Longtime big-league first baseman Adrián González, who played for the Rangers, Padres, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Mets across 15 MLB seasons, officially announced his retirement today on his personal Instagram.
Gonzalez last played in the majors in 2018, but he was active as recently as this past season, playing 43 games with the Mexican League’s Mariachis de Guadalajara and posting a .340/.412/.531 batting line in 187 trips to the plate. He also represented Mexico in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), where he collected three hits and a walk in 12 plate appearances.
Selected by the Marlins with the first overall pick in the 2000 amateur draft, González was part of a three-player package dealt to the Rangers at the 2003 trade deadline in exchange for Ugueth Urbina, a key piece in the Marlins’ memorable — if unlikely — 2003 title run. González debuted in Arlington the following year but never established himself as a regular in the Rangers lineup and was dealt again (this time with Chris Young and Terrmel Sledge) to the Padres for pitchers Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka. A San Diego native who attended Eastlake High School in nearby Chula Vista, González blossomed with his hometown club, beginning a run of four consecutive All-Star selections in 2008 and five consecutive seasons garnering MVP votes in 2007.
With only a year of control remaining, the Padres traded González to the Red Sox ahead of the 2011 season, and he agreed to a seven-year, $154MM extension in April. Despite strong production in Boston — including winning a Silver Slugger and leading the majors with 213 hits in 2011 — the swooning Red Sox shipped González (along with Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, and Nick Punto) to the Dodgers at the 2012 trade deadline in what amounted to a salary dump. Alongside a rotation helmed by Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Hyun Jin Ryu, González, Crawford and Beckett solidified the Dodgers’ roster and inaugurated the club’s present run as perennial contenders in the National League. Guggenheim Baseball Management, the present Dodgers ownership group, executed a strategy of building a winner as rapidly as possibly by taking on salary from other teams after buying the club for $2.15 billion in early 2012.
After four-plus productive years in Chavez Ravine, González battled injuries in 2017, appearing in only 71 games (his first season with fewer than 156 since 2005) as he dealt with elbow and back issues that saw him land on the disabled list for the first time in his career. With a young Cody Bellinger entrenched as the Dodgers first baseman and only a year remaining on his contract, González agreed to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate one of the more creative big-money swaps in recent memory, heading to Atlanta along with Charlie Culberson, Brandon McCarthy, and Scott Kazmir in exchange for Matt Kemp. The deal enabled the Braves, nearing the end of a rebuild, to shift their payroll burden forward to 2018, while allowing the Dodgers to slip below the luxury tax threshold.
Per a pre-trade agreement, the Braves immediately designated González for assignment and released him two days later to allow him to explore other opportunities. He eventually latched on with a Mets team that rocketed to an 11-1 start but faded quickly in May and June. In what would turn out to be his final major league season, González compiled a .237/.299/.373 batting line in 187 PA across 54 games before being released by New York.
González finishes his MLB career with some very solid counting stats, (317 home runs, 2,050 hits, and 1,202 RBIs) to go along with a robust .287/.358/.485 career batting line. He also won two Silver Sluggers and four Gold Gloves and was selected to appear in five All-Star games. With a few truly dominant seasons amidst a thoroughly consistent level of production, González seems like a cinch to at least appear on the Hall of Fame ballot, itself a major honor that reflects a standout career.
MLB Trade Rumors congratulates González on all of his success on the field, and we wish him the best in his post-playing endeavors.
His bat retired years ago so good to see him finally follow.
I know it’s frowned upon here to mention religion, but Adrian is a tremendous guy with a very strong faith and I admired how he signed nearly every baseball with Psalm 27:1.
He was an incredibly clutch hitter, career .948 OPS with RISP.
If he hadn’t participated in the 2011 Homerun Derby, which messed up his swing, the horrific late season team collapse doesn’t happen.
It’s unfortunate it didn’t work out, but he just wasn’t an East Coast guy … never felt comfortable playing in Boston, although few Sox players did during Bobby V’s nightmare tenure.
And the only reason the Dodgers made that trade was because they desperately wanted Adrian, and Ben forced them to take Beckett and Crawford with him.
Why is it found upon to mention religion? Its not like people didn’t fight wars over the same person who died and came back to life 3 days later because of the tower of bable?
