Parting shots
New Yankee Stanton recalls ‘circus’ years in Miami.
LAKE BUENA VISTA Giancarlo Stanton, wearing his new, pinstriped No. 27 Yankees jersey, had to lean into a podium mic that was too short for his 6-foot-6, 245-pound frame to make sure he was comfortably heard. The topic at hand was an important one.
What would the slugger say to Marlins fans, who after enduring eight consecutive losing seasons and no postseason appearances since 2003 are watching their team enter another rebuild?
“I would say to hang in there,” Stanton said. “[Fans] are hurting. They're going to go through some more tough years, but I would advise them not to give up. Just keep hope. Maybe watch from afar if you're going to watch.”
Stanton, who officially became a Yankee on Monday as his new team completed its trade with the Marlins, did so while taking a few parting shots at the only franchise he had ever known.
Although that included several comments during his introductory news conference at the Winter Meetings, it began on Instagram, after the announcement but before putting on his uniform, when he authored a so-long message to Miami and the Marlins’ fan base.
“Thank you to the Marlins Organization & the amazing city of Miami!” Stanton wrote.
“Thank you to the Marlins Organization & the amazing city of Miami! I’ve loved this place over the years and it will always be special to me.” Giancarlo Stanton
“The city that adopted me at 17 with open arms. I’ve loved this place over the years and it will always be special to me.”
Then came an empathetic verbal elbow.
“I feel for u fans, you’ve stuck with me as we’ve shared some roller coaster years,” Stanton continued. “I’ve always tried to be as professional as possible during the unprofessional, circus times there!”
It was a reference to the Marlins’ previous regime, led by owner Jeffrey Loria and president David Samson, which was marked by off-field controversy and distraction as much as it was on-field failure.
Stanton, a 2007 draft pick of the Marlins, had experienced plenty of that since making it to the majors in 2010, starting right off the bat. About two weeks after Stanton’s debut, Loria fired manager Fredi Gonzalez (who has since returned as the third-base coach).
In eight major league seasons, Stanton played under eight different managers and about as many hitting coaches.
“What I mainly meant is just no structure, no stamp of ‘this is how things are going to be,’” Stanton said, elaborating on his Instagram post. “It's a different direction every spring training. You've got to learn something new. Every spring a different manager, every spring, every middle of the season. So that's mainly what I meant.”
Stanton said that even when he signed his 13-year, $325 million contract he “absolutely” thought that
this day, the day he was eventually traded from the Marlins, would come.
“This has been quite the experience, quite the road to get here,” Stanton said. “When I signed up in Miami, I wanted things to work out, and I had a good vision there, but sometimes things just spiral out of place and you have to find a new home.”
And as Stanton praised the Yankees — their culture and their history — it wasn’t hard to see the juxtaposition of where he came from compared to where he’s going.
The Yankees finished one win shy of the World Series in 2017. Expectations were already great heading into 2018, and they became greater with the acquisition of Stanton.
“That's what I've always dreamed of,” Stanton said. “You always want to be in competitive games that mean something, and your performance means something to the team and the city.”
thealey@sunsentinel.com; @timbhealey