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Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton has been red-hot at the plate, and he took a swing at some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton has been red-hot at the plate, and he took a swing at some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: What does Mother’s Day mean to you?
A: Every strong man needs a strong woman behind him, right, or to show him the way. It’s a special day, and it helps you appreciate everything my mom has done for me.
Q: Can you describe her, Jacinta Garry, as a lady?
A: She’s very outgoing when you know her. She loves to show her style when she dresses, and just always laughing and having a good time.
Q: How would you describe the Yankee Way?
A: Professional. Do everything the right way and more. … The ideal way.
Q: How is playing in New York and being a New York Yankee different than what you imagined or expected?
A: I would say the importance of every day. The end-of-the-year result is obviously what we want to do, but the everyday expectation is just as important to represent the Yankee Way.
Q: How do you deal with the expectations and the pressure?
A: You have to try to understand it, and welcome it, and find it in yourself to deal with the negatives and enjoy the positives … enjoy full circle and not get too high, not get too low.
Q: What drives you?
A: Mastering this crazy thing called life. I live a very unique and crazy life, and a lot of challenges every day. And I enjoy the new challenge of the day, and no matter how you feel, you still have a challenge in front of you, and you have to figure that out, and a new math problem, a new chess match every day, and you have to master it no matter the physical feeling.
Q: What is your mentality in the batter’s box?
A: One to two simple thoughts … you’re invincible if you master your plan and not fall into his.
Q: Do you think about 500 home runs by the time you’re finished playing?
A: Depending on how long I can play, I could get to 500, yes.
Q: Will you participate in this year’s Home Run Derby given how much fun you had winning it in 2016?
A: I’m not sure. I will definitely do another Hone Run Derby. This one, I haven’t made that decision.
Q: Do you want to finish your career in New York as a Yankee?
A: Yes. … I have unfinished business here, and I obviously wanted to come here, otherwise I wouldn’t have accepted the trade. Just the way that you need to present and succeed is the ultimate goal here. You work to be the best, and this is the best organization, so now you have to put that together on the field and be the best at the end of the year.
Q: What do you like best about this Yankees team?
A: We have unfinished business. We all have a chip on our shoulder, and it’s been a few years with the same result. We’re all in it together. It’s not like it’s a new turnover of a team, it’s just the same guys that have battled the past few years and need to get over the hump.
Q: Whatever comes to mind: DJ LeMahieu?
A: Unreal.
Q: Aaron Judge?
A: He’s just fun to watch. Anything he does on the baseball field is a sight to see.
Q: Gerrit Cole?
A: He is the same, a dog. He loves the competition and he loves the cat-and-mouse of pitching. He’s a student in that regard, and I love to see him dissect the other lineups.
Q: Aroldis Chapman?
A: Probably the most uncomfortable looks I’ve seen of major league batters getting into the box.
Q: Corey Kluber?
A: The Carver. He’s just up there carving an art piece in the strike zone.
Q: Giancarlo Stanton?
A: I’ll let the viewers decide, I’ll let other people talk about that.
Q: Hitting in the 2-hole?
A: I enjoy it. It’s interesting your different numbers overall in each spot, but to me it’s all the same. I enjoy ’em all.
Q: If you could pick the brain of any slugger in MLB history, who would it be?
A: I have been lucky enough to say hello and chat with Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, so I would have said those guys.
Q: If you could test your skills against one pitcher in MLB history?
A: Cy Young, to show how the game’s evolved since then and (chuckle) how I think the guys currently are better than he was.
Q: What’s your favorite all-time Yogi Berra quote?
A: (Laugh) I like, “Baseball is 90 percent mental, and the other half is physical.”
Q: What was it like meeting Vin Scully?
A: Childhood dreams of having him say my name in a [Dodgers] broadcast, and just listening to him describe helped me fall in love with the game.
Q: Meeting and befriending Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson?
A: Another childhood idol … a dream of mine to meet him … the fact that he’s everything and more of a person in generosity and just an overall amazing guy. Even better that he was my idol growing up.
Q: Have you been to Ground Zero?
A: I have.
Q: What was that like?
A: Pretty unreal. Just being in the presence and you feel that aura. … It looked incredible what they’ve done there, but just obviously what happened … and where I was as a kid at that time and not being able to put two and two together. That’s what I really need to think about the most, is understanding the severity and what’s actually going on at the age that I was. Being here, living here now and representing the city, it’s an amazing feeling. It puts everything into perspective much more of the tragedy.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Cleopatra, Martin Luther King [Jr.], Muhammad Ali.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Remember the Titans.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Leonardo DiCaprio.
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Scarlett Johansson.
Q: Favorite singer/entertainer?
A: Lil Wayne.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Tacos.
Q: What about In-N-Out Burger?
A: Yeah, In-N-Out’s close, but you give me a last meal ever, I gotta go for some tacos and some sweets, some Cinnabons and some Oreo shake.
Q: What’s left on your bucket list?
A: I need to go to new places in the world. … I’ve been to Egypt, it’s technically Africa, but I need to see some wild animals on safari.
Q: Where’s the best New York City pizza?
A: My favorite is Mama’s Too.
Q: What’s it like being one of New York’s most eligible bachelors?
A: It’s nice, and it also allows me to focus on being the best baseball player I can be.
Q: You’ve been described as a better person than a baseball player.
A: Means I gotta be a better baseball player (laugh). I’m fine with that.
This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Steve Serby
