Adrian Gonzalez News & Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

January 8

Boston Herald

"For all the reasons the Red Sox should be better in 2012 than they were in 2011, here's one that probably deserves a little more attention: Adrian Gonzalez' power. The first baseman had an outstanding Red Sox debut any way you slice it — winning Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards, and nearly adding a batting title after hitting .338. But he managed "just" 27 home runs, his lowest total since 2006, when he hit 24 for the Padres in his first season as a starter. That number is fairly shocking considering that Gonzalez had averaged 34 homers a season during his final four years in San Diego, where he played half of his games in spacious Petco Park, the most extreme pitcher's park in"

Adrian Gonzalez looks for answers

October 20

Boston Herald

"Until the season's dying breath, Adrian Gonzalez maintained his unyielding faith that the Red Sox would snap out of a monthlong free fall and sneak into the playoffs. Three weeks later, he still seeks a reason for why that didn't happen. Gonzalez hasn't found it in reports of the in-game beer-drinking habit of three pitchers or the disclosure of deposed manager Terry Francona's personal demons. The All-Star first baseman looks within, pondering injuries that limited him to one RBI in the last seven games, and refuses to make excuses. "I've talked to (second baseman Dustin) Pedroia a lot, talked to (center fielder) Jacoby (Ellsbury) a lot, and we're all disappointed," Gonzalez said"

Adrian Gonzalez tries to set record straight

October 14

Boston Herald

"Adrian Gonzalez learned long ago that there's no point in trying to win the war of words once his quotes are in the media. So the Red Sox slugger hasn't rushed to defend himself after being criticized over comments at the end of the season in which he blamed the team's travel schedule — which included a number of night games on getaway days — as a cause of fatigue. But in a recent interview with San Diego sports radio station XX1090, Gonzalez shed some light on what he was thinking. "I know I am taking a little bit of heat for the scheduling part, but that wasn't something I did on my own," Gonzalez said. "The writer came up to me and said, 'Has the schedule been tough on you this year?' I"

Terry Francona's departure a 'surprise' to Adrian Gonzalez

October 4

Boston Herald

"Adrian Gonzalez was not expecting Terry Francona to be fired. "Francona leaving did catch me by surprise," Gonzalez wrote in an email this weekend. "I said it at (the) end of (the) year: He was a good manager, calm at all times and never showed panic. I only got to be around him this year, so I don't have anything to compare from past years and know if there was any difference this year. He is a great person and fun to be around." Asked to assess the impact Francona had on the clubhouse and Francona's take that some players were not focused entirely or sufficiently on winning games, Gonzalez responded: "On his assessment on clubhouse, again I was not around before so I don't have anything"

Gonzalez preaches patience

September 18

Boston Globe

"After the Red Sox suffered a staggering 4-3 loss yesterday to the Rays, it was apparent the team was pressing to make something happen. Adrian Gonzalez, most of all. The first baseman, who had been such a catalyst when the Sox stumbled out of the blocks at the beginning of the season, tried to do the same as the team desperately attempted to hang on in the wild-card race. Gonzalez was stymied again by Tampa's tough pitching staff, going 0 for 2 with two strikeouts and a pair of walks."

Ill-timed ills for David Ortiz, Adrian Gonzalez

September 15

Boston Herald

"As the Red Sox brace for tonight's opener of an all-important four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, David Ortiz is wearing a back brace. And now, Adrian Gonzalez has a balky left calf. After launching a sixth-inning home run yesterday against the Blue Jays, Gonzalez left the game because of tightness in his calf. He said he began noticing the problem after grounding out in the fourth inning. He ruled out dehydration as a possible cause. According to Gonzalez, the decision to come out of the game was mostly precautionary. "They didn't want me to keep going out there and making it worse," he said. "Better play it safe than sorry, I guess.""

Adrian Gonzalez draws on pennant races past

September 12

Boston Herald

"Anyone who thinks Adrian Gonzalez' five years in San Diego didn't prepare him for the pressure and intensity of Boston wasn't paying attention. Three times the Padres took the pennant race to the final day. They made the playoffs in 2006, lost an epic one-game playoff to the Rockies in 2007, and fell to the eventual World Series champion Giants in the 2010 finale. Gonzalez learned a little something about pennant race pressure in each of those seasons. So when he said the following, before the Red Sox dropped their third straight game against the Rays yesterday, he spoke with the confidence of one who knows the value of experience. "The guys on that (Tampa Bay) side want to make a big deal"

Gonzalez named AL Player of the Week

August 30

Boston Globe

"Adrian Gonzalez was named the American League Player of the Week. In seven games, Gonzalez batted .393 (11-for-28) with a double, 5 home runs, 9 RBIs and 8 runs scored. His third-inning double to left off A's starter Guillermo Moscoso in the first game of Saturday's double-header sweep of Oakland marked Gonzalez's 183d hit of the season, his career high."

Adrian Gonzalez hits 2 home runs in shutout

August 26

Boston Herald

"For all Adrian Gonzalez has accomplished in his eye-opening first season with the Red Sox [team stats], this may be among the most impressive. Three swings. Three home runs. Gonzalez went deep in his last at-bat Wednesday night, then followed with first-pitch homers in the first and third innings of last night's series finale against the Rangers. The second blast, a two-run shot over the Sox bullpen in left-center field, made it a four-run lead en route to a 6-0 win. And deep in the heart of Texas, it prompted chants of "M-V-P! M-V-P!" Remember Gonzalez' post-All-Star break power outage? It's finished. "I hit them in spurts," Gonzalez said. "Everybody knows that. When I have a good swing,"

Adrian Gonzalez vs. Michael Young go down to wire

August 25

Boston Herald

"Adrian Gonzalez was only 22 years old when he broke into the majors with the Rangers in 2004. But even then, Michael Young believed he had the look of a future batting champion. "He had .300 hitter written all over him," Young said yesterday. Seven seasons later, with Gonzalez starring for the Red Sox [team stats] and Young still piling up hits for the Rangers, the former teammates are running neck and neck for the AL batting crown. Boosted last night by two hits, including another home run, Gonzalez holds a 10-point lead, .347 to .337. Ask either hitter about the other, and their mutual admiration is apparent. Young marvels at Gonzalez' ability to drive the ball to all fields. Gonzalez"

Jacoby Ellsbury, Adrian Gonzalez lead Red Sox past Rangers

August 24

Boston Herald

"The Red Sox [team stats] were more than happy to welcome back two things to the lineup last night: a) Jacoby Ellsbury. b) The power of Adrian Gonzalez. And considering they were facing their new nemesis, the AL West-leading Texas Rangers, the return of both was a sight for the Red Sox' sore eyes, not to mention an immediate boost to the offense, in an 11-5 victory. It was 103 degrees at gametime, still 97 in the ninth inning, but it would've felt even steamier if the Sox had lost again to the Rangers. But with Ellsbury back in his customary leadoff spot and Gonzalez bashing two homers, the visitors posted a double-digit run total for the first time since Aug. 6 against the New York Yankees"

Adrian Gonzalez turns on the power

August 24

Boston Globe

"For the Red Sox, there was plenty to like about tonight's 11-5 victory against the Rangers. John Lackey went into the seventh inning against a team that usually gives him trouble. He's now 7-1, 4.10 in his last nine starts. "This is Lackey. It took us a while. His ERA is higher and it'll probably be that way. But it doesn't mean we haven't got the pitcher we want," Terry Francona said. Jacoby Ellsbury came back and set the tone right away with a single and a steal of second. The offense took off from there. Marco Scutaro had three RBIs. Ryan Lavarnway continued to impress and slumping Jarrod Saltalamacchia had his first two hits against his former team, one an RBI double. "I just wanted to"

Adrian Gonzalez gets it going

August 20

Boston Herald

"The biggest hit? That would've been Jarrod Saltalamacchia's three-run home run, which helped turn a one-run game in the fifth inning into a giggler. The most cathartic hits? Without question, they belonged to Adrian Gonzalez. It wasn't so much that the Red Sox first baseman had begun stressing over the 0-for-14 drought he lugged into Kauffman Stadium last night. On the contrary, Gonzalez spoke calmly and even analytically before batting practice about his swing, typically as gorgeous as a supermodel but out of whack for nearly a month. But when the early MVP frontrunner goes four games without a hit — and 82 plate appearances without a home run — everyone around him starts to wonder if"

Digging deep on Gonzalez

August 13

Boston Globe

"Adrian Gonzalez is having a tremendous first season with the Red Sox. But should it be even better? The first baseman went 2 for 4 in last last night's 6-4 win over the Mariners to raise his average to .350, the highest mark in the majors. He is second with 92 RBIs and sixth with an on-base percentage of .411. But Gonzalez has 18 home runs, fewer than what was expected with the switch from expansive Petco Park in San Diego to cozy Fenway Park. Of those 18 home runs, just eight have come at home. Gonzalez has hit one home run in his last 29 games and three in his previous 192 at-bats. "I didn't even know that,'' said Gonzalez before last night's game. "That's not something I really look at."

Power outage for Adrian Gonzalez

August 11

Boston Herald

"When Adrian Gonzalez agreed to compete in the Home Run Derby, he shrugged off the notion that his swing might be adversely affected. But he has only one homer since the All-Star break. Coincidence? "No, I completely buy that," Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan said before Gonzalez was 0-for-4 in last night's 5-2 loss to the Twins. "He's a guy, when he takes batting practice, he doesn't hit too many balls to the pull side (right field). To go in there in the Home Run Derby and take 120 swings or however many they take, and everything's pull, pull, pull, now it's kind of hard to back the ball up and go the other way again." Of course, Gonzalez continues to get plenty of hits. He leads the"

Gonzo finds a home

July 31

Boston Globe

"Down in the bowels of Fenway Park, down the hall and through a door from the profane precincts of the Red Sox clubhouse, sunk deep in all the bricks and all the history, there is what appears to be a fairly run-of-the-mill preschool. Small lockers festooned with children's drawings stand against one wall, which is otherwise decorated with a series of baseball scenes depicting every letter of the alphabet. I is for inning. U is for umpire (Boooo!). There is a PlayStation 2 console in one corner and a large toy stove in another. Plastic trucks are underfoot. Down the hall from where men spit and curse and play baseball for a living – F is for Free Agency, D is for Disabled List – is a place"

Gonzalez hits his stride

July 21

Boston Globe

"When quizzed by reporters Tuesday night about the 2-for-24 slump he had fallen into since the All-Star break, Adrian Gonzalez predicted they would be back in a week asking him about getting three hits in a game. He was wrong. It was four hits, and it was the next day. To his credit, Gonzalez managed not to smirk too much after going 4 for 5 in yesterday's 4-0 victory over the Orioles."

Slumping Gonzalez, Red Sox fall as the Orioles power up

July 20

Boston Globe

"It is tradition to blame the Home Run Derby if any of the contestants falls into a slump afterward, as though the act of hitting a baseball for distance somehow ruins a player's ability to hit one over the second baseman's head for a single. Adrian Gonzalez doesn't buy it. The Red Sox star was hitless in four at-bats last night in a 6-2 loss against the Baltimore Orioles, leaving him 2 for 24 since returning from the All-Star Game and his second-place finish in the Derby."

Barren desert

July 13

Boston Globe

"Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez did his part in the All-Star Game last night, belting a home run in the fourth inning to give the American League the lead. But if Gonzalez and the Sox advance to the World Series, they will not have the home-field advantage as the National League rallied to a 5-1 victory at Chase Field. Most Valuable Player Prince Fielder hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth off losing pitcher C.J Wilson to give the NL all the runs it needed."

Elite agree: Adrian Gonzalez great

July 12

Boston Herald

"Gut reactions can be telling. Here's a sampling when National League pitchers were asked about Adrian Gonzalez yesterday: "Have fun," the Giants' Matt Cain said to his AL counterparts. "He's yours now." "He's so tough," Pirates starter Kevin Correia said. "Blecch," Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels said. "I've still got a bruise." The NL's best were on hand for All-Star media day, and it was fascinating to listen to such accomplished hurlers describe the struggle it is to face him. "Whenever people ask who's the best hitter I've ever faced, I say Adrian Gonzalez," said Hamels, whom Gonzalez drilled with a line drive last month."

Home Run Derby: Robinson Cano powers past Adrian Gonzalez

July 12

Boston Herald

"The Home Run Derby, like seemingly everything in baseball these days, came down to Red Sox vs. Yankees. Sox slugger Adrian Gonzalez and Yanks counterpart Robinson Cano tried to inject some life into an otherwise bloated affair with a mano-a-mano duel in last night's final. The two each blasted 20 homers in the first two rounds to advance to the final, where Gonzalez fell one shy of the event's record with 11 bombs. But Cano did him one better, sending 12 homers into the farthest reaches of Chase Field to beat Gonzalez and claim the title. "That was a lot of fun," Gonzalez said. "I had a blast with it. You're tired by the third round. Cano did an unbelievable job to get to 12 home runs, and"

Robinson Cano beats Adrian Gonzalez for Home Run Derby title

July 12

Newark Star-Ledger

"Robinson Cano proved Curtis Granderson right — by winning the Home Run Derby. Cano, the Yankees' second baseman, edged Adrian Gonzalez of the rival Boston Red Sox in the finals of the annual All-Star Game power contest in Phoenix tonight. Granderson had predicted this week that his Yankees teammate would take this year's derby title. Cano did just that by belting 32 homers over three rounds, powering past sluggers like Boston's David Ortiz and Milwaukee's Prince Fielder. Cano had a little help from his father. It was Jose Cano, who was briefly a pitcher for the Houston Astros in 1989, throwing to his son during the derby. Both Cano and Gonzalez had 20 home runs heading into the finals. But"

Bautista second to Boston's Gonzalez in AL MVP race, according to Sports Illustrated

July 8

Toronto Star

"Jose Bautista's final measure of respect may come down to the 2011 American League MVP race. Right now, according to Sports Illustrated, the race belongs to Boston's Adrian Gonzalez, a turn in the magazine's ratings after Bautista dominated the race through May. Bautista, though, leads Gonzalez in every major offensive category except two — average, by a small margin, and RBIs, by 15 — and those numbers, along with Bautista's versatility on defence, should place him above Gonzalez as not only the best player and hitter in the league, but one who is worth more wins. The argument, though, about what constitutes an MVP is based on more than just statistics. A team's performance, for example,"

Adrian Gonzalez named AL player of the month

July 6

Boston Globe

"The news probably comes as little surprise to Red Sox fans who enjoyed his sizzling offensive performance, but first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has been named the American League Player of the Month for June. Gonzalez batted .404, best in the majors in June, with 16 extra-base hits (including six home runs) among his 40 hits. He drove in 25 runs in 25 games, tying Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira for the AL lead in June. He was second in the league in hits, runs scored, on-base percentage (.478) and slugging percentage (.707)."

Papi, Gonzo on power trip

July 4

Boston Herald

"David Ortiz didn't have to look far to make his first selection to the American League squad for the All-Star Home Run Derby. Almost daily, the AL captain takes batting practice with Adrian Gonzalez. "If I hit one out, he comes and hits two, and then I go and hit three, and he goes and hits four," Ortiz said yesterday. "We're always going back and forth. When we started talking about the home run derby, they told me, 'You can pick three guys with you to go (to) the home run derby,' and the first thing that came to my mind was Gonzo." Gonzalez will join Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista and, in all likelihood, New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano on the AL Derby team"

David Ortiz fills out Home Run Derby squad

July 4

Boston Globe

"David Ortiz didn't wait until tomorrow's deadline to fill out his four-man roster for the Home Run Derby next Monday at Chase Field in Phoenix. As the captain of the American League contingent, Ortiz, who was voted to the All-Star team for the seventh time in his career, already had an idea of which sluggers he wanted. Before yesterday's 2-1 victory over the Astros, which concluded a nine-game interleague trip, Ortiz revealed his picks, beginning with Red Sox teammate Adrian Gonzalez and Toronto's Jose Bautista."

