See Giancarlo Stanton Hit Home Run, Dent TV Camera
Miami Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton continued his record-setting home run pace on Monday, crushing his league-leading 53rd round-tripper of the season. It was, though, the first time that he managed to strike the camera in center field, destroying the lens.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen,” the cameraman told Fox Sports Florida. “I just wanted it to be in focus when it got there.”
The home run puts Stanton at the same 162-game pace that Roger Maris was at when he hit 61 home runs in 1961. Both he and Stanton had 53 home runs through 135 games. The single-season home run record is 73, set by Barry Bonds in 2001 – though many have discounted that number because of steroid controversy surrounding Bonds’ career numbers.
It is worth noting, however, that Stanton has asked Bonds for guidance as his home run total rises. Bonds was the Marlins’ hitting coach last season. Stanton has hit 33 of his 53 home runs since July 5th, and needs just eight more to tie Maris.
.@Giancarlo818 likes hitting in @Marlins Park & also likes hitting *things* at the stadium. @CraigMinervini inspects the camera Big G busted pic.twitter.com/8XFUePLOcf
— FOX Sports Florida (@FOXSportsFL) September 5, 2017
Stanton’s home run on Monday may not have been a mammoth blast – it didn’t even travel 400 feet. But every homer that Stanton hits now is noteworthy. And even as the Marlins sit a little too far out of contention, Stanton has made a very legitimate case to be the National League MVP. After all, he is on a path of destruction that spares no one and nothing, not even the television cameras.