Sunday, August 2, 2009

A-GON HOMERS IN THREE STRAIGHT GAMES FOR PADRES

If San Diego Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was distracted by trade rumors last week, he didn’t show it. The Cincinnati Reds could be forgiven for wishing any deal involving the All-Star had happened a week before last Friday’s trade deadline.

Gonzalez, who was born in San Diego but spent twelve years growing up in Mexico, blasted home runs in three consecutive games last week against the Reds in Cincinnati to raise his season total to 28, second in the National League to St. Louis’ Albert Pujols. The struggling Padres, who won three of their four games in Ohio, were sellers as the deadline approached, but Gonzalez remains in San Diego.

A-Gon is certainly a bargain for any team he plays for. He is in the middle of a contract that pays him $9 million over four seasons, with a $5.5 million team option for 2011. Good money for mere mortals, but not too much for a guy who’s hit 118 homers with 360 RBIs since coming to San Diego in 2006. Besides being a career .278 batter, Gonzalez is the National League’s defending Gold Glove first baseman.

He belted three homers for Mazatlan in a game during last winter’s Caribbean Series, and played for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic alongside brother Edgar Gonzalez (who also plays for the Padres).

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