IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT STATS, AS Jason GIAMBI'S CLEARLY INDICATE GIAMBI from B1

Jason Giambi, who retired from the Indians in 2014, will be in camp next week as a spring-training instructor.

(Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Baseball people and fans alike have been wondering when Jason Giambi would resurface. Perhaps this is the beginning of it.

Giambi, 45, will serve as a guest instructor for the Indians from Monday through Thursday next week in Goodyear, Arizona. The first full squad workout will be Tuesday so Giambi has arrived at the right time.

The Indians signed Giambi to a minor-league deal before the 2013 season. He made the club as part player, part clubhouse Yoda in manager Terry Francona's first year. The former AL MVP paid benefits in both occupations as the Indians won the first wild-card spot in the postseason.

Giambi, 42 at the time, hit just .183, but it included eight doubles, nine homers and 31 RBI in 71 games. He probably hit the biggest home run of the season on Sept. 24 to beat the White Sox and keep the Tribe's drive to the wild card going.

After closer Chris Perez allowed consecutive homers in the ninth inning to turn a 3-2 lead into a 4-3 deficit, Giambi came off the bench to hit a two-out, two-run game-winning homer in the bottom of the ninth off closer Addison Reed. It was the fifth straight win for the Indians in what turned out to be a 10-game winning streak to end the regular season.