A-Gonz deal fits like glove

[The Entertainer]

[quote][size=3][b]A-Gonz deal fits like glove[/b][/size]
He got 3-year pact, team got smooth SS

BY JOHN FAY | JFAY@ENQUIRER.COM


SARASOTA, Fla. - Shortstop Alex Gonzalez was the Reds' big offseason buy.

That they chose to invest in defense tells you something about the direction of the club. The Reds were second from last in the National League in defense last season.

How good is Gonzalez?

He made seven errors in 111 games last season and set a Boston record with a .985 fielding percentage.

Davey Concepcion, a Reds Hall of Famer and arguably the best defensive shortstop in club history, says Gonzalez is better than he was.

That means a lot to a fellow Venezuelan like Gonzalez.

"(Concepcion's) a big guy in Venezuela," Gonzalez said. "I always heard about this guy. He's one of the best shortstops in the world. (For him) to say that, you've got to be proud."

It also gives Gonzalez a lot to live up to.

"When somebody like Davey Concepcion says that, you've got to try," he said.

Gonzalez was the best shortstop available through free agency. The Reds moved quickly, signing him to a three-year, $14 million deal Nov. 20.

"That was a priority," Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky said. "We targeted him early. We felt like he was the best fit. We were aggressive.

"I'm very happy we were able to get it done."

The Reds were able to get it done for two reasons: They offered a three-year deal and they play in the NL.

"(I was) looking for a multiyear deal to get security for my family," Gonzalez said. "(Boston) offered a one-year deal."

Gonzalez had his best success in the NL. He played his first seven years in the big leagues with the Florida Marlins before signing a one-year deal with Boston.

"I tried to get back to the National League," he said. "It's a better league for me. I know the league. There's a big difference from the American League to the National League. When you've been in the one league six, seven years, it's an adjustment (to switch). You don't know the pitchers."

Gonzalez, 30, hit .255 with nine home runs and 50 RBI for the Red Sox. He has been up and down offensively in his career. His career average is .246, but he has hit .260 over the past two seasons. He hit 23 home runs and drove in 79 runs in 2004.

But, again, the Reds got Gonzalez for his defense.

"You cannot give outs away," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "You've got to catch the ball. Seven errors is pretty good."

Signing Gonzalez strengthened the Reds at two positions. The club was considering moving second baseman Brandon Phillips to short.

"That was more of an unknown," Krivsky said. "We felt like getting an established guy made us better at both spots."

The Reds are hoping he'll have a positive influence on their young infielders, Phillips and third baseman Edwin Encarnacion.

Phillips knows Gonzalez by reputation.

"He's one of those shortstops who you like to watch take groundballs," Phillips said. "And he's won a World Series. I want to sit down and pick his brain."

Phillips and Gonzalez both think they can be a top-flight double-play combination.

"I think we can be one of the best in baseball," Phillips said.

Gonzalez knows Phillips by reputation, as well.

"I've seen him play," Gonzalez said. "... I've got to work with him. You've got to have good communication. We want to have one of the best defenses in the league."

That was the aim when the Reds signed Gonzalez.[/quote]



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[The Entertainer]

[quote][size=3][b]High praise [/b][/size]

Former Red Davey Concepcion says new Red Alex Gonzalez is a better defensive shortstop than he was. That would put Gonzalez in some fine company. Here are Reds shortstops who have won Gold Glove awards:

Roy McMillan: 1957, 1958, 1959

Dave Concepcion: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979

Barry Larkin: 1994, 1995, 1996[/quote]



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[The Entertainer]

[quote][size=3][b]Gonzalez ready to flash some leather[/b][/size]
Cincinnati sees promise in shortstop's defensive skills

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com


SARASOTA, Fla. -- Free agent acquisition Alex Gonzalez arrived at Reds camp on Thursday. His sterling reputation for defense had already preceded him.

"He's a great player," Reds second baseman and new double-play partner Brandon Phillips said. "He's one of those shortstops you like to watch take ground balls and you can learn a lot from him."

The Reds ranked second in the Majors last season with 128 errors, had the second-lowest fielding percentage and were prone to mistakes not reflected in stat books. Improving in the field was a high offseason priority for management, which was why Gonzalez was signed to a three-year, $14 million contract in November.

