Oakland A’s left-hander Gio Gonzalez spent part of his offseason
tutoring high school pitchers at his alma mater. It’s hard to tell
who benefited most from the experience
—the teenage pupils or Gonzalez.
”
It was an addiction,
”
said Gonzalez, who helped lead Hialeah High (Fla.) to
consecutive state baseball titles from 2001-02.
”
I didn’t want to leave. I was there from like 3 to 6:30 at night
with these kids. My dad’s been calling me up a lot, telling me how
they’re doing.
”
PHOENIX
Oakland A’s left-hander Gio Gonzalez spent part of his offseason tutoring high school pitchers at his alma mater.
It’s hard to tell who benefited most from the experience—the teenage pupils or Gonzalez.
“It was an addiction,” said Gonzalez, who helped lead Hialeah High (Fla.) to consecutive state baseball titles from 2001-02. “I didn’t want to leave. I was there from like 3 to 6:30 at night with these kids. My dad’s been calling me up a lot, telling me how they’re doing.”
How ironic to hear of Gonzalez dishing out wisdom, since he’s often been on the receiving end of such conversations in the A’s clubhouse.
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It’s been a group effort to push the right mental buttons with Gonzalez, 25, an excitable personality who had trouble corralling his emotions on the mound early in his career.
He enjoyed a breakout 2010 season, going 15-9 with a 3.23 ERA in his first full year in the majors. Gonzalez was especially tough as the season wore on, as his 2.53 ERA from June 21 until season’s end (a span of 19 starts) was third-lowest in the American League.
He went from being a raw product to one of the most dependable starters in an A’s rotation considered among the majors’ best. If Oakland’s current spring rotation holds, Gonzalez is lined up for the opening night start, though manager Bob Geren hasn’t declared anything official.
“He knows what he does well, and he knows what he needs to work on,” fellow starter Dallas Braden said. “That’s huge for a pitcher. Not letting ball one affect you. Not letting the hit you gave up affect you.”
It helps that Gonzalez is considered to have some of the best natural stuff in the game. One major league scout who has watched Gonzalez extensively said he enjoyed success last season while relying predominantly on two pitches—a mid-90s fastball and an outstanding curve.
If Gonzalez can continue improving his change-up, the scout said, he will become even tougher.
But Gonzalez must reduce his walks. He issued 92 in 2010, second-most in the AL.
Braden and Gonzalez were often seen chatting quietly before Gonzalez’s starts last season. In 2009, it was veteran shortstop Orlando Cabrera who was Gonzalez’s main clubhouse counselor.
In turn, Gonzalez stressed the mental side of the game to pitchers at Hialeah High. And he acknowledged that the advice he gave was advice he’s just now learning to apply.
“All it was, was trying to build up their confidence,” Gonzalez said. “It’s going out there and having fun.”
Gonzalez is heavily involved in community work in Hialeah, a city of 200,000-plus residents located just outside Miami. This past winter, he organized a charity softball tournament and got several current and past big leaguers to participate, including San Diego Padres outfielder Cameron Maybin and former Marlins and White Sox pitcher Alex Fernandez.
Aside from working with the Hialeah High team, Gonzalez played in the school’s alumni game in January, pumping 92 mph fastballs at some of the players he coached.
“A couple guys got hits off him,” Hialeah pitching coach Jonathan Hernandez insisted.
Hernandez, a friend of Gonzalez’s since early childhood, was impressed with the time Gonzalez devoted to the team.
“It’s phenomenal how someone like that gets to the big leagues and doesn’t forget where he came from,” Hernandez said. “It says a lot about his character, coming back to Hialeah and giving back to his community.”
— Story by Joe Stiglich, Contra Costa Times