Big moves turned into no big deal

June 30

Boston Globe

"Guess we're all a bunch of worry warts. Why would people think two professional athletes such as David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez would injure themselves just because they were playing unfamiliar positions? Why would Terry Francona obsess for days, have six conversations with Gonzalez and have a major powwow with Theo Epstein, Ben Cherington, and his coaching staff about whether to pull the trigger on moving Gonzalez to right and having Ortiz play first? As it turned out, everything was swell, except for the fact that Gonzalez went 1 for 4 with a double play and Ortiz went 0 for 4 in a 2-1 loss last night to the Phillies."

Adrian Gonzalez, Papi unscathed

June 30

Boston Herald

"What do Al Capone's vault, the long-awaited Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy and Y2K hysteria have in common? They all lived up to the hype better than last night's Red Sox game. Adrian Gonzalez played right field. David Ortiz played first base. Neither of them screwed up in the field. Neither of them did much at the plate. What was billed as something between Armageddon and the Apocalypse — what if Gonzalez impaled himself on the right field foul pole? What if Ortiz dropped every throw and the Red Sox failed to record an out? — instead could best be represented by the sound of a deflating balloon. The Red Sox lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, 2-1. Gonzalez and Ortiz combined to go"

Red Sox will get Ortiz back in lineup Wednesday; A-Gone to play in right field

June 29

Boston Globe

"Remember the scene in "Vacation" when Clark W. Griswold (Chevy Chase) was at the motel and Christie Brinkley asked him to go swimming? "This is crazy, this is crazy," he said before jumping in. Terry Francona is Clark W. Griswold. You can tell when he talks about playing Adrian Gonzalez in right field that he thinks it's crazy. But he also hates the idea of putting David Ortiz on ice for another five games."

Boston's Gonzalez heads first-half awards class

June 27

Yahoo! Sports

columnist Jeff Passan

"Sometime this week, every team in baseball will play its 81st game. At the halfway point of the 2011 season, we've learned a few things. • Runs are down significantly again. (From 4.61 per game in 2009 to 4.38 last year to 4.18 this year, the lowest number since 1992.) • Last year needs a new nickname, because this is the real Year of the Pitcher. (Currently 23 starters who qualify for the ERA title are under 3.00, the most in 30 years and nearly twice as many as last season.) • In that vein, little has changed. (Five of the eight playoff teams from last year would make it again were the season to end today.) • You can be destitute and own one of baseball's signature franchises. (This"

This should be easy to field

June 26

Boston Globe

"Adrian Gonzalez in right? David Ortiz at first? When I wrote last week that it wasn't a good idea because of risk of injury to Gonzalez, probably the best hitter in baseball, I knew it wasn't going to be easy for Red Sox manager Terry Francona to push that button. "I'm kind of on the fence,'' Francona said before last night's game. "Since I am, I'm not sure I know what's right, but I am sure of what's not right. Until I'm positive that this is something to do, I'm going to stay away. That's how I feel. I'll probably stay away tomorrow. Re-evaluate on the way to Philly. If we put Gonzy out there and he got hurt, I'm just not ready to do it. Maybe three, four games into this road trip, maybe"

Gonzalez out to help Sox on trip

June 24

Boston Globe

"It has been six years since he last patrolled the outfield of a major league ballpark, so it's not an entirely foreign concept to Adrian Gonzalez. It was just one game, with the Texas Rangers on Sept. 30, 2005, against the Angels. But when he was growing up in Chula Vista, Calif., Gonzalez and his brothers would venture across the border on weekends to play in elite leagues in Tijuana, where Gonzalez sometimes played the outfield in addition to his customary position at first base. It was then, as it is now, no big deal. So the Red Sox first baseman raised his hand, volunteering to play the outfield during a nine-game interleague road trip that begins tonight in Pittsburgh. Gonzalez said"

Shifting Gonzalez off balance

June 21

Boston Globe

"The Red Sox have discussed the possibility of Adrian Gonzalez playing the outfield in the upcoming nine-game interleague trip, starting Friday in Pittsburgh. The Sox would never consider a reporter's advice, but if asked, this man's answer would be a resounding, "Don't do it!'' The goal, of course, is to get the hot David Ortiz playing time in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Houston. That's understandable. But baseball players can get injured at any time, doing anything. Gonzalez could get hurt while playing the outfield, just as he could get spiked by a runner at first base or pull a hamstring trying to leg out a triple."

Adrian Gonzalez holds lunch date with old friends

June 21

Boston Herald

"Adrian Gonzalez showed off his new town to some old friends prior to last night's series opener between the Red Sox and the San Diego Padres at Fenway Park. Gonzalez treated former Padres teammates Chase Headley, Will Venable and Nick Hundley to lunch at Stephanie's on Newbury before decamping for separate clubhouses. The first baseman played five seasons in San Diego before being traded Dec. 6 to the Red Sox for outfielder Reymond Fuentes, pitcher Casey Kelly and first baseman Anthony Rizzo. The topic of playing at Fenway Park instead of Petco Park was on the menu. "The atmosphere here, there is always a packed crowd," said Gonzalez. "I think off the field walking around town and stuff is"

Gonzalez would move for Ortiz to play 1B

June 21

Boston Herald

"Imagine Adrian Gonzalez playing right field for the Red Sox. It isn't so farfetched. Gonzalez dabbled as an outfielder in winter ball in 2005 in an attempt to make himself more valuable to the Texas Rangers, who already had Mark Teixeira at first base. Late in the '05 season, with the Rangers out of contention, Gonzalez made his first and only major league start in right field, catching three fly balls and committing one error. And although he hasn't played in the outfield since, Gonzalez has told manager Terry Francona that he would be open to a return if it means giving designated hitter David Ortiz a few starts at first base during an upcoming stretch of nine consecutive interleague"

For many Padres, visiting Adrian Gonzalez is a return home to Boston

June 20

San Diego Union-Tribune

"In addition to baseball, the Padres' visit to Fenway Park the next three days will be about homecomings and reunions. Topping the list, of course, is Adrian Gonzalez. After five seasons with the Padres, the first baseman was traded to the Red Sox last winter for current Padres first baseman Anthony Rizzo, right-handed pitcher Casey Kelly, outfielder-second baseman Eric Patterson and minor league center fielder Reymond Fuentes. The Padres' Most Valuable Player in four of his five seasons in his hometown, Gonzalez hit .288 as a Padre with 161 homers and 501 RBI. The three-time National League All-Star is second on the Padres' all-time home run list, fourth in career RBI and fifth in doubles"

Adrian Gonzalez legs out 1,000th career hit

June 20

Boston Herald

"The timing of Adrian Gonzalez' 1,000th career hit yesterday, and 100th of the season, during the Red Sox' 12-3 win over the Brewers was certainly a lot more fitting than the manner in which it was achieved. In the fourth inning, Gonzalez drilled a line drive that rolled to the center field wall under the 420-feet mark. It went far enough that the less-than-fleet-of-foot first baseman was able to slide safely into third base well ahead of the relay throw, just the 11th triple of Gonzalez's eight-year career. It was his third triple of the season, matching a career high and tying him with Jed Lowrie for second on the team only to Carl Crawford's four. "I was telling Jacoby (Ellsbury), 'I've"

