Audio By Carbonatix
The Miami Marlins are not off to a very hot start. Sure, they have a brand-spanking-new stadium, uniforms, and home-run sculpture thing. But none of those things has produced hits or runs or many wins. One of the bigger letdowns has been the lack of hitting and power from outfielder Giancarlo Stanton. With his quick swing and ability to mash baseballs out into the stratosphere, Stanton was expected to have a breakout season this year. But so far, he’s fizzled.
It could just be a case of a young ballplayer getting off to a slow start. But our guess is it’s because he changed his name. Stanton, whose full name is Giancarlo Cruz-Michael Stanton, used to go by Mike. And as Mike, he finished the 2010 season with an OPB of .326, with 22 home runs. Last year, he hit 34 dingers while recording a .356 OBP. Then, in the off-season, he switched to Giancarlo. The result: a paltry .288 OBP and just one single homer so far this season. So, clearly, the stats show that “Giancarlo” isn’t working out. And yes, we know it’s only May, but damn, that’s messed up.
Go back to Mike, Giancarlo! It’s your only hope!
Fri., May 11, 1:05 p.m., 2012
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