Why do you care so much?
**meant to reply to the original poster
I think you mean frowned upon.
That makes no sense at all.
Don
You sure about the Homerun Derby effect? Vladito says hi
Dave Magadan: “I knew it impacted Adrian’s swing for the second half of that season.”
After the derby he batted 37 points less (.354/.317) and his SLG dropped 102 points (.591/.489)
So does Todd Frazier
I didn’t know he signed baseballs like that. That’s super cool.
Wasn’t he one of the chicken and beer guys?
JerryBird3 hours ago
Wasn’t he one of the chicken and beer guys?
===============================
The chicken and beer thing was a media invention. Most people partake in something to eat and something to drink after the game. A lot of the same players that were blamed in 2011, were part of the championship team in 2013.
Joe – You’re 100% correct, and Adrian doesn’t drink anyways.
The only off-the-field issues that contributed to the 2011 collapse involved the manager, and like you said that was proven in 2013.
But it still happened in 2011? Don’t care about 2013. To me, the ends doesn’t justify the means.
Adrian is not responsible for the actions of his 24 teammates, or his manager.
That’s like pointing fingers at Tim Tebow just because he was a teammate of Aaron Hernandez.
Yup yup chicken and beer
The Antonio Brown thing was a media invention. Most people like to unwind and take their clothes off and engage in a light stroll after a little exercise. A lot of the same players who were blamed in 2022, were part of the championship team in 2021. Nothing to see here either.
Good one!
He made just about 200 million playing a game, is retiring at 40 and will never have to worry about money for the rest of his life.
But you zinged him good, so advantage ball 5, you sure showed him
That trade to Atlanta was kind of a weird one. They didn’t really save any total money or even kick the can down the road. They did the opposite. Instead of paying Kemp for 2 years they made the trade and basically paid what would have been Kemp’s entire 2-year salary in the first year. They got McCarthy and Culberson out of it but that wasn’t much. If the main goal was to spend more now to save money the following year, would it have been possible to just restructure Kemp’s salary? They weren’t close to the luxury tax so that couldn’t have been a consideration. Kemp was still the best player in that trade. Wouldn’t it have been better to sit down with Kemp and agree to pay him 99% of his remaining guaranteed money in 2018 and then just pay him the veterans league minimum in 2019 so he wouldn’t hurt the payroll? Are teams allowed to do that? I don’t see why not. The players would still be getting all of their money. They would just be getting it sooner. Or maybe the Braves just really thought Scott Kazmir (immediately released), Brandon McCarthy (almost immediately released) and Charlie Culberson (bench role who was later non-tendered) were actually going to be better than 2 years of Matt Kemp at the same price? I would have just tried to front load the remainder of Kemp’s salary rather than take on all those guys plus eat Adrian Gonzalez release salary just to get rid of Kemp.
Might have been a union thing or some obscure contractual glitch.
@hammer. As a Braves fan I was a little excited with the Braves acquired AGON. I was hoping they’d give him a chance to prove he had something left in the tank but nope he was straight up released. Puzzling trade and then Kemp goes on to be a all star with LA in 2018. I understand it was a salary dump all the way around but it seems the Dodgers won that trade.
@McGriff: I think technically the Braves could have tried to keep A-Gon but it would have made them look really bad. At the time he had a no-trade clause and didn’t want to come to the Braves. He knew Freeman would be the Braves starting first baseman and he wanted to go somewhere he could start. He only agreed to waive his NTC if the Braves agreed to release him upon acquisition. The Braves kept their word and did that. It ended up not really mattering. A-Gon ended up singing with the Mets to try and be a stopgap until Pete Alonso was ready. It was pretty apparent when he was a Met he just had absolutely nothing left in the tank and they released him, too. It’s really hard to believe that paying A-Gon $22 million to not play, plus paying Kazmir $16 million to not play, plus paying whatever they paid McCarthy to be terrible for less than a season was worth unloading Kemp’s contract. If memory serves, the Braves only owed Kemp $36 million over the final 2- years of that deal. A-Gon and Kazmir alone got $38 million to not even play and McCarthy added even more to that price. They did get a few cheap years out of Culberson for it but he wasn’t very good. He did hit a few walk off home runs during that time because I remember a lot of Braves fans telling me he was “Charlie Clutch.” You’d have to figure All-Star Kemp would have still produced a lot more than him.
