MIAMI - Giancarlo Stanton stood on the Miami Marlins field Wednesday and scanned a sea of empty seats, mindful the stands look much the same at games.He had just signed a record $325 million, 13-year contract and conceded he wasnt certain he should have agreed to the deal.There was no 100 per cent sure answer, Stanton said. But the decision is made. Once you make your decision, you go all-in with it.The slugger hit the jackpot, landing the most lucrative contract for an American athlete and the longest in baseball history. Stanton accepted the deal after cost-conscious owner Jeffrey Loria pledged to put together a contending team that will finally transform Miami into a baseball town.Stanton and South Florida have heard such talk before.You cant keep saying, Were going to win this year. Were going to do it this year, Stanton said. Im sick of hearing that. Everyone is sick of hearing that. Its doing something about it.At a news conference, Loria said signing Stanton is part of a long-range plan that began with the Marlins most recent payroll purge two years ago.Our goal was to start fresh, Loria said. It wasnt popular, but we had to do it. We wanted to create a long-term system around young players who would build their entire career with us.General manager Dan Jennings said the team plans to pursue multiyear contracts this off-season with several other young players, including right hander Jose Fernandez, centre fielder Marcell Ozuna, left fielder Christian Yelich and shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria.Such deals will be possible for the historically low-payroll franchise only because of the way Stantons contract is structured. He readily agreed to a heavily backloaded agreement, and will make just $6.5 million in 2015, the same as this year. His salary doesnt peak until 2023, when hell make $32 million.The agreement wouldnt have happened without such structuring, team president David Samson said. He said the Marlins anticipate better attendance and a more lucrative TV package will make Stantons contract affordable.Loria wants to be around for the franchise turnaround. His popularity with fans has plummeted in recent years, but he has no plans to sell the team, Samson said.Hes in it with Miami for the long run, because he loves it, Samson said.While Kevin Brown was the first player to break the $100 million barrier in 1998 and Alex Rodriguez became the first to top $200 million just two years later, it took 14 more years to produce baseballs first $300 million man.Stanton did a double take when asked if the amount of deal was embarrassing to him.Embarrassing to me? Not exactly, he said. I know I have a lot of expectations to live up to, which I need to do and am willing to do. This isnt like a lottery ticket. This is the start of new work and a new job. Its a huge responsibility, and one Im willing to take.Stanton took the podium for his news conference wearing a tailored blue suit and a grin, showing no signs of the beaning that ended his season Sept. 11. He hasnt hit a ball since but said hell return to the batting cage beginning in mid-December in his native California.Ill probably take a moment before I get into that box, but itll be good, he said. Im excited for it.The Marlins said theyre not concerned the injuries will have lingering effects.Stanton, who turned 25 on Nov. 8, wasnt due to become eligible for free agency until after the 2016 season. When negotiations on his mega-deal began, Stanton said he was more concerned about the front offices plans for improving the roster than about his financial terms.Despite 154 home runs from Stanton, the Marlins have finished with a losing record in each of his five seasons, including three last-place finishes.They had the contract there, and I put it aside and said, Listen, what are we going to do to make this better? Im financially good for the rest of my life. Great. But Im not coming here to get my butt kicked for 10 hours every day and then going home to a lavish lifestyle. Thats not fun for me.He said he didnt seek advice from players on other teams about whether to accept the Marlins offer.Everyone sees the dollar sign and theyre like, What are you waiting for? No one could relate to how I felt over the years. So I had to do this on my own.Topics of the negotiations included the dimensions at Marlins Park, which Stanton considers too big. The walls are staying where they are in 2015, but the Marlins havent ruled out moving them in eventually.The final hurdle in the discussions was an opt-out clause, which the Marlins accepted and Stanton described as my fail-safe. He can part with the Marlins after making $107 million over the first six years of the deal. It also includes a no-trade clause.In the end, Stanton called the decision to say yes the toughest of his life.This is 13 years, he said. I didnt even go