Giancarlo Stanton stepped into the batter’s box to face live pitching Thursday at spring training, an annual rite that is ordinarily accompanied by a minimum of fanfare. But this is Giancarlo Stanton, who hasn’t faced live pitching since his 2014 season ended last September with a frightening beaning.
Stanton, the broken bones in his face healed, is planning to protect himself further by adding a face guard to his batting helmet. But this isn’t just any grill, it’s a personalized “G” that is the first of its kind in baseball.
It’s a carbon-steel facemask, one that goes form $500-$1,000 and, while it might be a little distracting, it might just give Stanton, who sustained multiple fractures and dental injuries when he was hit by a pitch Sept. 11 in Milwaukee, peace of mind.
“I look forward to hitting off live pitching,” Stanton said. “I don’t look forward to it anymore than in years past. What happened to me isn’t one of my focuses to get past. I’m just looking at this as a normal spring training. As long as I keep that, I’ll be fine.”
Stanton, who led the National League with 37 home runs last year, made headlines earlier this week for a Sports Illustrated cover in which he is far less protected. He’s wearing only body paint.
After spending most of her career in traditional print sports journalism, Cindy began blogging and tweeting, first as NFL/Redskins editor, and, since August 2010, at The Early Lead. She also is the social media editor for Sports.
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