Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton is 24 and starting his fourth full season, yet he has seniority among the players in Miami’s starting lineup.
Stanton spoke today about the state of the team, his expectations and other topics. First thing on the docket is playing on a winning team and ending a three-year streak of finishing last in the NL East.
“I’m competitive,” he said. “I don’t take losing well, I’m not a loser. That’s not what I’m accustomed too, that’s not what I like to do. This obviously hasn’t been ideal so far and I don’t want a career like that. We have to push forward and start turning it around.”
Will this be year the Marlins start to move forward? Stanton said he likes the offseason additions, which were primarily C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 1B Garrett Jones, 2B Rafael Furcal, 3B Casey McGehee. When asked about being encouraged by the Red Sox worst-to-World Series title last season, he warned the Marlins are not the Red Sox.
“Completely different, different situation, different scenario,” he said. “You see it can be done then again we have to do it. We can’t say look at this and just sit back and think we are going to do it. Now you have to go about the process and be able to know what it takes to get there.”
Stanton’s numbers dipped last year to .249/24/62, all lows for a full season. One reason was he played in just 116 games because of various injuries.
“If you’re there the whole season you don’t have to worry about home runs and average,” he said. “It’s the little out for three weeks, out for this long. … that sets you back on everything, sets your timing back, sets everything back.”
Stanton did some traveling during the offseason but the best thing he did happened not far from his Southern California home. Stanton had seats on the 50-yard line for the BCS title game between FSU and Auburn at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
“I travel all the time, I don’t go to too many championship games that were like that,” said Stanton, who said he has no rooting interest. “I wanted a good game and I did get a good game. I liked the whole thing because you saw the twists and comeback the last minute.”
He was impressed with FSU QB Jameis Winston and even more curious about Winston because of his skills as a pitcher. Stanton has only seen Winston’s arm while throwing a football and throwing from right field but said it would “be cool” to face him.
Stanton just hopes Winston, who is FSU’s closer, is not overdoing it.
“I was just kind of worried if he relaxed that arm a little bit,” he said. “I understand being competitive but that’s a long season. I hope he’s taking care of it.”