I’m with you. I didn’t think the trade made sense for ATL at the time.
ball 5 retired years ago from a successful life.
Is Urbina out of jail yet for murder?
Looks like since 2014.
In other news, Bartolo Colon has not announced his retirement yet. #BringbackBigSexy!!!
I don’t care about Urbina’s personal life. All I care about is that Marlins 200 Championship banner still flaps in the wind.
Lol
Just attacking some folks with gas & a machete. No biggy. Just a “personal life” thing. Got your flag though!
“Some people did something” … but hey 200 World Champions Bay-Bee!
Seems like just yesterday the hot topic was whether Kerrigan should have had Triple U intentionally walk Brady Anderson to give Cal one more PA.
That 200 Series was a classic.
Kerrigan why why why
The Marlins have won 200 champ banners?
Two WS titles without ever winning the division.
2003…typo geniuses. But a funny typo.
It was attempted murder. He was sentenced to 14 years or so and served 7.5 of them.
I don’t think anyone thought he was still playing but congrats to A-Gon on an impressive career
What year is this from?
The same year the Cubs went back to the future and a group of cigar smoking guys from space jam were placing bets on predetermined outcomes like Biff Tannen?
From 2009-2011 he was really great. But outside of that he was a fairly mediocre power hitter. Possibly one of the most overpaid players ever. I’m not trying to knock the guy. But I always found his career trajectory and the way he was used as a trade chip and the 7 year $154M extension contract he played under starting in Boston and then getting passed around with the rest of his career was a massive overpay. Maybe not in AAV, but certainly in years.
He probably earned about $40M more than he was worth over the course of his career. Just interesting to me.
Ridiculous take. The guy had many many 100+ RBI seasons, and always hit for average with 20-30+ homers. So what if he wasn’t a 35-45 power hitting first baseman? I think he was always properly rated
Pretty slick glove, I can’t recall many bad throws getting away from A-Gon as a Dodger. As for range, that’s another story.
I do recall when a sportswriter kept harping on González as being so slow on the basepaths that he lightheartedly challenged the writer to a race, home to first, and obliterated him. Sure he was slow for an MLB player, but he’s still an athlete. It was good to see that speed is relative.
They’ve said the same about Albert Pujols
Consistent run producer and was always an excellent situational hitter. Put together quality at bats when it really mattered. Consistently plus defender. A great career, deserves the lifetime label “former mlb all star”
Dude had something like 28 WAR through the life of his 7 year contract. He more than earned his salary during that time. Calling him “one of the most overpaid players ever” is way, way off base.
Agreed, he’s not even one of the most overpaid players in Red Sox history.
Carl Crawford, Hanley Ramirez, Rusney Castillo, Matsuzaka, Renteria, Sandoval, Clement … just some of the many who were overpaid more than Adrian.
43.5 WAR disagrees.
Not sure if he makes the HOF, but a very nice career nonetheless
Hall of Very Good, for sure.
This is now. If Ted Simmons and Harold Baines can get in, don’t rule out A-Gon.
You’re trying to tell me that Ted Simmons doesn’t belong in the hall of fame? Dude excelled as a catcher, played 21 seasons, still had a lifetime average of .285, normally had around 80-100 rbi seasons. Check out his offensive numbers compared to Ryne Sandberg. In fact, I’ll just save you the trouble. Avg 285/285, H 2472/2386, RBI 1389/1061, HR 248/282, OBP 348/344, SLG 437/452. Ryne Sandberg got in easy. The two are comparable offensively. And 21 seasons with a majority of them spent behind the plate? You don’t see many players last 21 seasons anymore. Ted Simmons deserved his call.
@brewsing : 150% agreed
Positional context matters immensely. I’m definitely a small-hall guy, but Simmons deserved the nod. Baines on the other hand, not quite there in my book — but I do think there are worse inclusions than H.B.
I agree Rizzuto shouldn’t be in the HOF.
Numbers aren’t there. Maybe if he got to 400 homers and 2500 hits and a war closer to 55….
HOVG for him
Not a chance.
Nah. He’s not Dwight Evans or Dick Allen.
