Adrian Gonzalez News: Pro Sports Daily

Big package needed to acquire Adrian Gonzalez

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November 18

SI.com

"Adrian Gonzalez: Any acquiring team would have to put together a tremendous package for the superstar player with the most reasonable multiyear contract in baseball ($10.5 million over the next two years). The silliest rumor so far had Gonzalez possibly going in a three-way trade with Paul Konerko going to the Angels and prospects to the Padres. Beyond the fact the Angels have a great first baseman in Kendry Morales, Konerko's high contract makes him a giveaway at this point."

Gonzalez has golden touch

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November 12

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Jed Hoyer was leaving the General Managers Meetings in Chicago yesterday when he learned Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez had won a second straight Gold Glove award for his fielding. "I'm happy for Adrian," Hoyer said. "I hope this puts the focus on how terrifically well-rounded he is as a player.""

Rollins, Victorino again get Gold Gloves

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November 12

Philadelphia Inquirer

"Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino did not win the World Series again this year, but they are repeat winners of the Gold Glove at their positions.Rollins won his third consecutive National League Gold Glove at shortstop yesterday, while Victorino claimed his second straight in the outfield.Rollins, who will turn 31 on Nov. 27, led all major-league shortstops with a .990 fielding percentage and made just six errors, fewest among full-time big-league shortstops. He had an 86-game errorless streak during the season.Rollins is the first NL shortstop to win three straight Gold Gloves since Rey Ordonez did so with the New York Mets (1997-99). He is the first Phillie to win three in a row at any ..."

Phils, Cards, LA each take two Gold Gloves

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November 11

MLB.com

"They flashed leather, pulled off web gems, picked it, got their uniforms dirty, and stoked stadiums with razor-sharp routes, dazzling dives and wall-scraping wows. They're the 2009 National League winners of the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, announced on Wednesday. At first base, San Diego Padres slugger Adrian Gonzalez repeated his 2008 crown by tying for fourth in the league with a fielding percentage of .995. Gonzalez made only seven errors in 1,367 total chances in the midst of his second straight All-Star campaign. The second base Gold Glove returned to the possession of Orlando Hudson, the Dodgers veteran who won Senior Circuit hardware in 2006 and 2007 while with the D-backs after ..."

Halladay more likely to go than Gonzalez

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November 10

SI.com

"Baseball people seem to believe that of the two superstar players available in trade -- Roy Halladay and Adrian Gonzalez -- Halladay is more likely to be moved for a few important reasons, such as: 1) He's eligible for free agency after this year, whereas the Padres have Gonzalez for two more years. 2) He makes $16 million to only about $5 million for Gonzalez, who has $10.25 mil over two remaining. 3) He wants out of Toronto. In an especially weak free-agent starting-pitching market, Halladay, 31, would draw interest from several teams, and with a new GM in Toronto (Alex Anthopoulos replaced J.P. Ricciardi), the whole game could change. It isn't known how Padres GM Jed Hoyer or ..."

Gonzalez might put Padres in a bind

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November 9

San Diego Union-Tribune

"With Jake Peavy gone, Adrian Gonzalez has become the face of the Padres. An extremely popular personality on both sides of the border, the 27-year-old native San Diegan has also blossomed into one of the top all-around first basemen in the National League. Over his four seasons as a Padre, Gonzalez has a .285 average with 130 homers and 400 RBI. He is a two-time All-Star and the 2008 National League Gold Glove winner at first base. And he is still a bargain. Gonzalez is committed to the Padres for two more seasons at a total of $10.25 million plus possibly an additional $500,000 in reachable performance bonuses - at most a total that is $4 million less than Peavy was to have made next ..."

Why the Sox should be going, going . . . going after Gonzalez

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November 8

Boston Globe

"The one thing the Red Sox must do to bridge the gap between them and the World Series champion Yankees? Acquire Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Losing out on Mark Teixeira in the offseason - losing him to the Yankees - seemed to be the biggest difference between the teams. The Yankees piled on with CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, but the Sox had comparables in Josh Beckett and Jon Lester."

