azdad1978
Championship!!!!
By Jack Magruder, Tribune
TUCSON - Luis Gonzalez played his first game in the field Tuesday, saying he finally felt at home.
"DH stinks,’’ Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez played left field for the first four innings of the Diamondbacks’ 10-2 victory over Oakland at Tucson Electric Park, and it did not take long for his surgically repaired right elbow to be tested.
Gonzalez made a hard throw to the plate in the fourth inning while attempting to catch Dan Johnson trying to score from second base on Jermaine Clark’s two-out ground single between third and shortstop.
Johnson, running with two outs, scored easily as the throw was a little up the first base line, although manager Bob Melvin said he saw enough arm strength to be encouraged.
"The way he charged the ball . . . if that thing is on line, he has a chance. And he still has a ways to go,’’ Melvin said. "I didn’t want him to cut it loose like that. But you get in a game situation it’s hard not to do, because that’s what you’re programmed to do. I’m pleased. Everything that I saw, I was fine with. It was not too far off from when he is completely healthy, and this is his first day in the field.’’
Gonzalez also caught a fly ball and hit a sacrifice fly in the last of the fourth, his most productive at-bat of the spring.
"It was a big step for me. I felt like I got a decent throw off. I still have a ways to go, but to actually get to a ball out there and get it in . . . it felt pretty good to know I could actually reach home plate now,’’ Gonzalez said with a laugh.
Gonzalez had been used as a designated hitter in each of his two previous spring appearances after undergoing ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow last August.
"I was very nervous going out there, a little jittery at first,’’ Gonzalez said. "It’s just nice to be back out on the field. I enjoy playing every day.’’
Gonzalez got his first chance in the field in the second inning when he loped into short left center to catch a fly ball while fighting the sun.
"It almost had to happen — first game out, high sky with the big sun. First ball right into it,’’ Gonzalez said. "It wasn’t pretty, but I got the job done.’’
Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly in the fourth was his first RBI of the spring after going hitless in his first seven at-bats.
Melvin said he saw a change in Gonzalez’s plate demeanor almost immediately after his successful throw.
"I think some of that has to do with those thoughts (doubts about his arm) are gone — ‘I cut it loose. I’m OK. I’m still here. Arm’s still attached,’ ’’ Melvin said.
Gonzalez said his approach this spring has been to look at a lot of pitches after missing the final two months of last year.
"That’s probably what I’m having the most trouble with right now, recognizing rotation from not being in the box. My timing is just a little bit off,’’ Gonzalez said.
"I’ve had some great springs and got out of the gate slow, and I’ve had some slow springs and started out with a 30-game hitting streak.’’
Gonzalez had a 30-game hitting streak from April 11 to May 18, 1999, his first season with the D-Backs.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=37654
TUCSON - Luis Gonzalez played his first game in the field Tuesday, saying he finally felt at home.
"DH stinks,’’ Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez played left field for the first four innings of the Diamondbacks’ 10-2 victory over Oakland at Tucson Electric Park, and it did not take long for his surgically repaired right elbow to be tested.
Gonzalez made a hard throw to the plate in the fourth inning while attempting to catch Dan Johnson trying to score from second base on Jermaine Clark’s two-out ground single between third and shortstop.
Johnson, running with two outs, scored easily as the throw was a little up the first base line, although manager Bob Melvin said he saw enough arm strength to be encouraged.
"The way he charged the ball . . . if that thing is on line, he has a chance. And he still has a ways to go,’’ Melvin said. "I didn’t want him to cut it loose like that. But you get in a game situation it’s hard not to do, because that’s what you’re programmed to do. I’m pleased. Everything that I saw, I was fine with. It was not too far off from when he is completely healthy, and this is his first day in the field.’’
Gonzalez also caught a fly ball and hit a sacrifice fly in the last of the fourth, his most productive at-bat of the spring.
"It was a big step for me. I felt like I got a decent throw off. I still have a ways to go, but to actually get to a ball out there and get it in . . . it felt pretty good to know I could actually reach home plate now,’’ Gonzalez said with a laugh.
Gonzalez had been used as a designated hitter in each of his two previous spring appearances after undergoing ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow last August.
"I was very nervous going out there, a little jittery at first,’’ Gonzalez said. "It’s just nice to be back out on the field. I enjoy playing every day.’’
Gonzalez got his first chance in the field in the second inning when he loped into short left center to catch a fly ball while fighting the sun.
"It almost had to happen — first game out, high sky with the big sun. First ball right into it,’’ Gonzalez said. "It wasn’t pretty, but I got the job done.’’
Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly in the fourth was his first RBI of the spring after going hitless in his first seven at-bats.
Melvin said he saw a change in Gonzalez’s plate demeanor almost immediately after his successful throw.
"I think some of that has to do with those thoughts (doubts about his arm) are gone — ‘I cut it loose. I’m OK. I’m still here. Arm’s still attached,’ ’’ Melvin said.
Gonzalez said his approach this spring has been to look at a lot of pitches after missing the final two months of last year.
"That’s probably what I’m having the most trouble with right now, recognizing rotation from not being in the box. My timing is just a little bit off,’’ Gonzalez said.
"I’ve had some great springs and got out of the gate slow, and I’ve had some slow springs and started out with a 30-game hitting streak.’’
Gonzalez had a 30-game hitting streak from April 11 to May 18, 1999, his first season with the D-Backs.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=37654
