LOS ANGELES — All that remains is to write the end of the fairy tale.
Otherwise, Giancarlo Stanton couldn’t have written a better script.
In his 15th year in the major leagues, he finally reached the pinnacle of his sport, making his first appearance in the World Series. And the team standing in his way is the one he grew up rooting for, the mighty Dodgers.
“It doesn’t get any bigger than this in our sport,” Stanton said Thursday at Dodger Stadium. “It’s everything you dream of in a match and everything you would want.”
The designated hitter attended nearby Verdugo Hills and Notre Dame high schools and often attended Dodgers games as a kid.
He looked up to a number of power hitters, from Mark McGwire, Mike Piazza and Gary Sheffield to Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds.
“My favorite moments here were probably the little things,” Stanton recalled. “Going to batting practice, I hear the sound of a bat in an empty stadium. Going to the outfield to play catch is where I learned my big league depth perception. And fighting scalpers, trying to get a ticket and buy peanuts.”
He sure looked comfortable in his hometown.
Through 25 games during his career at Dodger Stadium, Stanton has 10 home runs, 26 RBI and a .309 average in 25 games.
One of those homers, hit on May 12, 2015, left the stadium entirely at 475 feet.
He was also the MVP of the 2022 All-Star Game at Chavez Ravine.
“That Cali air, man,” Stanton, baseball’s active leader with 429 long balls, said with a smile. “I grew up with it.”
This month hit all climates.
In New York, Kansas City and Cleveland, Stanton was an offensive force, producing massive hits — he had five homers and 11 RBIs — and was often on base.
But this is not the goal.
Stanton has said several times since the Yankees reached the Fall Classic for the first time in 15 years last Saturday.
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“I’ve got a few more games to play well,” Stanton said. “I can’t worry about the past.”
When the streak became official, when the Dodgers beat the Mets on Sunday night, Stanton said he turned off the phone.
He didn’t want the distractions that come with coming home on such a big stage.
This is still a business trip.
But the fact that he’ll make his World Series debut Friday night in the ballpark he frequented as a kid isn’t lost on him.
“It means everything to be here,” he said. “This is the most amazing time I’ve had [playing baseball]and it sure is a special time to be here.”