GIAMBI IS CITED FOR MJ POSSESSION

A's outfielder Jeremy Giambi [brother of Jason, who just signed with the
Yanks] was cited for a misdemeanor after marijuana was found in his bag
Monday at the Las Vegas airport, authorities said yesterday.

Giambi, 28, must appear in Clark County Justice Court in January after Las
Vegas Metro police, alerted by security officials at McCarran International
Airport, found about a half-ounce of marijuana in his bag, a police
spokesman said.

A's officials declined to comment yesterday.

His father, John Giambi, said, "It was a mistake. It doesn't change how we
feel about who he is. All of us are concerned. He's a great kid. To put it
in perspective, at least he didn't get in a car crash and do a lot of bad
things he could have done as a result."

For his part, Jason Giambi said of his brother, "I don't know much about it.

I'll talk about it later."

Clark County District Attorney Stewart Bell said while he had not received
a copy of the citation, he believed Giambi could face more serious
repercussions with Major League Baseball. "It's a different ballpark, no
pun intended," Bell said.

Speaking generally, Richard Levin, senior vice president of Major League
Baseball, said the first time a player has a drug problem, "We have him get
immediate help in concert with the players' union. Any subsequent problem
is subject to discipline."

Chronicle staff writer Susan Slusser contributed to this report.