Gonzalez goes deep; Dodgers go down

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September 7

San Diego Union-Tribune

"When Adrian Gonzalez came to the plate last night in the fifth inning, it looked as if Manny Ramirez had flexed those steroid-fueled biceps and lifted up the earth beneath third base at Dodger Stadium, forcing all the infielders to slide toward right field. There was a Dodgers infielder hugging the first base line, another in shallow right field, two others on either side of second base. There was no one anywhere near third base. Didn't matter. Unless they put a couple of infielders over the outfield wall, they weren't getting Gonzalez out. He worked a full count, then blasted an opposite-field drive into the Dodgers bullpen for what ultimately was the decisive run in a 4-3 Padres ..."

Did Gonzalez brothers do some moonlighting?

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September 1

San Diego Union-Tribune

"David Eckstein says he isn't the first to notice the coincidence, but Edgar Gonzalez returned from his rehab assignment yesterday a day after Chula Vista's Park View Little League became world champions. "When you consider the size of some of those kids, it makes you wonder where Edgar was rehabbing," joked Eckstein. "And Adrian can't play over the weekend, but is back in the lineup tonight? "We're just saying ... " The Gonzalez brothers, who were raised in the home later occupied by the family of Park View shortstop Andy Rios, were taking great delight Monday in the triumph of their fellow Chula Vistans."

Roy Halladay sweepstakes going down to wire

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July 31

New York Daily News

"Although he has been the main focus of the baseball world for the past few weeks, Roy Halladay is likely to remain a Blue Jay when the trade deadline arrives at 4p.m. Friday. Barring a last-minute surprise, Toronto appears unlikely to deal the former American League Cy Young winner, as the price set by general manager J.P. Ricciardi has been deemed too high by other teams. According to a source, talks continued yesterday between the Yankees and Mariners, as GM Brian Cashman is looking to bring veteran lefthander Jarrod Washburn to the Bronx for the stretch run. Seattle has been asking for a premium price to part with Washburn, but with the southpaw's contract set to expire at the end of ..."

Sox-Padres still in play

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July 31

Boston Globe

"There were indications late last night that trade talks between the Padres and Red Sox concerning first baseman Adrian Gonzalez were still active and would likely peak today before the trade deadline. Padres GM Kevin Towers was said to be asking for "a ton" for Gonzalez according to one major league source familiar with the Padres' thinking. Some of the names being discussed included Clay Buchholz, Lars Anderson, Jed Lowrie, Ryan Westmoreland, Justin Masterson and others, but no word on whether the Red Sox had offered a package for Gonzalez. Less was known about the status of talks between Cleveland and Boston for Victor Martinez. The teams have been discussing Martinez for quite some ..."

Padres' trade bait staying put?

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July 27

Foxsports.com

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"No team should make personnel decisions based on public relations, but Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and closer Heath Bell will be particularly difficult to move because of their respective standings in the community. Gonzalez is a native San Diegan and Mexican-American, not to mention highly productive and highly affordable. Bell lacks obvious community ties, but his gregarious presence makes him especially popular with fans. The Padres recently staged a "breakfast in the park" promotion that was attended by about 500 fans. The team set up tables behind home plate and on the warning track in the outfield. Bell, without being asked, spent more time mingling with fans than any other ..."

Gonzalez breaks Garvey's team record

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July 27

San Diego Union-Tribune

"There was a chance Adrian Gonzalez was not going to play Sunday, meaning his consecutive-games-played streak could end at 305. That would have left Gonzalez tied for the Padres' record with another first baseman of note - Steve Garvey. "Sharing the record with him would be cool," Gonzalez said. "I'd be happy to share the record with Steve Garvey ... to have my name next to his. I'm a big fan of Garvey and what he did to help the Padres, his role in the 1984 season. He's a big part of Padres history. I've had a chance to meet him. He's a great guy.""

Price will be steep for Padres' Gonzalez, Bell

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July 26

Yahoo! Sports

"The San Diego Padres were getting a lot of play on first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and closer Heath Bell as of Saturday, but club sources were adamant that interested clubs would have to overpay to acquire either. Gonzalez is the face of the franchise and of the coming reconstruction of the Padres, so he's not likely to go anywhere. But given the number of teams searching for bullpen arms and a market that won't bear much, a line could indeed form to overpay for Bell, who has a closer's mentality and destroys right-handed hitters."

