Dodgers News: Adrian Gonzalez Enters 300 Home Run Club
Well over 10,000 people have played in Major League Baseball since its inception in 1869, but only 138 players have accomplished what Adrian Gonzalez did on Sunday.
After 13 MLB seasons, the Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman hit his 300th career home run against the Boston Red Sox as he became the 139th member of the illustrious club.
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— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 8, 2016
Gonzalez, 34, has played with the Dodgers since being acquired from the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 25, 2012. Every Dodgers fan remembers what happened on that day when he took his first at-bat for the Boys in Blue.
Gonzalez hit a three-run home run against the newly named Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium. And, along with the dramatic moment in Gonzo’s career came another Hall of Fame call by the legendary Vin Scully.
Scully introduces Gonzalez to Dodgers Nation following his acquisition from the Red Sox, and explained how he wore his old No. 23 from when he played with the San Diego Padres. Gonzalez then turned on a 92 mph fastball that went into the corner seats at Chavez Ravine.
“He drives one into deep right field, right down the line, in the corner… three-run home run! Welcome to the Dodgers!”
“I mean, can you believe that that could happen? In his first at-bat after getting a standing ovation, Adrian Gonzalez homers down the right field line.”
A Southern California native, Gonzalez was taken with the first overall pick of the 2000 MLB draft by the Florida Marlins (a time in which the Phillies would draft future Dodger Chase Utley out of UCLA with the 15th overall selection).
After suffering a wrist injury while in the minor leagues, the Marlins felt that Gonzalez would have a more difficult time swinging the bat, so the team dealt him to the Texas Rangers in June 2003.
He was called up to the majors and made his debut in 2004, totaling seven home runs in two seasons with the Rangers.
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Following the conclusion of the 2005 season, Gonzalez was traded again, this time to his hometown San Diego Padres (Gonzalez grew up in the suburb of Chula Vista).
“El Titan” established himself as a dominant force in the lineup and was named to his first All-Star game in 2008 and represented the Padres in each of his last three seasons.
When he got to the Padres, his home run totals skyrocketed each season from 24 in 2006 to 30 in 2007 to 36 in 2008 to his career-high 40 blasts in 2009.
[graphiq id=”exctNHITbaB” title=”Adrian Gonzalez Career Home Runs and RBI” width=”600″ height=”554″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/exctNHITbaB” link=”http://baseball-players.pointafter.com/l/6072/Adrian-Gonzalez” link_text=”Adrian Gonzalez Career Home Runs and RBI | PointAfter” ]Following another spectacular season with San Diego after 2010, Gonzalez jumped ship and signed a lucrative seven-year, $154 million deal with the Boston Red Sox, but the experiment didn’t last long.
1st Career Home Run: April 25, 2004 vs. Seattle (Kevin Jarvis)
100th Career Home Run: April 15, 2009 vs. New York Mets (Sean Green)
200th Career Home Run: June 8, 2012 vs. Washington (Ross Detwiler)
300th Career Home Run: August 7, 2016 vs. Boston (Junichi Tazawa)
That brings us to the day the Dodgers came out and acquired Gonzalez, along with the contracts of Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto.
Gonzalez made his mark the minute he stepped into the batter’s box on that sunny August day, and he has been making memories for the Dodgers ever since.
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