“My first memory of games was when I was 7 or 8,” Gordon said. His family would make the trip to Kansas City for him to see his boyhood hero. Gordon grew up in Lincoln, Neb., with dreams of being like Brett. Obviously you want to go out and do good for yourself, but he’s the type of guy that puts the team first and winning first. The guy comes in and works as hard as he can to help the team. “He’s nothing short of the best teammate,” said Royals right-hander Luke Hochevar, who lockers next to Gordon. He went to work and eventually blazed a trail to stardom that literally came out of left field. He struggled and battled injuries early in his career and was demoted to Triple-A Omaha and moved to left field in May 2010. Gordon spent a year in the minors before making his Royals debut on opening day in 2007. Even before playing his first game, Gordon was compared by some to the Hall of Famer. He played third base just like his favorite player, George Brett. Gordon was drafted by the Royals with the second overall pick in 2005. He also has won four consecutive Gold Gloves and a fifth could be on the way. He ranks sixth all-time in doubles (262) and walks (468), seventh in home runs (134) and runs scored (605), eighth in hits (1,140) and ninth in RBIs (523). Gordon, who has been the face of the franchise for years, will certainly wind up in the Royals Hall of Fame someday. I feel like that’s what everybody’s mindset is.” ![]() “I feel like everyone in that lineup doesn’t care where they hit or what they do as long as they’re helping the team win and putting together a good at-bat. He is a candidate for MVP honors, despite hitting eighth in the lineup. ![]() Through the first two games of the Fall Classic, Gordon is hitting. Even in Houston when we had that elimination game, and even here with Game 5, it never crept into my mind. “All I’m really focused on is making this a great year and taking us where we want to go. “We’ve had elimination games, and it’s never crept into my mind,” Gordon said. So to keep Gordon, the Royals likely will have to offer him the most lucrative contract in team history, and with raises due in 2016 for the likes of Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and others, that may or may not happen.įor the moment, Gordon hasn’t gotten caught up in the nostalgia of possible last at-bats for the team he grew up rooting for. Keep in mind that owner David Glass paid $96 million for the entire franchise. A severe groin strain kept him out of the lineup for nearly two months, but at one time it was believed he could get a contract worth $100 million on the open market. He has previously indicated he probably wouldn’t sign it, which would thus make him a free agent at season’s end. Gordon’s player option is worth $14 million. I still have a player option, so that’s nice. “I don’t want any distractions or anything like that to creep in here. “I just really want to finish out the season, and hopefully have a good year, and focus on that,” Gordon said Monday, the eve of Game 1. Instead he’s focusing on getting those last two wins. So it’s possible his time in Kansas City could be drawing to a close. Regardless, whenever the season is over, Gordon is likely headed for free agency. That could come as early as Saturday in Game 4. With two more wins, the Royals will be popping champagne in a celebration that has been 30 years in the making. Right-hander Yordano Ventura (0-1, 5.09 ERA) will start for the Royals, and rookie right-hander Noah Syndergaard (1-1, 2.77 ERA) will start for the Mets. ![]() In Game 2, Gordon hit an RBI double in the eighth that was part of a three-run inning as Kansas City rolled to a 7-1 win. In Game 1 of the World Series against the New York Mets, Gordon hit a dramatic home run in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extras, and the Royals ultimately won in 14 innings. ![]() If Alex Gordon’s last two games at Kauffman Stadium have been played, he gave his longtime Kansas City Royal fans something to remember.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |