Stanicek is an alumnus of Rich East High School in Park Forest, Illinois and Stanford University.

He spent the 1986 season with the class A Hagerstown Suns, being selected as second baseman for Carolina League's end-of-season All Star Team.

His sixth-inning leadoff single was his first MLB hit, but he was stranded by the next three batters, brothers Billy and Cal Ripken Jr. and Eddie Murray.

The losing streak came to end April 29 at Comiskey Park in Chicago, with Stanicek batting leadoff and collecting two hits in a 9-0 Baltimore victory.

But he was plagued by injuries, and the 1990 season, which Stanicek spent between Hagerstown and Rochester in the minors, turned out to be his last in professional baseball.