How Giancarlo Stanton delivered on promise to his father with Dodger Stadium home run

The 2015 Marlins gave us Dee Gordon’s NL batting title, José Fernández’s return from Tommy John surgery and Dan Jennings’ kooky managerial antics. Beyond that, though, it was a relatively forgettable, non-contending season. After all, the team lost Giancarlo Stanton to a hand injury midway through and didn’t spend a single day above the .500 mark.

However, when Stanton was healthy, he showed unlimited power that no Marlin before or since has matched.

The greatest manifestation of this came May 12 on the road facing the Dodgers. The Southern California native had been uncharacteristically vulnerable leading into the game—0-for-12 with nine strikeouts over the previous three games—but he shook off that mini-slump with one swing against poor Mike Bolsinger, who had just been recalled from the minors.

On Tuesday, the fifth anniversary of this 475-foot dinger, Stanton took to Twitter to share the full backstory (h/t Threader). His tweets have been lightly edited for clarity:

I was 10 yrs old running after batting practice homeruns in the LF bleachers of (Dodger) stadium. Fascinated by the woahs & ahhs of the crowd when they were hit.......

I told my dad that night, “I’m going to hit one completely out of this stadium so I can see their reaction.” He laughed & said now that would be something. I said you WATCH! I hit 4 over-the-fence little league homers in my life at this point.

“3 people had ever hit it out of this stadium & I have 4 homers so I’ll be the 4th,” was probably my logic [crying laughing emoji] Kids say some wild things but I was dead serious. I thought about it every time I’d go there after that.

Over the years, being booed for HR’s in all opposing parks but especially LA always sparks a bursts of unique memories because it reminds me of the opposing hitters my pops would take me to see & want me to be like, as they would get booed rounding the bases as well.

So since I didn’t see it land & i heard a buzz of cheering, I peeked to see if the ball got thrown back which usually sparks cheers. Then the realization Came around 3rd base of what I might’ve just done. I couldn’t believe it, just put my head down with that memory replaying in my mind, could barely jog straight.

I got that crowd reaction 15 years in the making, & My pops was there to WATCH! I went straight to him after the game & we just started laughing!

So I hope there were friends, families, parent & child bonds that were there to enjoy that or any baseball experience as well! Just an awesome moment in my timeline. & thinking about possibly playing with no fans for a bit makes me appreciate this even more.

This was 5 years ago today! [fist emoji]

By the way, the Fish got their asses kicked in this game. Final score: Dodgers 11, Marlins 1.