LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Under different circumstances, Giancarlo Stanton might have raised his new pinstriped jersey, with No. 27 on the back, and explained that the “2” was for Derek Jeter and the “7” for Mickey Mantle. He could have talked about idolizing Jeter and hoping to belt homers like Mantle.
The truth is that Stanton has worn 27 throughout his career, grew up rooting for Mark McGwire and does not know much about Yankees sluggers before Alex Rodriguez. His motivation for accepting a trade from the Miami Marlins was the current group of Yankees, a young and appealing roster that nearly won a pennant this fall.