Did Steroids Make Jason Giambi a Worse Ballpayer?

I'm not talking about ethically. I'm talking physically. Because I believe that steroids ultimately proved to be a performance decreasing drug for Jason Giambi.

When the BALCO scandal first broke, Jason Giambi found himself right in the crosshairs of late night comedy fodder.

"Either that man took steroids," raved Louis Black. "Or he had surgery to put his legs where has arms used to be!"

Those killer biceps were great at producing towering,  tape-measure home runs, but the negative impacts are hard to overlook.

What Giambi gained in home run power, he lost in versatility. The man who represented America as a third baseman in the Olympics and originally played left field at the cavernous Oakland Coliseum was unable to play any position other than first base for the rest of his career.

Even at first base, his defense was a liability. despite his solid glovework, he lacked the amazing grace and cat-like agility of his predecessor,  Tino Martinez, despite the fact that Tino was three years older than Giambi. Worse still, Giambi was often reluctant to so much as attempt to throw to second base in order to turn a 3-6-3 double play.

One of many great plays from Constantino. 

As a Yankee fan, it was difficult -- even painful sometimes -- to see a player with such obvious defensive deficiencies in the lineup everyday. On one hand, Giambi had reason not to over exert himself. His comically oversized muscles could easily tear. That's what ultimately happened to his younger brother, Jeremy. The younger Giambi saw his career end at the ripe old age of 28.

As a Yankee fan, it was almost painful to see a player with such obvious defensive deficiencies in the lineup every day. The Yankee teams of late '90s were a beautiful mixture of solid,  all-around players. A stellar combination of in-house talent at grizzled veterans eager to contribute. It was said that Swiss watchmakers would visit Yankee Stadium to see perfection in action.
Watching the Yankees during the Giambi years was like going to your favorite restaurant only to see that the menu had changed.

If Giambi had never taken steroids, things could have been better, both for him and the Yankees.