OFF THE HOOK
Stanton takes it easy on Jeter, says no bad blood against Marlins’ CEO
DETROIT — Giancarlo Stanton will be at Yankee Stadium on Monday preparing to play his old team, the Marlins. What he won’t do is check in with Derek Jeter, the minority owner and CEO of the Marlins who dealt Stanton to the Yankees after the power hitting outfielder blocked trades to the Cardinals and Giants.
This week Jet er, who will be in New York City with the Marlins, said it would be awkward for him to enter The Stadium so he will avoid it.
Whether or not Jet er changes his mind — not something Jeter did during his 20-year career in The Bronx — and surfaces at the Stadium, Stanton said he doesn’t carry a grudge toward the former Yankees captain.
“I don’t think there is any crazy bad blood besides what you guys stirred up,’’ Stanton said of media reports that offered details of the blocked trades, Stanton’s desire to wait on tearing the Marlins apart until the halfway point of the season and an ultimatum from Marlins general manager Mike Hill and Jeter that he should pick the Giants or Cardinals quickly or remain in Miami without a supporting cast. “We were very honest with each other in our meetings. That’s the business side of it, but there is no bad blood on this side.’’
When Jeter said it would be awkward to enter the Stadium, he didn’t say why. He has returned to honor former teammates who had their numbers retired. It is possible Jeter would feel uncomfortable as an executive of the team in the visitor’s dugout. Or Jeter didn’t want to become the focus of the Marlins’ two-game visit and understood the Jeter/ Stanton story would be a popular one.
What Stanton will see of his old team won’t resemble the club he played for last season when he was the NL MVP. In addition to trading Stanton, the Marlins have dealt away Dee Gordon, Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich.
“Just like any other game. It’s cool to have a lot of guys I am familiar with. I think it will be a little different when I go to Miami,’’ Stanton said of the Aug. 21-22 Yankees visit to the area he spent eight years playing for bad teams and in front of an ocean of empty seats.
Stanton says he keeps in touch with those who were dealt, the ones who haven’t been as fortunate to escape the losing and the coaching staff he left behind. The Marlins are 4-11 and last in the NL East, and many believe a lock to lose 100 or more games.
CC Sabathia said he doesn’t know how Stanton will react to seeing his former team, but knows it wasn’t an easy situation for him when he faced the Indians for the f irst time. The difference between Saba th ia and Stanton is Sabathia was dealt to the Brewers by the Indians in 2008 and signed as a free agent with the Yankees after that season.
“I pitched against them at Yankee Stadium. It was the home opener. That wasn’t fun,’’ Sabathia recalled of his third start as a Yankee on April 16, 2009, which was the first game played in the current Stadium. “I was looking at all my [former] teammates and the first batter was Grady Sizemore. I was rattled.’’
Sabathia allowed one run, five hits, walked five and struck out four in 5 ²/₃ innings of a 10-2 loss.
Smart ly, Aaron Boone stayed away from speaking for Jeter about not entering the Stadium.
“That’s entirely up to him. I don’t read into it that much,’’ Boone said. “Sure, I can see how it’s awkward, but I also understand he is one of the greatest Yankees ever. It ’s a unique situation, the president now of another club and such an iconic player with our organization but I am not going to speak for Derek as far as his feelings toward it. I can’t relate.’’