Sports

MLB All-Star 2022 Game: Giancarlo Stanton makes ‘full circle’ appearance as MVP


By Rowan Kavner
FOX Sports MLB Writer

The ball seems to splash Giancarlo StantonThe bat before regaining shape, almost defies physics as it sailed 457 feet into the Los Angeles sunset during the fourth inning on Tuesday.

It eventually fell deep into the left pavilion of Dodger Stadium, right where Stanton used to watch games as a child.

The Yankees‘slugger struggled to explain how special it was to be named the MVP of the All-Star game, 15 miles from where he played high school baseball, in front of about 50 family and friends cheered him on American League 3-2 victory.

“It’s hard to put into words that this is reality,” says Stanton.

Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton Wins MVP Award at MLB All-Star Game

Giancarlo Stanton won the MVP Ted Williams Award at the MLB All-Star Game and reminisced about what attending games at Dodger Stadium and his family meant to him.

Stanton was born in the city of Panorama and attended high school at Notre Dame in nearby Sherman Oaks. The Southern California-born player once drove 30 minutes to Dodger Stadium and sat on the left side of the field, trying to get a handball for him from any player moving off the field.

He idolizes Raul Mondesi’s arm, enjoys watching Hideo Nomo’s pitch and admires Mike Piazza’s strength, but it’s the visiting killers who draw him in. He tries to catch the game when Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds come to town, even if it’s only for an at-bat or two.

“All of that would wrap around in a full circle while I was out there,” Stanton said.

As a high school star, Stanton used to think he could play for the team he grew up watching. Before the 2007 draft, he had conversations with former Dodgers spy George Genovese, who is interested in local produce. Genovese went to the batting cage and took Stanton out to practice. “He said he was trying to convince them,” Stanton recalls.

It doesn’t mean that. Every team overcame Stanton in the first round. He went to Marlins one round later.

“Coulda, shoulda, woulda,” All-Star said five times.

Instead, Stanton continued to torment his hometown team.

In the 23 regular games of his career at Dodger Stadium, Stanton has aggregated a .310 / .362 / .713 cross with nine home runs. One of them, on May 12, 2015, launched a rocket 475 feet to the left of the field and completely out of the stadium. Only five players completed the feat.

Stanton doesn’t want to compare that blast with Mike Bolsinger to his home game on Tuesday against Tony Gonsolinwas also the unlucky person to get the previous homer when leaving the football field when Fernando Tatis Jr. went deep at Dodger Stadium last year.

Stanton, who joined Derek Jeter (2000) and Mariano Rivera (2013), said: “This tournament is also in its own league,” said. “I’ll take them apart and say they’re all special.”

Giancarlo Stanton, Byron Buxton crush the home team in a row

Giancarlo Stanton’s Yankees and Byron Buxton’s twin brothers each hit the hosts deep into the Dodgers’ home net of pitcher Tony Gonsolin in the fourth inning of the MLB All-Star Game.

The last home game came as no surprise to Stanton’s Yankees teammates, who saw him coordinate 24 in the first half of the season. Yankees reliever Clay Holmes said he felt lucky that Stanton was on his side “hit two of his irons.”

Stanton and Aaron Judge became the first off-court duo of the Yankees to start an All-Star game since Dave Winfield and Rickey Henderson in 1988. With the season that Judge is running, blasting 33 home games leads the league. With the game entering the break, it’s easy to overlook the work of other giant sluggers in the Bronx.

“Sometimes it might not work out as well, but he’s always there to get the job done and walk away,” Holmes said. “He hits a lot of difficult balls. There have been quite a few appearances this year. It’s great to be in our squad, especially when he gets to play.”

Stanton’s homer sparked the AL All-Stars, clearing the 2-0 lead. One hit later, Byron Buxton give AL a 3-2 lead, that won’t be missed.

Buxton could tell what the explosion meant to Stanton.

“As long as he talked about it a little bit, he said, ‘I was sitting a few rows away when I was a kid,’ stuff like that,” Buxton said. “It’s one of those things. You couldn’t be happier for him to be able to do what he did, hit a two-round homer to draw a game he used to be a kid and watch the game. fight.”

That’s exactly what Judge expected.

On the flight to Los Angeles, Stanton told Judge he was going to “get one” back on the soccer field at home. Stanton defeated in his first match with Sandy Alcantara. He did not miss in his second.

“When the lights are at their brightest, that’s what you want to do,” says Stanton. “That’s what the fans come to see. It’s what we work tirelessly for hours. It’s great to be able to put it together.”

Given their synergies and Stanton’s major tournament experience, Judge said he’s leaned on his teammates, giving careful consideration to how different pitchers might strike. The strong Yankees duo had their own home derby in batting practice before the All-Star game.

Stanton won.

“He hit all the line drives, just like we saw in the game,” Judge said.

The backdrop of Stanton’s MVP performance added a bonus. He booked Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium “up there with anything personal” that he finished in the game.

And it may not be his last chance to make memories at Dodger Stadium this year. The Dodgers and Yankees each led their respective leagues at the break. When asked if he thought about the possibility of the two teams meeting in the World Series, Stanton didn’t hesitate.

“Have I ever thought about it?” he asked directly, knowing the answer. “Sure.”

Rowan Kavner covers the Dodgers and NL West for FOX Sports. A proud LSU alumnus, he credits his time as a sports writer and editor at The Daily Reveille for preparing him for a career that spans the NFL, NBA and MLB. Prior to joining FOX, he worked as an editor for the Dodgers print and digital publications. When not at the stadium or watching sports, Rowan enjoys playing with her dog, hiking, running, golfing, and reminiscing about the Mavs 2011 championship run. You can find him on Twitter at @Rowan Kavner.


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