JockBio: Adrian Gonzalez Facts

JockBio Vital Stats
• San Diego Padres	• First Base	• #23
• Height: 6' 2"	• Weight: 225	• Born: 5/8/82

One summer, Adrian batted .750 for a youth league team.
Adrian was the second first baseman taken #1 overall in the draft. The first was Ron Blomberg, who was tabbed by the New York Yankees in 1967.
At $3 million, Adrian was the first #1 pick in eight years to sign for less than the previous year’s top pick (Josh Hamilton, $3.9 million).
SportsTicker named Adrian its Minor League Teenager of the Year in 2001.
In 2005, Adrian and Edgar were teammates on the winning Mazatlan team in the Caribbean World Series.
Adrian grounded into a league-high 24 double plays in 2006.
In 2006, Adrian became the first Padre since Tony Gwynn to record two hitting streaks of 15-plus games in the same season.
In May of 2008, Adrian hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds.
Adrian and Edgar Gonzalez both homered on September 11, 2008. It was the first time in team history brothers had homered in the same game.
In 2008, Adrian became the first Padre position player to make the All-Star Game since Mark Loretta in 2004.
Adrian’s 22 homers on the road tied for first in the majors in 2008.
In 2008, Adrian became the first Padre since Ken Caminiti to finish among the NL’s Top 5 in RBIs.
Adrian played Winter Ball for the Mazatlan Deer in 2008–09. In the Caribbean World Series, he had a three-homer game against the Dominican club, Tigres del Licey.
Adrian’s five homers in five games in 2009 fell one short of the club record set by Graig Nettles in 1984.
Adrian was nominated for a 2008 Hank Aaron award.
Adrian is the first player in history to have more than one multi-homer game in Petco Park.
Adrian played for Mexico in both the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics. In the 2009 WBC, Adrian and Edgar each hit exactly .273 for Mexico.
Adrian and his wife Betsy oversee a foundation to help underprivileged kids.
Adrian’s brother David was offered a contract to play for a top Mexican League team but declined. He was making more as an executive in the family business.
Adrian and Edgar had shared the field before appearing together as Padres in 2008. They often were on the same Winter Ball teams.
Had Adrian not become a major leaguer, he believes he would have made a fine mechanical engineer.
Adrian launched his own web site in 2008, www.agonzalez23.com.
Adrian remains deeply involved with his old high school. He has donated time and money to improve the school's baseball program and facilities.
Although Adrian is shy by nature, he is deeply religious and happy to speak to groups about his faith.
In college, Eli lived in the same apartment that his older brother, Cooper, used to live in.
Eli speaks with Peyton once a week.
After Hurricane Katrina, Eli and Peyton helped deliver bottled water, diapers and baby formula to the people of New Orleans.

Ron Bloomberg,
1973 New York Daily News

Tony Gwynn, 1985 Topps

Graig Nettles,
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