Adrian Gonzalez is dominating for Red Sox, on Triple Crown pace
Adrian Gonzalez has been everything Terry Francona could ask for and more. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
There are three months remaining in the season, so it is early yet, but Adrian Gonzalez is a home-run barrage away from potentially becoming the first Triple Crown winner since another Boston Red Sox hitter, Carl Yastrzemski, crushed the most longballs, had the highest batting average, and drove in the most rbis in 1967. Bringing up the possibility of the Triple Crown will likely jinxed the slugger, but, considering he is rarely injured and makes the game of baseball look so easy, it is hard not to expect amazing things.
Boston lost the top spot in the American League East to the New York Yankees, having lost four of their past five including two of their three-game series against the streaking Pittsburgh Pirates. That is to no fault of Gonzalez. The 29-year-old in the first year with the Red Sox has done nothing but hit.
He had a home-run in their 6-4 loss on Saturday and played his 70th and 71 rbis. That total leads the majors by three over Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder. And, after collecting two hits in a Sunday victory, he is batting .361, which is baseball’s best by 23 points. His production in the third Triple Crown category needs work, as he is seven homers behind league-leader Jose Bautista, who has 23, but he has plenty of time to make up ground and is playing in a home ballpark that greatly favors his opposite-field stroke.
During the month of June he is hitting an absolutely incredible .443 and is getting on base more than half the time. He is driving doubles into the gaps, rapping singles to all fields, and has even legged out a couple triples during the 22-game stretch. And he has such a business-like approach; always focused, never complains, and just does what he knows he can.
“I really don’t focus on anything except what happens between the white lines,” he said to the Hartford Courant. “The other stuff I just don’t really concern myself with.” It shows.
The Red Sox have tried to find the right fit in the middle of their order after the great Manny Ramirez was traded in 2008. Jason Bay, whom he was traded for, performed well, but he wasn’t intimidating nor dangerous enough to be worth the astronomical contract he received from the New York Mets. Then there was Adrian Beltre, who was insanely good last year with the team. But Boston, again, didn’t think he was worth the money and years he commanded. They also had good reason to believe he was Mr. Contract Year. And they also had someone in mind who could be even better. Gonzalez was that guy.
“This guy, Adrian González, is really intelligent and he prepares himself for the game,” fellow slugger David Ortiz said to Fox News Latino earlier this month. “Clearly he’s the best hitter we have. We needed a batter like Adrian who produces.”
He certainly has been intimidating; pitchers would work around him more if Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis weren’t on deck and in the hole. And, as he showed with San Diego, he has the talent and mentality to give everything he has every game of every year. He as never been missing in action. And, like the St. Louis Cardinals’ Albert Pujols, it’s safe to assume the earth is off kilter if he goes into a slump.
Because of such success with the Padres in pitcher-friendly Petco Park, there was plenty of hype surrounding what he could do in hitter-friendly Fenway. As can be imagined, then, the expectations were high, not only for him but the Red Sox. The team hasn’t necessarily lived up to them thus far, but he sure has, etching his name in the MVP race. Perhaps that won’t be his only accomplishment by season’s end, as Yastrzemski’s feat might be within his grasp as well.
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