Edgar Gonzalez released from hospital, still recovering from Saturday beaning

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July 20

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Perhaps mercifully, he didn't see it first-hand, and he was seated. He was in the video room, bunkered below and behind the Padres dugout, so he couldn't fully hear the sickening sound of the 93-mph fastball crashing into the back of the helmet or the horrified groan of the crowd. Watching the television, he just saw his older brother crumple to the dirt at home plate. "It's hard to describe," Adrian Gonzalez said. "I saw it happen and felt like I lost all my strength. I tried to get up to go outside and felt like I might fall to the ground. I couldn't get up, so I stayed in the chair." The chair in front of Edgar Gonzalez's locker in the Padres clubhouse was empty Sunday, and while he ..."

Gonzalez to get more rest in second half

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July 17

MLB.com

"It wasn't more than 10 days ago when San Diego first baseman Adrian Gonzalez proclaimed that he was mentally exhausted, which is understandable considering he has appeared in all 89 games this season. In fact, Gonzalez went into Thursday's game against the Rockies having appeared in 295 consecutive games, dating back to Aug. 15, 2007. The club record is 305, set by another first baseman -- Steve Garvey. There's a good chance Gonzalez -- who hasn't started three games at first base this season but later appeared in those games -- could see more rest moving into the second half of the season. "He'll get some days as we move into the second half," Padres manager Bud Black said. Gonzalez ..."

Heath & Adrian's Excellent Adventure

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July 14

San Diego Union-Tribune

columnist Tim Sullivan

"It's not all Learjets and limousines at the All-Star Game. Not, at least, for the San Diego Padres. Not that that should come as a surprise. Befitting their status at the bottom of the standings, Adrian Gonzalez and Heath Bell arrived groggily at baseball's midseason showcase after postponements in their puddle-jumping itinerary plopped them in Indianapolis too late to catch their connecting flight. "The only flight they could get us on was going to get us here at like at 1 or 2 o'clock this afternoon," Bell recounted yesterday morning. "So Adrian said, 'I'll go get the luggage.' I said, 'I'll go rent a car,' and we took a minivan from Indianapolis all the way here.""

A swing and a miss

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July 14

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Justin Morneau's advice to Home Run Derby contestants is to take your sweet time. The Padres' Adrian Gonzalez competed, however, as if he were late for a bus. Minnesota's Morneau won last year's All-Star slugfest at Yankee Stadium by waiting for the right pitch, by tuning out the crowd, and by hitting the bejesus out of the ball. Gonzalez was eliminated in the first round of the competition that crowned Milwaukee's Prince Fielder Monday night after swatting just two homers against 10 "outs," including a stretch of six consecutive swings that produced only one homer."

Gonzalez gets Home Run Derby call

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July 7

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Adrian Gonzalez will be participating in the Home Run Derby competition on the eve of next Tuesday's All-Star Game in St. Louis. Gonzalez will be one of four first basemen representing the National League. He will be joined by Albert Pujols of the Cardinals, Prince Fielder of Milwaukee and Ryan Howard of Philadelphia. "That's pretty cool, the four of us on the All-Star team and going out together for the National League in the Home Run Derby," said Gonzalez, who led the major leagues in homers through much of April and May. Gonzalez was considered for the Home Run Derby last year after being named to his first All-Star Game. But he was passed over for Milwakuee's Ryan Braun. "I thought ..."

Gonzalez, Bell seeing (all)stars

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July 5

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Padres closer Heath Bell and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez have both been voted onto the National League All-Star team by players in the league. The announcement was made at Petco Park Sunday morning two hours before the Padres were scheduled to meet the Los Angeles Dodgers in the rubber game of a three-game series. "When you get picked by your peers, that is the ultimate honor," said Padres manager Bud Black. It was the first All-Star Game selection for Bell, who leads the National League with 23 saves and has a 3-1 record with a 1.53 earned run average over 33 appearances. Gonzalez will be making his second straight trip to the All-Star Game. He was 1-for-3 in last year's game and drove ..."