Or even Fred McGriff.
HUGE historical mistake in this article. Jamie McCourt never owned the Dodgers, let alone, sold it. During the divorce she challenged the prenuptial agreement that stated Frank was the sole owner of the Dodgers, ultimately unsuccessfully, and in any case she settled for far less than half of the team’s selling price. Also the sale wasn’t completed by either McCourt, the team was sold out of bankruptcy so it was the court not a McCourt who sold it.
Thanks for the insight!
Just did a bit more reading on the matter and it seems I had misunderstood the nature of the arrangement. From what I gather (and remember) ownership was a matter of dispute at the time of the sale, and I misremembered her seeking control as taking control. I’ve removed it from the story, as it’s a tangential point anyhow. Thanks for pointing it out.
Thanks for the response. The McCourt divorce and the Dodgers bankruptcy proceedings were complicated and seemingly endless. Unfortunately we Dodger fans had a front-row seat for every Hall of Shame moment.
Thanks for all of the great writing. AND I SUPPORT THE OWNERS. Looking forward to the next update about the 2022 MLB situation.
Nice to see Rob Manfred’s mom is here.
He was a nice guy and a good (not great player). He will get a handful of HOF votes and be a coach somewhere one day. Not necessarily in the MLB, but some league.
During his prime, Gonzo was a great player. He had a 5-6 year run of being one of the most dominant hitters in all of baseball. Had his production not dropped off as much as it did towards the end of his career, he could have made the Hall of Fame.
I was at Dodger Stadium for AGon’s last AB as a Dodger. It was a pitch-hit homer. He was slowed down a lot by back issues for his last couple of seasons but like every other Dodger fan I have great memories of his time with the team. Some forget he was also a very good defensive first baseman. He also gave an on-field interview after a game that I will never forget and I’m sure nobody else who caught it will either.
Great career. That said, he will likely not meet the 5% threshold in the hall of fame voting.
I could see him maybe getting 5-10% for a couple years before falling off the ballot. Kind of like Bobby Abreu. Just hanging out at the bottom with no real chance of getting in.
Mark Teixeira was one and done this year, with only 1.5% of the vote. He had over 400 career HRs and a 50.5 rWAR compared to Gonzalez’s 43.5.
I Vote percentages can be heavily impacted by who else is on the ballot, with a crowded ballot pushing off more fringe candidates quickly, but I don’t see Gonzalez getting much support. Abreu was a vastly better player.
I see him maybe hanging around a few years. Great player for his Era but not HOF,r.
he was a quiet man
i thought of ryne sandburg, different positions, very similar stats in many categories.
His sexual prowess was off the charts
He may not have been a superstar, but he was a star, and a very consistent and reliable one at that. First overall pick or not, Gonzalez had an outstanding career and has nothing to apologize for.
I remember the excitement the fans had when the Sox traded for Adrian, unfortunately it just wasn’t a good fit and cost us Rizzo to boot. Gonzalez still had a good career and had some real good seasons for the Dodgers. Pretty sure the league retired him a few years ago though
The trade between SD and Boston wasn’t about Rizzo, it was all about Casey Kelly who was the #1 Red Sox prospect and rated 22nd in MLB.
Westmoreland, Kalish, Reddick, Bowden and Tazawa were all ranked higher than Rizzo.
Other than Tazawa and Reddick none of those guys did anything.
Westmoreland did something, he had two brain surgeries that ended his career. That was after Baseball America ranked him the 21st project in MLB.
I really wish we could have seen what Westmoreland could have done in MLB. Same with Daniel Flores.
suit – Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems like Boston teams have experienced more than their fair share of tragedies.
I really wish we could have seen:
What Len Bias could have done in the NBA
What Reggie Lewis could have done after Age 27.
What Tony C could have done after Age 22.
What Darryl Stingley could have done after Age 26
There’s plenty more I haven’t mentioned.
Fever: Spot on…gone too soon.
Thing I remember was his sulky comment about having to play on Sunday nights for the ESPN game. That had to have left a bad taste in Sox management’s mouths.
Yeah. The Padres didn’t see very many (if any) sunday night games during his time there. They must have ended past his bedtime
Yeah just another player who was hated in Boston but loved everywhere else he played.