Gonzalez comments go deep

June 16

Boston Globe

"Not since Mo Vaughn has a Red Sox player shown more intelligence about his craft and his outside world than Adrian Gonzalez. It seems the first baseman has an answer for every topic he is approached with, one that he's thought about and dissected. He is rarely caught off guard, and there's a lot going on in his head — not only about hitting, which he's doing about as well as anyone in Major League Baseball at the moment, but about his life away from the game. Boston has been an adjustment for the San Diego-area native, but he's adapting and those around him are adjusting to him. Gonzalez, who went 0 for 3 in last night's 3-0 win over the Rays, entered as the major leagues' top hitter"

Red Sox happy for Padres' success

June 11

Boston Herald

"The Red Sox were just getting started in New York late Thursday after an interminable rain delay when first baseman Adrian Gonzalez provided the dugout with a surprise update from San Diego. Gonzalez always will have fond feelings for his hometown team, and Thursday he was particularly proud, because one of the prospects the Red Sox traded to acquire him had just tripled for his first big league hit. "I heard Gonzie talking about it in the dugout," manager Terry Francona said yesterday before the Red Sox visited the Blue Jays, "and I had no idea what he was talking about." The cause of Gonzalez' excitement was 21-year-old first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who made his big league debut with a"

Adrian Gonzalez not perfect, yet worth every dime

June 7

Boston Herald

columnist Gerry Callahan

"And on the 58th day, in the 12th inning of a 5-hour, 17-minute game against the Oakland Athletics, Adrian Gonzalez finally was exposed for all the world to see. We knew it was too good to be true. We had a feeling it couldn't last. After two months of clutch hits and key RBI, of majestic opposite-field home runs and Gold Glove defense, of professional at-bats that made you want to pause the TV and show the kids how it's done, we finally saw a real flaw in Adrian Gonzalez' game. The guy can't run at all, and as we saw Saturday, this will create problems for manager Terry Francona. Gonzalez is slow. Not Manny Ramirez slow, but slow afoot. Like Kendrick Perkins slow. Almost Molina brothers"

Loving Adrian Gonzalez' swing of beauty

June 6

Boston Herald

"David Ortiz spent six years terrifying opponents alongside Manny Ramirez and then three years pining for someone to replace him. So when Ortiz says the following about Adrian Gonzalez, it should not be taken lightly: "This guy, in one week, he has impressed me more swinging the bat than Manny did the seven years I played with him," Ortiz said. "And that's saying something." Indeed it is. As Gonzalez continues to take Boston by storm, the one player he's conjuring images of, at least from a pure production standpoint, is Ramirez. Yesterday, Gonzalez kept the good times rolling with yet another opposite-field home run, this one a two-run blast off tough left-hander Brett Anderson. It gave"

Gonzalez gets to Peavy; Jenks to be activated

May 31

CSN New England

"Adrian Gonzalez was familiar with what Chicago White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy had to offer on Monday night at Fenway Park. The two were teammates for several years with the San Diego Padres. Now, both are with different American League clubs, and both are producing. On Monday, Peavy got the best of the Red Sox, picking up his second win of the season, allowing only three earned runs over seven innings of work. Gonzalez had his say, though, in the first time the two have ever squared off. The Red Sox' slugger went 2-for-4 with a home run. It was a solo shot into the White Sox' bullpen in the top of the first inning. "He mixed it up," said Gonzalez. "He didn't repeat too many things. He kept"

Peavy is the ultimate winner

May 31

Boston Globe

"Adrian Gonzalez may have won the battle in his first-ever appearance against Jake Peavy, his former teammate with the Padres. But Peavy, the former Cy Young Award winner, wound up winning the war in helping the White Sox hand the Red Sox a 7-3 loss last night at Fenway Park. Gonzalez got the better of Peavy with two out in the bottom of the first when he deposited a 2-2 offering from the White Sox starter into the visitors' bullpen in right field. It helped the Red Sox pull within 2-1. "I've been telling everyone in the world about Adrian,'' said Peavy of Gonzalez's hitting prowess. "I take full responsibility; [catcher] A.J. [Pierzynski] and I kinda got mixed up.''"

