Stanton Would Accept Invite to HR Derby

Marlins' slugger being targeted by NL HR Derby captain Matt Kemp

Giancarlo Stanton caught the attention of many when he won the NL Player of the Month award in May. One person's particular attention means he could find himself on the NL team for the Home Run Derby during the All-Star break.

NL Derby team captain Matt Kemp said on TV Tuesday Stanton and Dodgers teammate Andre Ethier would be two of his picks for the Derby. Each league gets four hitters.

Stanton told the Miami Herald Tuesday that he would welcome the chance to represent the Marlins, but he has not received any call from Kemp yet. "It would be fun," he said. "I watched it last year and it looked like a great time."

Stanton has 13 home runs through the first 54 games of the season, tied for fourth in the NL with Philadelphia's Hunter Pence. All but one of Stanton's homers came in May, when he posted and OPS of 1.201 and "carried this ballclub," in the words of Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen .

Teammate Logan Morrison offered to be Stanton's "towel boy," to the delight of metaphor enthusiasts everywhere. "He wants to dab me up and give me Gatorade," Stanton said. "I told him if he puts some makeup on and gets a wig, I'll let him do it."

Morrison replied that he's game. " "I'll be in Kansas City anyway," he said. "Hopefully he can hook me up with a field pass and I can be his towel boy, maybe a towel girl. Whatever he likes."

If Stanton gets to All-Star Weekend, though, it probably won't be through the vote. In tallies released Tuesday, Stanton was not listed among the top 15 outfielders receiving fan votes.

"The people who vote for All-Stars it's all about the most popular players," Guillen said Tuesday. ""There are people on the DL who are still among the top vote [getters]."

Guillen went on, showing a knowing sense of awareness. "You can't control it. You're famous in baseball when you do stupid things. Ask me about it. When you're good they're like 'OK, whatever.' When you do some stupid things, that's the first highlight you read. A lot of people didn't even know he was player of the month."

Shortstop Jose Reyes is currently third among shortstops, and Omar Infante is fourth among second basemen. Fan voting results determine positional starters, while reserves and pitchers are chosen by players, managers, and coaches.

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