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Winter league experience a plus for
prospects Gonzalez, Gonzalez and Duncan Major league hopefuls Adrian Gonzalez and Chris Duncan were teammates earlier this winter with Mazatlan of the Mexican Pacific League, while pitcher Edgar Gonzalez was pitching for the opposing Hermosillo team. We caught up with the trio when during a weekend series in Hermosillo.
Adrian Gonzalez Texas Rangers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was quick to answer why he chose the Mazatlan franchise for his first Mexican Pacific League season. “I like the city and I like to be on the beach,” replied the 23-year-old left-handed hitter. “That’s why I pursued them. I know they have a good team and a good nucleus. I like to be on a team with good people, so I thought it was a good fit for me.” Gonzalez has consistently ranked as one of the top hitters in the league, coming after a strong season with AAA Oklahoma in which he batted .338/.399/.561, with 18 homeruns in 328 at bats. He also played 43 games at the big league level. His performance both in AAA and in Mexico would indicate that Gonzalez is deserving of more playing time in Texas, but he’s blocked at first base by all-star Mark Teixeira. His best chance for more at bats in Texas will be at designated hitter or perhaps in the outfield. “I played a game in the outfield,” replied Gonzalez in reference to whether he is getting work at the position this winter, “and I’ve been getting some fly balls. But I came here with the intention of playing first base.” Gonzalez’s primary goal for his time in Mexico is to work on his hitting. “I’m just trying to see more pitching and be a little more consistent about everything I’ve been doing,” said Gonzalez. He believes that facing the veteran pitchers of the Mexican League has helped him. “They’re smart here; they know what they’re pitching,” said Gonzalez. “They’re a little more finesse type of pitchers. If they see you chasing a pitch, they’ll keep throwing it until you make an adjustment. That’s what I came here to see.” “There are times in the major leagues that they’d take advantage of my bad pitch selection,” continued Gonzalez. “I needed to make that adjustment … making them throw me my pitch and not chase the pitcher’s pitch.” Gonzalez, who spent part of his childhood in Mexico, is glad to finally be playing in the Mexican Pacific League. “I grew up with baseball out here,” he said. “It’s something that’s different. In the States the fans cheer. But the name calling and cussing and all the things that go on here, you get to have fun with them (the fans).” “I interact a little more with the fans here,” continued Gonzalez. “When you strike out, they’re calling you the worst thing in the world. If you strike out and then get a hit, they think you’re the best hitter. So it’s kind of like, ‘What have you done lately for me?’ You feed off of them and have fun with them.” Gonzalez has proven to be a valuable resource for his Mazatlan teammates playing their first seasons in Mexico. “I’ve been their ‘go to’ guy whenever they need a translation or where to go or if this food is okay to eat … the whole deal,” said Gonzalez. “I tell them the food is the same thing as over there … you’ll only get sick if you think you’re going to get sick.” Chris Duncan
Mazatlan’s Chris Duncan knows that he needs to work on both hitting and defense during his winter in the Mexican Pacific League. But the St. Louis Cardinal farmhand, whose first major league homer was the last one hit in the history of Busch Stadium, believes he is gaining another advantage from his time in Mexico. “The biggest thing for me is the winning attitude everywhere,” said Duncan. “A lot of times that gets lost at the AAA level. There are so many guys coming in and out of the team … guys getting called up, guys getting released, guys getting signed. It’s really hard to jell as a team. Here, we’re one unit and we’re all competing to win, and it’s a lot of fun. That makes you a better player … you play the games for the right reasons.” Duncan, who has spent most of his career as a first baseman, is playing in the outfield for Mazatlan this winter. The position move is an obvious one for Duncan, considering that Albert Pujols will be manning first base in St. Louis for a long time. “It’s gone well so far,” answered Duncan when asked about his outfield experience in Mexico. “I only got to play about 10 games (in the outfield) this summer and the year before I played 30 … The only way to learn is to get out there and play. You can shag a bunch of balls in batting practice, but the only way you can really learn is to have the game experience. So far, it’s been good and it’s a learning experience.” The pitching in Mexico has also been an eye opener for the 24-year-old son of St. Louis coach Dave Duncan. “The biggest difference I’ve noticed is in the States when I face right-handers, they like throwing a lot of fastballs and changeups,” said the left-handed hitting Duncan. “But here it seems like the right-handers don’t throw as many changeups … they will throw me breaking balls … They get ahead with a breaking ball or flip one in there and you learn to make yourself swing at that. The breaking ball’s the last pitch on your mind, but they will throw it to lefties here.” Edgar Gonzalez
Edgar Gonzalez seems to be the forgotten man in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ pitching plans for 2006. Just two years ago, the 22-year-old right-hander was ranked as one of the organization’s brightest pitching prospects. The 2004 season was instead a “train wreck,” both for the D-backs and for Gonzalez. Thrust into the rotation at 20 in front of an undermanned, underachieving team, Gonzalez struggled mightily, losing nine of his 10 starts. He’s only been back in the big leagues for one brief call up last year. Gonzalez is trying to make everyone forget about that disastrous 2004 season. The native of Monterrey, Mexico is pitching this winter for Hermosillo of the Mexican Pacific League in the hopes of getting a chance to compete for a spot in the Arizona starting rotation next year. The addition of a new pitch to his repertoire, which includes a 95 mile per hour fast ball, may increase Gonzalez’s odds of returning to the big leagues. “Every year when I go to spring training, I am going with something different,” said Gonzalez. “This year, I’ve got a new pitch --- a changeup. I haven’t thrown it in the last couple of years … I’ve just thrown a slider. I’m working on a changeup for the next spring training.” --- Bill Mitchell
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