Ramsey: Giambi may be just what Rockies need in run to postseason

If you buy tickets to September games at Coors Field, think about selecting a seat near the 375-foot sign in right-center.

Late Monday afternoon, Jason Giambi was launching batting-practice pitches over the 385-foot sign in right-center at Security Service Field, a preview for what will be a brief stay in Colorado Springs.

On Sept. 1, the Rockies will summon Giambi to Coors Field. (Nothing is certain in life, but this is pretty close.)

He’s a low-risk, possibly high-reward addition to one of baseball’s best teams. His left-handed bat could make a difference in September and October.

Giambi, 38, has no delusions. He embraces the Rockies’ limited needs. He wants to serve as a pinch-hitter. He wants to spell Todd Helton — whom he calls “Toddy” — at first base, but only if needed.

He cheerfully met the media after taking batting practice. His happiness might be explained by the timing of his interview. He had just powered seven balls out of the park and hit the wall five times on approximately 30 pitches.

And, remember, he’s rusty.

“This is a great place to hit,” he said. “It makes you feel good about yourself real quick.”

He understands his limitations. The Rockies aren’t full of holes. They don’t require an everyday hero.

Giambi, once a superstar, is preparing for a bit part in the Rockies’ late-season drama.

“I know the role that I’m going to do, and I’m excited about it,” Giambi said before taking a glance to the north and Coors Field.  “… I definitely don’t want to go up there and disturb it.”

He won’t disturb anything. He will add needed power to the Rockies while throwing a major scare into the hearts of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

When the Dodgers look at Giambi, they will suffer flashbacks of Matt Stairs. Giambi and Stairs are old friends. They played together in Oakland. Both are aging sluggers past their prime. Both remain dangerous.

In Game 4 of last season’s National League Championship Series, Stairs ripped a pinch-hit home run for the Philadelphia Phillies that doomed the Dodgers. It was one of the biggest hits in Philly’s march to a World Series title.

It’s easy to imagine Giambi delivering his own dramatic moments for the Rockies. He hit 32 home runs last season for the New York Yankees and 407 home runs in his career.

Sure, he carries his share of baggage. He’s a smiling reminder of baseball’s steroids era. He stands alongside Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and dozens of others who shamelessly polluted America’s Pastime.

That’s the past. The future could bring happy times — and freshly launched baseballs — to fans wise enough to sit in the right-center power alley at Coors.