Adrian wasn’t hated in Boston.
Okay, maybe just ridiculed. Only a few posts up he was accused of being “sulky” (nice!) and I well remember all the drama ginned up by the Boston fans and media over some offhand comment he made about the weather, and lots of nasty remarks here about that too. Boston fans are fanatical, I’ll give them that much, but they can also be nuts, and not always in a good way.
Rightly or otherwise, his passion was often questioned with Boston.
Big money newly guaranteed, man of faith with a its just sports perspective- it did not go over well in Beantown.
I’m sure he felt more at home in LA culturally and he was acquired by trade not by choice. I’m sure he regretted the big extension before long.
You mean nuts as in show up prior to the 4th inning and stay past the 6th inning? I know that seems crazy to Dodger fans.
Also, totally made up. But I guess my point stands.
To be fair, if you’ve ever been to Dodger Stadium, if you don’t leave between the 6th or 7th inning you will be in for a very long stay in the parking lot
BlueSkies – Ah yes, I always did wonder if it was just digital manipulation by every network that has broadcast games from Dodger Stadium. And all the firsthand witnesses must be SF fans, right? It’s a conspiracy to make filled seats look empty.
So getting back to your original point, when was the last time you heard about Red Sox fans fighting stadium security in Fenway? When was the last time you heard about all-out brawls in Fenway? When was the last time you heard about Red Sox fans stabbing rival fans five times?
Does the name Bryan Stow ring a bell? Ya know, the fan who got beaten into a coma and nearly died in the Dodger Stadium parking lot?
sports.yahoo.com/blogs/big-league-stew/jury-selection-begins-for-bryan-stow-s-civil-suit-against-the-dodgers-192511551.html
Does the name Josh Davis ring a bell? Ya know, the Red Sox fan who got brutally beaten and punctured five times by Dodgers fans while he was walking home after the Red Sox won the 2018 World Series.
yahoo./video/red-sox-fan-stabbed-five-times-fight-dodgers-fans-world-series-game-5-203627334.html
When was the last time a fan lost their life in or around Fenway?
“A 25-year-old San Francisco Giants fan lost his life during a post-game dispute in the Dodger Stadium parking lot was laid to rest Saturday. More than 600 mourners, including Harley-Davidson bikers and several Los Angeles Dodgers executives, said goodbye to Marc Antenorcruz, a sophomore at Mount San Antonio College, described as sensitive and caring.”
And yet you’re accusing Red Sox fans of being “nuts” just because some criticize their own players whether justified or not? That’s David Price-less.
dodgersway.com/2021/06/27/dodgers-latest-brawl-dodger-stadium-proves-team-intervene/
“The rate at which these scrums are breaking out at Dodger Stadium can only be described as alarming.
It’s almost as if fans know they can get away with starting fights and seemingly don’t hesitate doing so because the Dodgers’ security team is, well, not the best.
About two months ago, footage showed security team members standing around like statues while some guy got body-slammed into the pavement outside the stadium.
It’s currently unclear what provoked Saturday’s quarrel, but a fan on social media who claimed to be in attendance said it wasn’t between rival fans. Rather, security told him that someone was ejected for throwing a ball onto the field.
As security escorted that fan out, a crowd of fans doused security with garbage. Those clowns were rightly told to leave and it ultimately erupted into a fans vs security melee.”
BlueSkies – Ah yes, I always did wonder if it was just digital manipulation by every network that has broadcast games from Dodger Stadium. And all the firsthand witnesses must be SF fans, right? It’s a conspiracy to make filled seats look empty.
So getting back to your original point, when was the last time you heard about Red Sox fans fighting stadium security in Fenway? When was the last time you heard about all-out brawls in Fenway? When was the last time you heard about Red Sox fans stabbing rival fans five times?
Does the name Bryan Stow ring a bell? Ya know, the fan who got beaten into a coma and nearly died in the Dodger Stadium parking lot?
sports.yahoo.com/blogs/big-league-stew/jury-selection-begins-for-bryan-stow-s-civil-suit-against-the-dodgers-192511551.html
Does the name Josh Davis ring a bell? Ya know, the Red Sox fan who got brutally beaten and punctured five times by Dodgers fans while he was walking home after the Red Sox won the 2018 World Series.
yahoo./video/red-sox-fan-stabbed-five-times-fight-dodgers-fans-world-series-game-5-203627334.html
When was the last time a fan lost their life in or around Fenway?
