finale of a two-game series in Chicago the dubs have five games remaining The White Sox will wrap up the season with four games at Kauffman Stadium starting next Thursday The White Sox have been very troublesome for the Royals in the last two seasons The Sox have won 16 of the last 19 games between the teams after Wednesday night Second-place money be much at least In terms of today's sports mega-salaries perhaps $10000 or so for each player one player was overheard saying patio furniture" Nice patio WEEK IN REVIEW In the last week the Royals were 3-2 Sept 10: Did not play SepL 11: Seattle 6 Kansas City 3 Sept 12: Kansas City 5 Seattle 2 Sept 13: Canceled rain Sept 14: Kansas City 16 Oakland 6 15: Kansas City 6 Oakland 3 Sept 16: Chicago White Sox 9 Kansas City 4 Photos by MARCIO JOSE SANCMEZThe Star Jason Giambi (above) has put up some big numbers for the Athletics Jeremy Giambi (right) had a chance to put up his kinds of numbers this is his first season in the majors Giambis finally get together in the majors the week ahead By DICK KAEGEL Staff Writer important piece of Giambi lily family history unfolded Hector Ortiz is a monument to persistence For 11 seasons he played minor-league ball Finally last Monday night he appeared in his first major-league game It wasn't much just one inning behind the plate for the Royals catching a scoreless ninth inning by Scott Service But for Ortiz it was a big moment in his life Ortiz 27 has played in the Los Angeles Chicago Cubs and Royals organizations He 's a defensive specialist In 11 years in the minors he hit just three homers What was It Hke to play your first major league game? A A dream come true Since I was 7 years od I wanted to be a major-league player When you signed at age 17 did you think It would take this long? A For some guys it happens quick for others it takes a longer time I was one of those guys who took more time than I was expecting Was It difficult being so young and coming to the US from Puerto Rico? A If I could go back probably go to college and ieam the language a little better And get stronger physically and mentally and it probably take me so long to get here If you went back to college what would you study? A I like to work with kids so I'd probably major in physical education and be a coach That way 1 could stay in sports which is what I really like known as a defensive catcher you? A my strongest part of the game I take a lot of pride in doing it right I never forget about my hitting but that would be a plus work on it every day so I can stay in the major leagues When you were a kid who was your favorite ballplayer? A Tony Pena He was a good defensive catcher and back at that tune he was the No 1 catcher in baseball I al- ways liked Tony because he was aggressive he was creative with the pitchers and would do some things defensively to help the team win why 1 always picked Tony and because he was a Latin guy We always read a lot in the paper about him The other day when I caught the guys told me my style looked a lot like Tony Pena Dick Kaegel The Royals are on their final trip of the season The last stop is in Cleveland for three games this weekend The Indians have won their fourth straight AL Centra) title and they've already won six of nine games from the Royals this season The Royals are just 7-18 at Jacobs Field since it opened in 1994 The final homestand will begin next Monday night with a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium The Tigers In their first season in the division are wallowing in last place REVOLVING DOOR Stability? The Royals have tried to maintain a greater degree of it on their roster this season but a flood of injuries accelerated the turnover There are still six players on the disabled list which was used 22 times this season Now that all of the September callups have been in games the Royals have tied the club record by using 51 players They also used 51 in 1995 and last year This season the Royals used 21 pitchers and 30 position players STATS CORNER Jeff Montgomery who picked up his 290th save against Oakland on Tuesday night is ranked 10th among the all-time leaders The top 10 in saves before Wednesday's games a active: today is a bank president in southern California But the kids grow up as the silver-spoon set by any means was just starting on the ground floor when we were kids but we never went Jason recalled always had gloves and bats and balls Our parents were always there for us when we were kids Supporting us always at the games We got lucky" Their father was a Mickey Mantle fan we were big Mickey Mantle fans and of course we became big George Brett fans and kind of odd that Jeremy plays for him now over at the Royals" Jason said how we developed a lot of our swings through George The Charlie Lau technique We kind of took our own style from it" The Giambis despite the four-year gap in their ages were more than brothers up been my best friend not only a big Jeremy said been kind of interesting because always hung out with him and always done stuff For one thing he got to hang out in the clubhouse with guys like Mark McGwire Rickey Henderson and Dennis Eckersley That helped ease the way giving him a comfortable feeling around players seeing them as people instead of idols "When Jason did make the major leagues it was like really can do Jeremy said knew if somebody close to me made it my brother made it I can make it worked out well Jason Giambi is an established productive player in Oakland Jeremy Giambi is seen as an outfielder or first baseman with a bright future in Kansas City kind of Jason said the first ones picked when we go to family softball bench His older brother had a single and a walk for the Jeremy is still trying to catch up to Jason after all four years younger so natural "Because of Jason everybody expected him to do well so it was tougher for Jeanne Giambi said Jason knew what his kid brother went through what most proud of him Jason said he was growing up he had to hear not as good as your older so he had it kind of rough real exciting for him to show everybody that I can play this game too The Royals made Jeremy Giambi a sixth-round draft choice in 1996 and it take him long to arrive in Kansas City He zipped through Spokane Wash Lansing Mich Wichita and Omaha in just three seasons Despite a nagging hamstring pull this year his 372 average eai xi him a September callup from the Pacific Coast League where he was chosen rookie of the year Both Giambis are left-handed batters and they credit their father a former ballplayer with helping them develop used to have a Jason said Sunday go to the Little League field and Dad would throw batting practice to us and just hit all day long" Jeremy had 20 home runs for Omaha but the Royals do not consider him a big home-run hitter "Dad really preached hitting the ball the other way to the opposite field and I think that's where Jason and I got it he said been real successful at doing John Giambi who was drafted by the California Angels but then hurt his knee A Monday night at Kauffman Stadium For the first time brothers Jason Giambi and Jeremy Giambi were on the field in the same game It happened in leagues high school college or the minors But when it did happen it was big the major leagues Jason 27 played first base for the Oakland Athletics Jeremy four years younger was the designated hitter was a good time an exciting day and a special day Jeremy Giambi said parents got to see both kids on a major-league field John and Jeanne Giambi came from their home in Covina Calif for the occasion Missing was sister Julie 19 a soft-ball player at Cal State-Fullerton where her brothers played been a John Giambi said just hope they do something and all of a sudden at Kauffman Both of their sons had a good day Jason pounded his 25th home run for the As and the three-run blast boosted his RBI total to 104 Those numbers plus a 295 average tell the story: arrived as an outstanding big-leaguer Jeremy didn't get a hit but walked three times scored a run and had a sacrifice fly He had a part of history as the Royals accomplished a baseball ranty becoming just the 1 Ith American or National league team to score in each inning of a game was Jason said of the fraternal faceoff was kind of like a dream come true The next afternoon with a left-hander starting for the As Jeremy was on the Dick until Detroit Tigers In for throe Monday Sept 21 Wednesday Sept 23 Saturday September 26 Thursday September 24 FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT! 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