to school for 13 years.He signed the agreement at the start of the news conference, Loria at his side.Im glad to be here for my foreseeable future, Stanton said.The occasion attracted nearly 100 members of the media, a sign interest in the Marlins already is on the rise. Cheap Air Max 90 Wholesale .J. -- Kyle Palmieri thrilled his personal rooting section with an overtime winner that sent the Anaheim Ducks to their seventh straight win. Cheap Air Max 200 . Dillon Brooks scored 26 points on 9-17 shooting for Canada while pulling down six rebounds and picking up six steals. Teammate Chris Egi had 20 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. http://www.airmaxsneakersonsale.com/cheap-air-max-90.html . Louis Blues, having added Ryan Miller and Steve Ott from Buffalo, remain the No. China Wholesale Air Max 90 . Rodriguez, who has steadfastly denied using banned substances while with the New York Yankees, made the decision nearly four weeks after arbitrator Fredric Horowitz largely upheld the discipline issued last summer by baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. "I think its a good move for him," former Commissioner Fay Vincent said. Air Max Sneakers On Sale . This weeks topics include his take on the Kevin Pillar incident, All-Star snubs, the firing of Padres general manager Josh Byrnes and more.MIAMI -- Miscommunication between Colorado Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa and catcher Wilin Rosario had Miami Marlins fans booing in the fifth inning of Mondays season opener. Rockies manager Walt Weiss was unhappy, too. Weiss addressed the issue in a 15-minute meeting with his pitcher and catcher after the Rockies gave up 14 hits and lost 10-1. De La Rosa lasted only 4 1-3 innings and allowed five runs in his first opening-day start. He drew jeers during the Marlins five-run fifth when he stepped off the rubber several times, and he said he had trouble with Rosarios change in signals made with a runner at second base. "He called a lot of my games last year," De La Rosa said. "Today we probably were not on the same page. I still like him. Thats all I can say." Weiss said the postgame meeting helped. "There were some miscommunications," he said. "Weve got to get it straightened out." Jose Fernandez struck out nine and allowed one run in six innings, and Marlins newcomer Casey McGehee drove in four runs with two doubles. The sellout crowd of 37,116 was the largest for the attendance-challenged Marlins since their new ballpark opened two years ago. The 21-year-old Fernandez earned the victory while becoming the youngest NL opening-day starter since Dwight Gooden in 1986, according to STATS. And he picked up where he left off last season, when he went 12-6 and was voted NL Rookie of the Year. "I didnt know how I was going to react to opening day," he said. "But it came out great." Carlos Gonzalez homered for the Rockies in the sixth. "Hes going to have a monster year," Weiss said. But by the time Gonzalez connected, the Rockies trailed 6-0. Even he tipped his cap to Fernandez. "When a guy like that is pitching, you exppect that kind of game," Gonzalez said.dddddddddddd "Hes one of the best." The Rockies, who began their first season since 1996 without retired first baseman Todd Helton, could have used his pop. His replacement, Justin Morneau, went 1 for 4. Michael Cuddyer, who won the NL batting title in 2013, went 2 for 4. Fernandezs strikeout total matched Josh Becketts team record for an opener. Fernandez threw 73 strikes and only 21 balls to 23 batters. The crowd included Fernandezs grandmother Olga, who lives in Cuba. She saw him pitch for the first time since he left that country at age 15. Her grandson improved to 10-0 in 16 career starts at Marlins Park with an ERA of 1.21. "She told me, Good pitching. Youve got to throw a lot more strikes, though," Fernandez said. He threw plenty, given his improved run support. The Marlins, who finished last in the majors in most offensive categories last year, totalled 14 hits while scoring in double figures, something they did only four times in 2013. Marcell Ozuna homered, doubled, singled and scored twice. Giancarlo Stanton had an RBI infield single and a run-scoring double. Adeiny Hechavarria singled three times and drove in a run. NOTES: Marlins INF Rafael Furcal, who began the season on the DL with a strained left hamstring, said he expects to play five or six games on a rehabilitation assignment. He hopes to be activated around April 14. ... Weiss had two hits and two RBIs when he started at SS in the Marlins first game 21 years ago. ... The Marlins bid for back to back no-hitters ended with the second batter, when Cuddyer singled. Henderson Alvarez pitched a no-hitter for Miami on the final day of last season. ... Miamis Nathan Eovaldi is scheduled to start against Brett Anderson on Tuesday. ' ' '