Gonzalez resumes his pursuit of Garvey's club record

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July 2

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Adrian Gonzalez returned to the starting lineup last night after straining his knee. Getty Images Adrian Gonzalez can't mask good news. When he's in a good mood, the Padres first baseman likes to verbally spar with people. And when he's on his game, he gets this Cheshire Cat look on his face. Gonzalez had both faces working for him yesterday as he met with the media shortly after his name was entered into the lineup less than 19 hours after he came out of Tuesday night's game with a strained right knee. Q: Adrian, how is the knee? Gonzalez: "I'm in the lineup." Q: Adrian, is there pain?: Gonzalez: "I'm in the lineup." Each question for the first two minutes drew the same reply - ..."

Friars' Gonzalez shrugs off knee strain

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July 2

MLB.com

"Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez chose to keep a simple approach on Wednesday while fielding questions about a mild knee strain suffered a night earlier against the Astros. How did his knee feel this morning? "I'm in the lineup," Gonzalez answered. What tests were performed on his knee? "I'm in the lineup," Gonzalez answered. How does he feel about being in the lineup? "I'm in the lineup," Gonzalez answered, smirking. Point taken. Gonzalez undoubtedly wanted to move beyond the rampant chatter concerning his fourth-inning departure on Tuesday after he tweaked his right knee sliding into third base on a triple. Gonzalez remained at third for several pitches before manager Bud Black and ..."

Gonzalez exits with strained right knee

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July 1

MLB.com

"Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, an All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner for the first time last season, left Tuesday's game against the Astros with a strained right knee. He will be reevaluated on Wednesday. "We'll find out tomorrow. We'll see when I wake up," Gonzalez said after the game. "It wasn't the best slide. I kind of slid over top of my other leg." Gonzalez, who has a Major League-leading 32 walks in June, suffered the injury as he slid into third base with a triple in the fourth inning. Gonzalez remained in the game a few pitches before being attended to by Padres head trainer Todd Hutcheson and manager Bud Black. Gonzalez, who is hitting .271 with 24 home runs and 47 RBIs ..."

Gonzalez's numbers so far this season are simply up, up and away

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June 5

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Cole Hamels, at last count, has five fingers on his throwing hand. To pitch to Adrian Gonzalez, he needs only four. "Walk him," says Hamels, the young lefty who pitched the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series championship last year. "Personally, I say, just don't pitch to him. Walk him. Every time, I'd walk him." For longer than a vast majority of major league pitchers, Hamels has been quite aware of Gonzalez's ability to drive a baseball. He was a freshman pitcher at Rancho Bernardo High and Gonzalez was a senior at Eastlake, a slugging .645 hitter who was about to become the No. 1 draft choice of the Florida Marlins and Major League Baseball. The first time Hamels pitched a big ..."

Gonzalez finds going to a bigger bat was well worth the weight

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May 19

San Diego Union-Tribune

"One simple question addressed to one of the game's premier power hitters was part of the evolution that has made Adrian Gonzalez the major league leader in homers entering tonight's Padres-Giants game at Petco Park. "I asked Ryan Howard why he uses a bigger bat," Gonzalez said. "I liked what he told me and tried it for myself, and it's definitely helped." Gonzalez was already a dangerous hitter when he consulted Howard in July 2007 while chatting at first base, where the Padres' first baseman, who is affable and bilingual, likes to get insights from fellow hitters. Coming off a season in which he batted .304 with 24 home runs, Gonzalez was hitting .261 with 15 home runs in 379 at-bats. ..."

Headley, Gonzalez find pink power

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May 11

MLB.com

"He was joking, of course, but Chase Headley might have to reconsider the promise of sorts he made before Sunday's game against the Astros. Headley, the Padres' left fielder, was talking about the importance of swinging a pink bat on Sunday as part of the Mother's Day initiative of "Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer" when he added this nugget: "If I hit two home runs, I might have to keep using them," Headley said, smiling. Headley had two hits with his pink bat in Sunday's 12-5 loss to the Astros, including his two-run homer in the fourth inning against Roy Oswalt. That was the first home run the Padres had hit in 193 at-bats and, in the opinion of Headley, a great day to do it on. "I ..."

Gonzalez hits two more homers, but it's not enough

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April 30

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Adrian Gonzalez is hitting home runs with such apparent ease, even Padres opponents are in awe. Whether the Padres can exploit their cleanup man's stunning talent, though, remains in serious question. Gonzalez hit his eighth and ninth home runs Wednesday, giving him a club record for April, but it didn't prevent the Padres from losing 7-5 to nemesis Aaron Cook and the Rockies at Coors Field. The Rockies scored three early runs against Kevin Correia (0-2), sending Cook (1-0) toward his 12th win in 16 decisions against the Padres (11-10). Two Padres hitters who are being counted on to help out Gonzalez had rough afternoons opposite Cook, who began with six scoreless innings. Brian Giles, ..."