“A 25-year-old San Francisco Giants fan lost his life during a post-game dispute in the Dodger Stadium parking lot was laid to rest Saturday. More than 600 mourners, including Harley-Davidson bikers and several Los Angeles Dodgers executives, said goodbye to Marc Antenorcruz, a sophomore at Mount San Antonio College, described as sensitive and caring.”
And yet you’re accusing Red Sox fans of being “nuts” just because some criticize their own players whether justified or not? That’s David Price-less.
dodgersway.com/2021/06/27/dodgers-latest-brawl-dodger-stadium-proves-team-intervene/
“The rate at which these scrums are breaking out at Dodger Stadium can only be described as alarming.
It’s almost as if fans know they can get away with starting fights and seemingly don’t hesitate doing so because the Dodgers’ security team is, well, not the best.
About two months ago, footage showed security team members standing around like statues while some guy got body-slammed into the pavement outside the stadium.
It’s currently unclear what provoked Saturday’s quarrel, but a fan on social media who claimed to be in attendance said it wasn’t between rival fans. Rather, security told him that someone was ejected for throwing a ball onto the field.
As security escorted that fan out, a crowd of fans doused security with garbage. Those clowns were rightly told to leave and it ultimately erupted into a fans vs security melee.”
Rsox – Can’t say I’ve been to Dodger Stadium, but I’ve been to 14 other MLB venues and I’m very familiar with postgame traffic. I simply hang around my seats or walk around the stadium waiting for the crowd to clear out. Fenway has it’s share of traffic jams too, so you know what I do? I park a mile away and make the 15-minute walk.
I thought he retired in 2019…
Adrián González is a borderline HOF candidate who has some similar stats to another in fellow 1B Paul Konerko that include almost identical triple slash lines. González played three fewer seasons and had more of an injury history than Konerko which reduced the formers counting stats like HR’s and RBI’s. González was also the superior defender which helped elevate his career WAR number over Konerko. If I had a vote I’d say no to both. Each were excellent MLB players but fall a bit short of the elite status that should be the benchmark for induction into Cooperstown.
gonzales had a bit more career war than pauly
I enjoyed AGon’s career but I don’t think he’s close at all. Even during his peak years, he’s never dominated his league
Dominating the league is not a requirement. for the Hall Craig Biggio never dominated the league and yet he is in there. Juan Gonzalez did dominate the league for 3-4 years and yet he was nowhere near the Hall.
hiflew – Igor was strongly suspected of being a longtime juicer.
Not just because of what Canseco said about him, but also because his luggage at the Cleveland airport had PED’s and steroid paraphernalia. His name was all over the Mitchell report.
So needless to say, he’s not a good example of a dominant player who got nowhere in HOF voting..
Biggio has the counting stats and was a more complete hitter. He also played a more premium position. I don’t think him and AGon are fair comps.
I was in San Diego a week or so after he was traded. I was at a rooftop bar and Adrian’s brother gave my wife and I free tickets to watch the Pads vs Mets. Useless anecdote, but true story.
Nice!! Edgar is a great guy, just like Adrian. Sounds like you had a fun trip!
Enjoy retirement!
I always wanted to see a race between AGon, Buster Posey and Yadier Molina to determine once and for all who was the slowest player. My money was on AGon. Guess will never know now.
how about prince fielder vs. pablo sandoval?
I’m a Cardinal fan and love what Molina brings to the game but there’s no way Yadi wins any race against any other athlete in the world.
He was fearsome.
Funnest fact: he has a season where he hit 40 HRs
Struck out more than 100 times….yet walked more than he struck out
That’s some WAR for ya
got more hits than times struck out. another war for ya
Baines has kicked the HoF door wide open for players like AGon.
No, Tony LaRussa opened the door for Baines… that door is now shut.
AGon is Derrek Lee. Really good player who won’t ever make the Hall.
