Two days after Jeremy Giambi died at his parents’ home in Claremont, Calif., a cause of death has been revealed.
The former MLB outfielder and younger brother of ex-Yankees slugger Jason Giambi died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest according to a Los Angeles medical examiner-coroner. Giambi was found on Wednesday by a family member who immediately called 911. He was already dead when first responders arrived.
Giambi, who was famously tagged out at the plate on Derek Jeter’s “Flip Play” during the 2001 ALDS, spent six seasons in the big leagues. He appeared in nine playoff games and batted .319 with three RBIs. A majority of his career came in Oakland, where he played with his older brother, but Jeremy also logged time with the Royals, Red Sox and Phillies. His last game was in 2003.
Jeremy Giambi was just 47 years old.
“We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of a member of our Green and Gold family, Jeremy Giambi,” the Oakland A’s posted on Twitter on Wednesday. “We offer our condolences to Jeanne, Jason, and his family and friends.”
“We send our heartfelt condolences to the Giambi family,” the Red Sox said in a statement.
The left-handed hitter’s best season came in 2002, when he hit 20 home runs and had a .414 on-base percentage while splitting time between the A’s and Phillies. His trade from Oakland to Philadelphia was portrayed in the 2011 film “Moneyball” starring Brad Pitt.
“I hope this can be a wake up call for people out there to not go at it alone and for families and friends to trust their intuition when they feel somebody needs help,” Giambi’s former teammate Barry Zito told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Giambi was born in San Jose, Calif., in 1974, three years after Jason. Both brothers attended South Hills High School in West Covina. After high school, Jeremy played baseball at Cal State Fullerton and won a College World Series with the Titans in 1995. He was drafted by the Royals in the sixth round of the 1996 draft and made his debut for Kansas City on Sept. 1, 1998.
“The entire Titans family is saddened to hear the news of Jeremy Giambi’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Giambi family,” the Cal State Fullerton baseball program tweeted on Wednesday.