Reunion of ex-Padres

May 31

Boston Herald

"When Jake Peavy and Adrian Gonzalez left San Diego to find new homes in the American League, their eventual pitcher-hitter faceoff was inevitable. With Gonzalez playing host for their first battle last night, score a landed blow for the slugging Red Sox first baseman but a scorecard win for the White Sox hurler. "I've been telling everybody in the world about Adrian for a while now," said Peavy (2-0), who allowed only six hits during seven innings, including a home run to Gonzalez in the first inning of Chicago's 7-3 win against the Red Sox. "Adrian knows I got all the respect in the world for him, and if I'm going to give up a homer to anyone, I don't mind giving it up to him." For"

Adrian Gonzalez in full swing

May 23

Boston Herald

"When it comes to Adrian Gonzalez, most of the focus has been on the power and production he's provided from the third spot in the order — and with good reason. But there's so much more to this sweet-swinging left-hander than long balls and RBI. After last night's 4-for-4 performance, he's up to third in the American League in batting. His three singles and double against an assortment of Chicago Cubs pitchers in last night's 5-1 series-ending win hiked his average up to .342. Only Tampa Bay's Matt Joyce and Toronto's Jose Bautista are hitting for a better average. Unlike earlier this month when he adopted an Ichiro Suzuki-like swing to tackle Yankees ace lefty CC Sabathia, Gonzalez didn't"

David Ortiz' connection to Adrian Gonzalez runs deep

May 22

Boston Herald

"When David Ortiz says Adrian Gonzalez has more confidence than Dustin Pedroia and has as much hitting intelligence as Manny Ramirez, that assessment goes a long way toward understanding why Gonzalez — and even Ortiz to a degree — has taken off with the Red Sox this season and not looked back. Entering the prime of his career, surrounded by a lineup of elite hitters the likes of which he never had in San Diego with the Padres and playing at a ballpark that suits what Ortiz describes as a "perfect swing," Gonzalez is flourishing as a Red Sox. And from the perspective of Ortiz, a nine-year veteran of the team and Gonzalez' elder by six years, the slugging first baseman is already a leader, a"

Gonzalez and Red Sox rally to beat Orioles

May 17

Boston Globe

"Fenway Park was not even half full when Adrian Gonzalez walked to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning last night. Raw, rainy weather and a six-run deficit against the Orioles had sent most of the fans scurrying for the streets. They missed witnessing one of the victories that could come to define the season. Gonzalez drove a two-run double off the wall in left field that gave the Red Sox a stunning 8-7 victory on a night when all seemed lost."

Gonzalez making own mark

May 14

Boston Globe

"The Red Sox had hoped when they acquired Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego last winter that he would make everyone forget how they lost Mark Teixeira to the Yankees. You know something? They may have already received their wish. As we sit here in mid-May, Gonzalez is white hot. He's a Fenway hitter they say, but he does pretty well at Rogers Centre in Toronto and he loves Yankee Stadium. Last night, in the Sox' 5-4 victory, he homered into the upper deck in right in the fourth inning and drove in the go-ahead run with a long sacrifice fly to left in the seventh. He has 31 RBIs, which leads the American League. He's hit homers in four of his last five games and six of his last 10. He's hit"

Cheesey does it for Gonzo

May 14

Boston Herald

columnist MIchael Silverman

"It was one part cheesesteak sandwich, one part expectation, one part execution, but one part of Adrian Gonzalez' first home run as a Red Sox at Yankee Stadium last night was not a conscious effort, and that's parking a baseball in the short porch here in right field. No, if Gonzalez understands one thing about hitting — and he understands a great deal, we are quickly learning — it is that changing your approach to suit a baseball stadium's architectural quirks is one bad idea. Let the pitcher make a mistake in a part of the strike zone where Gonzalez is expecting it, and Gonzalez will make him pay for it. So when Yankees pitcher Bartolo Colon left a 91-mph, 1-0 fastball up and right smack"