Everyone needs to lay off Harold Baines. He had nearly 2900 hits over his lengthy career. He was a GREAT player. He’s not some idiot that just bumbled into the Hall. Maybe he did get in the Hall because he was a favorite of LaRussa, but MANY players from the 20s, 30s, and 40s got in exactly the same way.
Beside WAR does a huge injustice to Baines. For some reason he has -7.5 dWAR from 1993-2001 despite him playing DH exclusively with the exception of 2 INNINGS in 1997. Those 2 innings must have been exceptionally awful to cost his team 7 and a half wins over that time period. Especially since the ball was never hit to him in those two innings.
4 of his top 5 career comparisons on B/R are in the HOF. Tony Perez, Al Kaline, Billy Williams, and Andre Dawson. And the 5th, Dave Parker SHOULD be in.
you don’t play DH
Bingo. Baines was great dh but did not Excel like Martinez or Ortiz. But a fan who watched him all the time will disagree. I watched Mattingly and hernandez 100s of times. People say no I say you should have seen those guys play.
How the hell is Dave Parker not in the HOF?
Edit: upon reflection I guess that’s a rhetorical question.
Cocaine. Parker is not worthy of the HOF. He fell off a cliff at about age 27 and had only one good year after that. He went from HOF level to replacement level in a hurry.
Numbers weren’t quite what I thought they were.
Still: 2712 hits, 339 jacks, 159 SB (against 113 CS!…different game, man) is a quite a bit more than just a handful of seasons. I guess I see why he’s not. See how he could be too. Hall’s a joke anyway.
hiflew8 hours ago
Everyone needs to lay off Harold Baines.
===================================
His average season, from BR, was 567 ABs, 22 HRs, and a 289 average. McGriff, covering many of the same years, averaged 32 HRs and a .284. JD Martinez averaged 34 HRs and a .290. Teixeira averaged 36 HRs and a .268. Youkilis average 23 HRs and .281.
All these guys were better. Which leaves only the fact that he held on forever. And, imo, lasting forever is not a HOF attribute.
Baines being in the Hall is a disgrace. The situation deserves all the flak it gets.
According to Gonzalez’ wiki article:
González is a Christian and engraved on his bats is “PS 27:1” for verse 1 from Psalm 27. González has spoken about his faith saying, “I don’t want to be remembered in baseball. I want to be remembered as a good witness for Christ. … I’m just trying to use this platform to bring people to Christ.”.
Amen, brother!
I really hope there won’t be too many Adrian Gonzalez belongs in the Hall of Fame comments.
Or too many he doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame comments. Or is too late for that?
Those comments would be far more reasonable. The numbers don’t lie.
Why would that bother you? Other people are allowed to have their own opinions. Well for now anyway.
It’s a waste of time to say a guy like Gonzalez belongs in the HOF.
Wasn’t there a commenter in another thread complaining about the site sometimes randomly showing him stories from several years ago?
This headline feels like it should be one of those.
I don’t believe AGon is a HOF but his stats are remarkably similar to Rolen’s who look likely to get elected in the next year or two. Both with numerous gold gloves as well. Rolen is the top line and Agon is the bottom line.
H HR RBI BA OBP SLG
2,077 – 316 – 1,287 – .281 – .364 – .490
2,050 – 317 – 1,202 – .287 – .358 – .485
Rolen played a harder position.
….And was elite defensively.
And did you read what he said or just criticize?
And Rolen didn’t play in the steroid era,
UM, what? 1996-2012 was Rolen’s career. Gonzalez played 2004-2018. What exactly is your point again?
You left out a stat that encompasses all play. Rolen, 70.1 rWAR; Gonzalez, 43.5 rWAR.
Going by primary position played, Rolen ranks as the 9th greatest 3B’man in MLB history.
For what it’s worth, the wrong Chris Young was linked. Nice write-up though, happy retirement A-Gon!
Adrian Gonzalez is an All Star human being, very unassuming and personable. He wouldn’t remember meeting me, but I’ll always remember him taking a few minutes to talk with me.
finally god updated his plan and let adrian retire
See you in Cooperstown Adrian!
Tickets are $24.95
The way things are going, they will elect him to the HOF in 50 years and several teams will retire his number.
Amazing how how players get better after they retire!
I didn’t know he was still playing.
If you read the article you would known he hasn’t played for any MLB team since 2018. Fixed it for ya. Drops Mic.
