JUPITER, Fla. _ The nameplate above No. 27's Marlins clubhouse locker looked like a prank about the Marlins' brightest young outfielder. It read "Giancarlo Stanton."
And, heaven knows, the Marlins have a short, strange history with malleable nomenclature (see: "Nunez, Leo").
This was no prank, but an official embracing of an official name. Giancarlo Cruz Michael Stanton is now "Giancarlo Stanton" on the Marlins roster and in your program this season.
Baseball aficionados have known Stanton at least by surname since 2010 as a power-hitting prospect. "Mike" Stanton continued to grow into his potential last season with 34 home runs and 87 RBI with a less starry lineup around him in the batting order than he will have this season.
Those who knew Stanton through elementary school knew him as "Giancarlo." Or, however they could manage to say it.
"No one could pronounce it right," Stanton told The Associated Press. "Everyone thought it was two words. Gene-carlo, Juan-carlo, Gionne-carlo. You have seven periods in school, so seven times a day: 'No, that's not the name.' "
Making "Mike" the preferred first name "was just easier," he told the AP. "If you can't pronounce that, then there's something wrong with you."
Around camp
Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said no pitchers have sustained injury recovery setbacks so far, and Josh Johnson will start Monday against the Cardinals; Mark Buehrle will start Tuesday's split squad exhibition at Marlins Park against the University of Miami; and Ricky Nolasco will start Wednesday's split-squad exhibition at Marlins Park against FIU.
Statistically, there's no Sports Illustrated cover jinx. The more superstitious Marlins fans should repeat that to themselves as the March 4 issue of the magazine gets yanked out of mailboxes and off newsstand racks.
"Marlinsanity?" asks the cover over a picture of laughing Marlins newcomers, manager Ozzie Guillen and shortstop Jose Reyes. The subhead hints at instability with phrases such as "binge spending;" "psychedelic park;" "mad new talent;" and "baseball mania."
Don't look for the Marlins to waste time on the field. Guillen said if the players bear down in practicing the various facets of the game, there's no point for repetition for repetition's sake.
"I'm not going to be out there four or five hours just so my bosses can say, 'Look how hard he's working,' " Guillen said. "Why do you have to stay there for five hours? Then they don't want to come back the next day and perform. We've got to get ready for the season, and we're doing it. You're there for four hours, everybody's going to be sore, boring, the players don't want to come back ...
"The quicker we do the fundamentals, the quicker we leave. You start playing around with the fundamentals, don't pay attention, do it your way, then I don't mind staying here until 5 o'clock in the afternoon. I don't have anything to do here except see my wife and watch TV. The players will dictate how long we're going to be on the field."