| Carlos González | |
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| Colorado Rockies – No. 5 | |
| Outfield | |
| Born: October 17, 1985 Maracaibo, Venezuela |
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| Bats: Left | Throws: Left |
| MLB debut | |
| May 30, 2008 for the Oakland Athletics | |
| Career statistics (through 2011 Season) |
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| Batting average | .298 |
| Home runs | 77 |
| Runs batted in | 264 |
| Stolen bases | 66 |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Carlos Eduardo González (born October 17, 1985, in Maracaibo, Venezuela) (nicknamed CarGo) is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Colorado Rockies.
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González was signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 3, 2002. González began his professional career in 2003 for the Rookie League Missoula Osprey. González batted just .258 with 6 home runs in 72 games. In 2004, González split time between the Low Single-A Yakima Bears and the Single-A South Bend Silver Hawks. In 85 games, he batted .275 with 10 home runs.
González played the 2005 season again for the Silver Hawks. He led the Silver Hawks in games played (129) and RBIs (92). He was second on the team in batting average (.307), home runs (18), at bats (515) and runs scored (91). González was also named to the Midwest League midseason and postseason All-Star games and was also named the Midwest League Prospect of the Year. Baseball America and Topps each named González as a Low Class-A All-Star. Topps also named him as the Midwest League Player of the Year.
In 2006, Baseball America rated González at #32 on their top 100 prospects list and was the 6th-highest Diamondbacks player on that list. González mainly played for the High Single-A Lancaster JetHawks in 2006, but also spent some time with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies. González played in 122 games and batted .289 with a career high 23 home runs. He also led the JetHawks in home runs (21) and RBIs (93). González was also an All-Star Futures Game selection and a California League postseason All-Star selection. Baseball America rated González as a High Class-A All-Star, and he received the same honor from Topps.
In 2007, Baseball America rated González at #18 on their top 100 prospects list and was the 3rd highest Diamondbacks player on that list. González mainly played for the Double-A Mobile BayBears, but also spent some time with in Triple-A with the Tucson Sidewinders. González played in 130 games and batted .288 with 17 home runs. González led the BayBears in home runs (16) and RBI (75). González was once again named to the All-Star Futures Game.
On December 14, 2007, González was traded along with Dana Eveland, Aaron Cunningham, Chris Carter, Brett Anderson, and Greg Smith to the Oakland Athletics for Dan Haren and Connor Robertson.
On May 30, 2008, González made his MLB debut against the Texas Rangers, where he got first career hit, an opposite field double down the left field line off Texas Rangers pitcher Kevin Millwood. This was one of two doubles he hit in his major league debut. His next five major league hits were also doubles, making González the first player since Hall of Famer Johnny Mize in 1936 to record the first seven hits of his career as extra base hits.[1] On June 20, 2008, González hit his first career home run against the Florida Marlins. It was a solo home run that was hit off a curveball to right-center field. He had his first 4-hit game, going 4 for 4 against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 8.
On November 12, 2008, González was traded with Huston Street and Greg Smith to the Colorado Rockies for Matt Holliday.[2] González's nickname is CarGo, which was coined by Colorado Rockies broadcaster Drew Goodman. After what many called a disappointing season with Oakland, González spent most of the season with the Rockies Triple-A affiliate, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. After a series of injuries to the Rockies outfield, González was called up and started slow, but eventually began to produce, proving himself as a nice combination of power and speed atop the lineup. In the 2009 National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, González tied the franchise record for the most hits in an NLDS with 10, and led the NLDS and ALDS in batting average with .588 in four games. In his 2010 season, he finished in the top ten in home runs, batting average, RBI's, and runs scored in the National League.
On July 31, 2010, in a game against the Chicago Cubs, González hit for the cycle, including a walk-off home run on the first pitch in the bottom of the 9th inning. He became the first player since Dwight Evans of the Boston Red Sox in 1984 to hit a walkoff home run for the cycle, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Manager Jim Tracy labeled González as not just a five-tool player, but a "six-tool player."[3]
In 2010, González garnered serious consideration as a candidate for the National League MVP award, along with St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols and Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto, as well as a Triple Crown candidate with the above-mentioned first basemen.[4][5] However, González fell short on home runs and narrowly missed having the most RBI, but did manage to win the NL batting title in 2010 with a .336 average. He finished with 34 home runs, 117 RBI and a National League-leading 197 hits.
González received the National League Players Choice Award for Outstanding Player in 2010.[6] He then won the Players Choice Award for Player of the Year throughout Major League Baseball.[7] González was also voted the winner of the 2010 Luis Aparicio Award, which is given to the most outstanding Venezuelan player in Major League Baseball, as voted by Venezuelan and international Spanish-speaking media.[8] He finished third in voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America for National League MVP.[9] For his defensive efforts in 2010, in which he only committed one error in the outfield, González won his first Gold Glove.[10] On the offensive side, González received his first Silver Slugger Award.[11]
González signed a 7 year/$80.5 million contract extension with the Colorado Rockies on Jan. 11, 2011. The contract includes a $3 million signing bonus, and yearly salaries through 2017 that ramp up to $20 million. It is the largest contract in MLB history for a 2-year player.
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