Good hitting is a combination of hitting for average, hitting for power and hitting in the clutch.
Giambi is making the same argument about steroid use that others have made: Steroids don't improve your eyesight or your judgment--you still have to make contact.
Which is true.
However: With the increase in strength that Giambi concedes is possible through steroid use comes increased bat speed. Power (or force, in scientific terms) results from a combination of speed and mass. A player using the same weight of bat will hit the ball farther by swinging faster. Or, he could swing a heavier bat at the same speed as before. Ideally, he can swing a heavier, thicker bat faster than he could swing a lighter bat at a slower speed before bulking up.
A smart hitter with improved bat speed can sometimes adjust to an unexpected breaking ball, or a pitch in a difficult spot in the strike zone, or an overpowering fastball and make contact that normally wouldn't be possible.
Also: With increased strength, a batter will have more flyballs drift over the outfield fence; fewer will be caught for outs. Thus, not only will home run totals increase, but so will batting average.
Also: With increased strength, a popfly that an infielder might catch becomes a Texas Leaguer.
Also: A soft line drive becomes a harder line drive less likely to be caught.
Also: Steroids might give a player more confidence, which helps in the clutch. I'm thinking that Giambi needs increased confidence more than muscle right now.
However: Here's something many people don't understand about steroids:
Yes, they can cause acne and bloating and a shrinking of the testicles and aggressive behavior, among other unpleasant side effects, but they don't increase muscle bulk by themselves.
Steroids speed the healing that is a part of weightlifting, enabling players to push themselves harder during training. Steroids make resistance training more effective.
ADKbrown wrote:
Coincidentally, I came across one answer to my question a few minutes later in a story about Jason Giambi in the NYT:
When Giambi was more open about discussing steroids, he maintained that strength could not make a player hit well. Giambi might not be as strong as he once was, but if he is healthy, he should still have his batting skills.
"A guy doesn't forget how to hit the ball," the second scout said. "I think it's a mental thing now. Steroids only account for, say, 40 home runs going down to 30. It doesn't make you a better hitter; it just gives guys more strength. It certainly doesn't make you hit the ball."
*I believe Wayne has said in other posts that sterioids can improve other batting skills besides power.*