The most powerful hitter in baseball rarely appears in Toronto.
So with the Miami Marlins making a visit at the Rogers Centre, Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae sat down for a 1-on-1 interview with all-star slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who leads MLB with 21 home runs entering play Wednesday.
Here are our four takeaways from the sit-down with Stanton:
Finally over the blockbuster trade with Toronto: Stanton initially expressed his displeasure when the Marlins shipped veterans Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson and others in a 12-player deal with the Toronto Blue Jays in Nov. 2012. However, his view on the team’s direction has changed — especially with Adeiny Hechavarria developing at shortstop — and now Stanton is embracing the Marlins’ commitment to youth.
“It took years to develop,” Stanton said. “We got the knee-jerk reaction right away and (now) we understand baseball takes guys time to get used to the big leagues. We’re a couple years later and seeing the payoff now.”
It took him some time, though. He even admitted that he was hesitant to sign a contract extension because of the club’s previous handling of veterans.
“I wanted to make sure that this wasn’t another one of those quick fixes and then disperse,” he said.
Never thought about being a two-sport athlete: Stanton was recruited to play football for the University of Southern California by then-coach Pete Carroll, but he never seriously considered pulling a Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders. Rather, Stanton preferred to focus on one sport (he obviously chose baseball) and master it on a full-time basis.
“I didn’t (want to be a multi-sport athlete in the pros),” he said. “I wanted to be a pro athlete. I knew that. It would’ve taken me a little longer if I wasn’t full-year round in baseball. I like the decision I chose.”
Stanton’s decision certainly paid off financially, as the Marlins outfielder signed a 13-year contract worth a total of $325 million this past November.
His favourite all-time dinger: Stanton has made a career out of hitting the long bomb throughout his six MLB seasons, but the favourite home run of his career came earlier this season when he mashed a ball out of Dodger Stadium. It wasn’t just the physical size of the home run — it was estimated at 475 feet — but it was the location that held a special place in his heart.
“Growing up (in Southern California), I sat in left field for years,” Stanton explained. “I’ve watched (batting practice) and to be able to hit it all the way out (of the park) was something special.”
No lingering effects from last year’s incident: Stanton avoided a career-altering injury after taking a pitch to the face from Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Mike Fiers in Sept. 2014. Stanton reportedly suffered a facial laceration that required stitches, multiple facial fractures and dental damage, but one year later, he said there are no serious lingering effects from the horrifying incident.
“I remember the ball halfway to me and then I’m on the ground pretty much,” Stanton recalled. “(It) felt like I only had gums on one side. Don’t know why I had that feeling. My mouth was full of blood, headache, ears ringing.”
“Little scar here,” he said as he pointed to his cheek. “Some dental work and as good as new.”