Edgar knows Adrian

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April 5

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Adrian Gonzalez was an old soul, even as a boy, even as the youngest of three brothers. So says one of his older brothers. "He was pretty disciplined, even as a kid," said Edgar Gonzalez, the middle brother and a teammate of the Padres' first baseman/cleanup man. "Adrian would come home from school, and the first thing he would do was his homework. "He did that on his own. He was the only one in our family to do that. And that's as a young kid, too, without anyone telling him to do that." As teen-agers, Edgar enjoyed night life. Adrian? "He would go out with girls and with his friends, but he wasn't that much into going out," Edgar said. Edgar laughed. "I was the one going out all ..."

Hard work on defense is rewarded for Padres first baseman Gonzalez

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November 6

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Whenever the San Francisco Giants prepared to face the Padres this year, manager Bruce Bochy and coaches warned Giants players about first baseman Adrian Gonzalez's lethal left arm. "He can throw across the diamond to third base better than anybody in the game," Bochy said Wednesday. "He anticipates making the play. He looks to make the aggressive play to get the lead runner." Gonzalez learned Wednesday he had won his first Gold Glove award, per the votes of National League managers and coaches who admire his soft hands but also fear his throwing skill. Becoming the first Padres first baseman to win the award, Gonzalez outpointed deft fielders such as Albert Pujols, Derrek Lee and Mark ..."

Slugger establishing himself as one of baseball's elite hitters

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July 13

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Being an American League manager in a National League ballpark, Ron Gardenhire of the Minnesota Twins had all the modern sources of interleague intel on the Padres atop his desk: inch-thick dossier of computer printouts, a complete package of situational statistics and the popped-up screen of a laptop. Unnecessary, every bit of it, for the biggest challenge awaiting the Twins that night at Petco Park. "All you have to do is read the (news)papers," said Gardenhire. "That'll tell you the theory of how to approach Adrian Gonzalez.""

Gonzalez loses out to Brewers' Braun for spot in Home Run Derby

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July 9

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Major league officials decided against placing Padres cleanup man Adrian Gonzalez in the Home Run Derby that will take place Monday at Yankee Stadium. Instead, Brewers slugger Ryan Braun was chosen to join National League contestants Chase Utley of the Phillies, Dan Uggla of the Marlins and Lance Berkman of the Astros. "We have limited space," said Patrick Courtney, a spokesman for the commissioner's office. "Adrian Gonzalez is obviously a premier player, and some difficult decisions are made.""

NL hangs a star on Gonzo

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July 7

San Diego Union-Tribune

"As Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez played cards with two teammates in the clubhouse, word circulated yesterday monring that Gonzalez had been voted to the All-Star team by his fellow National Leaguers. Veteran first baseman Tony Clark whispered congratulations into Gonzalez's ear, then said that most of the country still doesn't realize just how good Gonzalez is. "I'm his biggest fan," Clark said."

Gonzalez makes his case for the All-Star Game with the long ball

May 26

San Diego Union-Tribune

columnist Tim Sullivan

"Lance Berkman is more deserving. Albert Pujols is more renowned. Yet inasmuch as the rules require that every team be represented, the process of elimination provides Adrian Gonzalez a great chance at the All-Star Game. The Padres' first baseman may not stack up statistically. His four hits Sunday raised his batting average only to .282. But when you consider the company he keeps in baseball's least productive lineup, and the strikes he doesn't see for want of a bigger bat behind him, Gonzalez probably deserves a place at Yankee Stadium's going-out-of-business party."

Gonzalez HR tops Reds in 18th

May 26

San Diego Union-Tribune

"Gonzalez put his silky swing on it, and the floating baseball kept going and going, just like the game that had stretched for 5 hours and 57 minutes. When the ball descended some 10 feet beyond the center field wall at Petco Park, birthing a laborious victory, 12-9, the already delirious Padres ran around like giddy kids on recess. "We came out on the right end of this one," Gonzalez said, smiling."