I did read the article. He doesn’t need to be ib MLB to be considered to still be playing. I thought he retired 3 years ago.
He was an incredibly beefy strong man with a sweet swing. Thousands loved him. I wish him all the best in retirement.
I always wished that he had remained in San Diego for his entire career. He really belonged there and the fans loved him. He was never comfortable in Boston even though he played great. His Sunday night comment was absolutely spot on and to this day I hate Sunday night games. And the home run derby is yet another really stupid thing that baseball seems to think is important. Why not have a throwing contest while you’re at it? Silly. And this from a former Punt, Pass and Kick champion. That stuff is for kids. Anyway, good career and enjoy retirement.
Congrats on a fine career, A-Gon.
Monkey bat!
Enjoy your retirement. Smooth as heck 1B and a fine hitter.
But the RS still shouldn’t have traded for him. They already had Youk at 1st. The benefit of trading for Gonzo was partially offset by returning Youk to 3rd. The target should’ve been Headley, and waiting on Rizzo to replace Youk eventually.
Headley was not a fantastic player at all… don’t think that was the right move.
But what’s done is done.
Joe – I’d make that same trade again and again if I didn’t know injuries would derail AGon’s career.
Keep in mind Park Factors. Before coming to Boston Adrian put up monster numbers while playing half his games in literally the worst hitters park in MLB. There was a realistic expectation he would be one of the top sluggers in baseball playing half his games in Fenway.
Look at his road numbers and his OPS+ rankings:
2008 – .946 OPS and 7th in OPS+
2009 – 1.045 OPS and 3rd in OPS+
2010 – .980 OPS and 3rd in OPS+
And with the Red Sox …
2011 – .986 OPS and 3rd in OPS+
With the Red Sox it was just a combination of bad timing and bad luck.
Homerun Derby messing up his swing
Tito losing the clubhouse because of his personal issues
AGon’s health issues
The Bobby V disaster
2011-2012 was the worst possible time for any player to be with the Red Sox.
I know you can’t stand Theo, and I’m not a huge fan of his either, but that was a good trade to make that simply didn’t work out.
I live in fly over country and always figured his short BURST of his career was just another steroid freak. Hope I am wrong
Dad – You have to be thinking of somebody else.
With the exception of 2012, AGon put up MVP-caliber seasons from 2007-2015 … hardly a Brady Anderson-type “short burst” as you say.
And not a chance he did roids. His career was shortened due to chronic health issues, particularly related to his back.
And he was such a naturally big guy I feel like if he took steroids it would have been super obvious. He would have been a giant
Its good that he announced it now- it may have been too much pressure on him, if any games were actually scheduled.
Apparently you missed the career RISP posted earlier.
Why did they use the Mets pic
He was part of the chicken and beer gang
The HOF argument is ridiculous. The criteria is still based by too many on what it was when it was a 20 team league with 250 players and now when its 30 teams and 380. Are you telling me that players are less talented then when the likes of Ray Oeler, Phil Roof, or Mike Ivie were everyday players in the 60s-70s?
You can’t have 65% more players in a league quite different than it was even 10-15 years ago and elect the same or less amount of players. You’re actually making the chance to get in even slimmer even though there are more players. That’s another reason why the Baseball HOF voting is a joke. In many cases they are using the same yardstick to measure greatness as they did when it was about back of baseball card stats and there were 20 or less teams playing 154 games. Adrian Gonzalez is probably a borderline HOF but comparing stats of players today to those of decades past is shortsighted. The days of 250-300 wins, 400+ HRs, or x amt of RBI’s or strikeouts as measuring sticks are long outdated.
Even if you think more players dilute the talent pool (I don’t think it does) you still have a deeper level of higher level of talent at the top than in those mythologized 1920s or 1950s eras. There are simply better athletes, technology, and talent today even with the drop in fundamentals than baseball’s mythologized past. Bigger, stronger, faster…
MLB a game where teams have traveled decades by jet while many of its fans and especially HOF voters view it like it was when they rode the rails from town to town.
He was a malcontent with the Red Sox and was not missed after the dump. Good luck in retirement.
Nice bat. Always reminded me a little of Rafael Palmeiro.
Good look …