Although Gonzalez has never won a Gold Glove, he is regarded by many as one of the best defensive shortstops in the game. His former team, the Red Sox, were keenly aware that their loss was the Reds' gain.

"I think Gonzo is the greatest shortstop I've ever seen, including growing up and watching Ozzie Smith," Boston starting pitcher Curt Schilling said. "I don't think there's anybody who's ever played the position better than he played it."

"The thing we're going to battle is that the guy who was here last year played maybe the best shortstop we've ever seen, maybe the best shortstop I've ever seen," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "Nobody in the league is going to do that, unless Gonzo does it again in Cincinnati. That's how good he is."

Perhaps the endorsement for Gonzalez that Reds fans would most care about comes from shortstop legend Davey Concepcion. Gonzalez grew up with Concepcion's son in Venezuela and played ball with him as a kid. Concepcion, who will come to Reds camp on March 8, told a reporter over the winter that Gonzalez is better than he was.

"It's exciting. [Concepcion is] one of the best shortstops in the world," Gonzalez said of the compliment. "For a guy to say that, you have to be proud and live up to it every day."

Gonzalez played for the Marlins from 1998-2005 and won a World Series with Florida in '03. The 30-year-old went to Boston under a one-year deal before last season. His lifetime fielding percentage is .970 and he was at .985 last season with a career-low seven errors committed in 475 total chances.

There are only four shortstops in the Majors who have committed fewer than 17 errors in at least 100 starts over the past four seasons. Gonzalez is one of them, along with Derek Jeter, David Eckstein and Jimmy Rollins.

"I'll try to help this team the best that I can with my defense and all things," Gonzalez said. "I'll try to play every day, be healthy and try to help this team."

The Reds pitching staff isn't loaded with a bunch of strikeout guys. Many of them put the ball in play and will benefit from having Gonzalez behind them.

"It should give our pitchers more confidence," Reds manager Jerry Narron said. "It should give our other infielders more confidence. It should give our manager more confidence."

Last season after it acquired Phillips to play second base in an April trade with Cleveland, Cincinnati lacked stability on the left side of the infield. Offensive-minded Felipe Lopez didn't concentrate as much defensively. When Lopez was traded to Washington in July, veteran replacement Royce Clayton didn't click well with Phillips.

Poor defense can lead to extended innings, which definitely leads to opponent rallies.

"There were like four or five times last year, we had double-play balls we should have turned and we didn't, and they hit a home run after it," Narron said. "It was unreal. It seemed like 40 or 50."

Phillips has his own solid reputation as an athletic second baseman. Narron couldn't help being optimistic about the new double-play combo up the middle.

"I'm hoping [Gonzalez] and Brandon can work together extremely well," Narron said. "If they do, we'd have something special up the middle for the next three-four years. They could be as good as anybody."

Strong shortstop-second base duos aren't usually forged overnight, but Phillips believed the learning curve could be shortened during camp while working with Gonzalez.

"I think we'll make a good double-play combination, honestly," Phillips said. "We'll go out there and make the fundamental plays and maybe some spectacular plays also. It might not take as long because we're both athletic and can do some things out there. It's all about communication. If you can't communicate, things aren't going to get done. I'll try to build a friendship with him so it'll be easier."

A third excellent glove man could also be sharing the field with Gonzalez and Phillips. Narron indicated that utility player Juan Castro, also one of the slickest fielders in the game, will get some chances at third base. Castro would often likely replace regular Edwin Encarnacion late in games when the Reds need extra defense to hold leads.

The compliments have been less bountiful when Gonzalez's hitting skills are brought up. He batted .255 with nine home runs and 50 RBIs last season and is a .246 career hitter who strikes out a lot more than he walks.

"Right now, no one talks about him offensively," Narron said. "That's kind of a plus in his favor, to be honest with you. He could kind of sneak up on everybody."

Maybe, but Gonzalez knows why he was brought to Cincinnati and aims to make good on his reputation.

"If I do nothing with my bat, I'll do it with my glove," Gonzalez said. "You can win games with the glove and make a difference. That's part of my job."[/quote]



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