Adrian Gonzalez as good as advertised as Red Sox win 1918 rematch with Cubs
When the Boston Red Sox traded for Adrian Gonzalez, it was common knowledge that he had the potential to dominate with his new team. Coming from San Diego, which wasn’t a big market nor a sure-fire playoff contender, there was also some hesitancy to believe he would handle the pressure of the AL East and make a smooth transition. Even still, as soon as he put on his Red Sox jersey and cap, someone special had arrived in Boston. And the Red Sox have been reaping rewards ever since.
Reading Sherlock Holmes as I have a lot lately, I can’t help but compare the sleuth to Boston’s slugger. How does this work? Holmes was the quintessential detective, overlooking little and ultimately pinpoint with his observations and hypotheses. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle didn’t make him out to be realistic, as many of his fictional character’s cases are far-fetched and too perfect.
The way Gonzalez goes about playing baseball reminds me of how Holmes handles his cases. His intelligence is reminiscent, as is his effortless approach. Nobody can bat 1.000, and only Ted Williams has hit over .400, but the Red Sox first baseman plays the game as easily as can be. And just as it is routinely fun to read Holmes’ cases over and over again it is a thrill to watch Gonzalez hit.
Did he ever hit against the Chicago Cubs, the cursed team Boston had not faced since 1918. He had four hits in both of the Red Sox wins and went 10-15 overall in the three-game set, raising his already tremendous average to .342. He used every part of the park to demolish Cubs pitching, with strength and skill most of baseball’s elite don’t have.
He looks so relaxed, lining opposite field singles at alarming rates, while also playing pinball with the Monster. Seeing the ball as well as anyone in the league, he’s effortlessly playing a game, toying with opposing pitchers by laying off close pitches and constantly being patient and waiting for his pitch.
“Just felt comfortably staying behind the ball,” he said when asked about his hot streak after his four-hit performance Sunday. “I really found a good comfort zone staying behind it, and that’s what I’m looking for.”
Currently batting .346 with a .397 On-Base Percentage, the 28-year-old Gonzalez has been workman-like, with a calm demeanor, a golden glove, and a bat that screams MVP candidate. He leads the majors in rbi’s with 41 and hits with 57, is third in doubles with 16, and sixth with the aforementioned On-Base Percentage. It’s early, but there’s no indication that he is going to slump anytime soon.
He has produced on the field and also in the clubhouse. More than a good teammate, he has taken to giving advice to some Red Sox, most notably David Ortiz. The Dominican slugger, who has been Boston’s heart and soul for many seasons, has seen his production dip in recent years, and a substantial reason why is his tendency to pull the ball.
It is clear he has spent countless practices with Gonzalez because he has stayed back on the ball this year, and as a result is watching it bound throughout left-field. This new-found ability to use the opposite field has translated to a tremendous start to the season, as he is hitting .299 with nine homers, 22 rbi’s, and a .370 On-Base Percentage.
“I’m getting more ideas from him than he gets from me,” Ortiz said of Gonzalez to the American Chronicle. “I ask him every day, I’m like, ‘Hey, what you got?’ and he gives me the whole information.’
I don’t even go to the video anymore,” Ortiz continued. “Everything he tells me is the same thing that happens in the game. It’s unbelievable. He is extremely smart. Extremely.”
In 2009, it appeared Ortiz was on his last legs. Now, though he is getting on in years being 35, with Gonzalez by his side and a rekindled love for the opposite field, Big Papi may be able to form a one-two punch for a while yet. Even if this isn’t the case, one thing is certain: Gonzalez will be the Holmes of baseball, studying pitchers intently, spraying balls all over Fenway, and continuously getting results his intelligence and skill deserve.
(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
