Jason "Slick Willie" Giambi Admits...Something

Giambi's song and dance didn't help. He told the fans he was sorry. He told the media he was sorry. He told his teammates he was sorry. When he showed up at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, he stopped to sign autographs. And he swore he's "working his butt off" so he can regain his status as an elite player and help the Yankees win the World Series.

But in between apologies and the commitment of hard work, the 40-minute session frustrated the hungry New York media, which got very little of what it was hoping for.

Giambi, when asked what he was apologizing for: "I can't get into specifics."

When asked what it was that he was taking "full responsibility" for: "I can't get into specifics."
When asked -- point blank -- if he used steroids: "That's something I can't talk about."

When asked why he couldn't talk about it: "I can't get into those specifics. I'm taking full responsibilities for my actions."

When asked what he told the grand jury: "I can't."

When asked why he used steroids: "I can't get into specifics. I apologize."

When asked if he understood how strange this all was, that he couldn't talk about what he was apologizing for: "I understand how the fans feel, how everybody feels. You guys have a job to do.

But because of legal matters, I can't get into specifics." The Yankees didn't have any answers either. Cashman said neither he nor any other member of Yankee management had asked Giambi about steroid use because "the answers we would have gotten are probably a lot like the ones you got today," he said.

It has been widely reported that Yankee management investigated ways to get out of Giambi's contract -- and the remaining $82 million he is owed -- due to his reported steroid admission. But doing so proved more challenging than they imagined. The only thing the Yankees have to go by is a newspaper story based on a source.

"The truth lies in sealed testimony that we can't access," Cashman said.

It made for a suspicious and uncomfortable setting. If Giambi would have admitted to the media that he used steroids, the Yankees may have had the ammo they needed to get out of his contract. But since he never admitted anything (other than his sealed testimony being true) they don't.

Neither Giambi, Tellem, nor Cashman would comment specifically if a contract issue was keeping Giambi quiet on Thursday.