11 Dec Getting to know The Newest New York Yankee Giancarlo Stanton
This past weekend the New York Yankees acquired Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marliins. Stanton hit .281/.376/.631 with 59 home runs, 132 RBI, 85 walks and 123 runs scored in 159 games for the Marlins in 2017, the most home runs hit by any major league player in 16 seasons. He was named National League Most Valuable Player in November, beating Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto in one of the closest MVP votes ever by the BBWAA.
Born: November 8, 1989 Panorama City, California
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 240 pounds
Descent: Irish, African-American, and Puerto Rican
Contract: The 13-year, $325-million contract that Stanton signed on Nov. 19, 2014 is the most lucrative in North American team sports history, passing previous record-holder Alex Rodriguez’s 10-year, $275 million deal with the Yankees. For 13 years, unless Stanton opts out after the 2020 season, he’ll earn an average of $68,493.15 every day, $2,853.88 every hour, $47.56 every minute and 79.27 cents every second.
Favorite Baseball Player Growing up: Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez
Favorite Professional ball player: Lebron James
What’s the story with your name. Are you Mike or Giancarlo? I have a lot of names. I’m called Mike by my father, Cruz by my mother and Mikey by a lot of relatives. I went by Giancarlo when I started elementary school, switched to Mike in the fifth grade and then went back to Giancarlo in 2012.
What are your hobbies outside of baseball? Stanton: I don’t have too many. I just like to rest and relax and catch up with friends when I’m not at the ballpark. We are here 8-10 hours a day, so there isn’t much of a gap to do other things. I like history and animals and things like that, too.
What were some of the most important lessons you have learned from playing baseball? Stanton: Not to think too much, not to jump to conclusions too much. It’s a failure game; you fail the majority of the time — more than you are technically successful. Just patience — it’s always a thing that you battle with and something you need to learn, but it will come.
What are your favorite and least-favorite parts of being a professional baseball player? Stanton: I do what I love every day. If there’s anything not to like, it’s being away from your friends and family for so long. But, at the same time, it’s fun for them to come to new cities that they’ve never seen. There’s not much you can complain about — you’re a Major League Baseball player, you’re getting paid to play a game. People want to be you, wish they could do what you do. There are some complaints here and there, but there really aren’t any significant ones.