Baseball Brunch: Nation's Unemployment Woes Extend to Baseball Stars, Too
Back in early February, Luis Gonzalez was all set to fly from his Phoenix-area home to San Diego to meet with the Padres.
And then the call rang.
"There's no need for you to come," the Padres told Gonzalez and his agents. San Diego had signed Cliff Floyd.
Gonzalez is still waiting for the next shriek.
Like Pedro Martinez, Frank Thomas and others, Gonzalez is a practiced who ambitions to play already can't detect a job.
"I don't know whether it's the economy," Gonzalez told FanHouse. "I wasn't out there trying to get a $4 million contract. I just adore to play. I want to play."
So he has persisted to go out, taking batting train (although not as often as he did while spring training was going on) and hoping someone has a need.
"I just must penetrate live pitching," he said.
Gonzalez, 41, last year hit .261 in 337 at-bats for the Florida Marlins, with 26 doubles, eight homers and 47 RBI �C alike creation to Colorado's Todd Helton (.264, 16 doubles,
Asics mexico 66 Lauta Shoes, seven homers, 29 RBI in 361 at-bats).
But Gonzalez sells himself as someone with something to give in the clubhouse as well as on the field.
"This isn't the '80s alternatively the early '90s any more," he said, "when a lot of GMs would like to go for guys like myself.
"GMs secondhand to want to have those veteran guys around."
Gonzalez said he enjoyed taking on the character of director in Florida,
black supra, no namely all his old-school habits caught on. Marlins teammates would make fun of him because giving a easy handshake when congratulating something.
"Those guys would have 58 assorted handshakes," he said.
"I'm kind of a special case for I'm a ballpark rat. I work early and stay late. The last couple of teams I played on, guys would quit right after the game and I'd be with the clubhouse guys as they were act laundry."
There was some interest from Atlanta and Pitttsburgh over the winter as well, but when agent Gregg Clifton would query approximately Gonzalez, Clifton said, "the common reaction was, 'We like the name, but even now.' "
So immediately Gonzalez hangs out with his 10-year-old triplets, going to their baseball and softball games. He is close to some milestones, with 596 career doubles (more than any active player), 354 homers and 2,591 hits, but someone has to give him a accident.
"I don't have whichever acid grapes," he said.
"I'm not in the situation where I'm going to solicit for a job. I just still feel like I can assist a team."
Overheard and Understood
? Ken Griffey Jr.'s homer on Opening Day was his 399th with the Mariners; he absences 1 extra to transform the first athlete ever to hit 400 home runs for 1 team and 200 for another (the Reds).
? S
peaking of Griffey: he, Randy Johnson and Omar Vizquel were rookies attach aboard the 1989 Mariners -- so this namely the 1st time 3 rookie teammates were still lively 20 years after.
? One NL scout expects a big bounceback year from Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez, based on his spring. A excellent in the playoffs in 2007, Jimenez final year was 12-12 with 108 hikes, second most in the ally. Jimenez,
belstaff boots sale, who pitched 7 scoreless innings final Tuesday by Arizona, is scheduled for his second begin Monday by the Cubs.
? The Red Sox's season key on Tuesday drew a 17.9 rating on Boston TV -- making it the altitude show in the mart that night, even along of American Idol.
? According to Major League Baseball, Houston had the oldest Opening Day roster, with an mean old of 32.88. Florida was youngest, for the second straight year, at 27.21 years on mean.
Chart of the Week The Florida Marlins started the season 4-0 for the first time in franchise history. But obtaining the first four games is no certify of year-long success. Teams that started 4-0 since 2003: Team Finish 2007 Mets 2nd in NL East 2006 Brewers 4th in NL Central 2006 Tigers AL champion 2004 Tigers 4th in AL Central 2003 Giants Won NL West 2003 Pirates 4th in NL Central 2003 Royals 3rd in AL Central 2003 Yankees AL champion Source: baseball-reference.com ? The Yankees became the second team since 1951 to obtain no strikeouts from its starting pitcher in every of the first 2 games of the season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The other was the 1989 Braves (Zane Smith and Pete Smith), who finished 63-97.
? Russ Ortiz acquired the last blot in the Astros rotation later four injury-plagued seasons. An executive from different crew was impressed, mentioning Ortiz was darting 90-91 mph in spring training. "He looks like the old Russ Ortiz, but reserving the ball down."
? The Padres are so bereft of pitching that six of the 13 pitchers on the present roster -- including 5 of the 8 relievers -- were not in the union when spring training began: No. 5 starter Shawn Hill (unlocked at Washington), Eulogio De La Cruz (commerce from Marlins), Luke Gregorson (trade from Cardinals), Edward Mujica (trade from Indians), Luis Perdomo (waiver claim from Giants) and Duaner Sanchez (released by Mets). Five members of the staff had never pitched in the majors before this year.
? An executive who saw the White Sox this spring questioned the depth of their bullpen,
timberland uk store, saying Scott Linebrink was "showing a tiny morsel of age,
five fingers sale," Mike MacDougal "cannot throw strikes" and lefty Clayton Richard seems ill-suited to long relief.
? As the Yankees await to officially debut their current stadium, they started the season with a nine-game road junket for the first time. And they are the first team since 2002 to be portion of four home openers (Baltimore, Kansas City, Tampa Bay and their own).
? Philadelphia's Ryan Howard on Wednesday reached 500 career RBI in his 575th game, making him the fastest to approach the milestone since Ted Williams in 1942 (569th game).
? The next time Mariano Rivera saves a win for Andy Pettitte,
supra forum, the duo will knot Dennis Eckersley and Bob Welch for most career win/save combinations at 57.
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