Getting to know the Detroit Tigers: Miguel Gonzalez
Free Press columnist Jeff Seidel will feature Detroit Tigers players periodically this spring. Today, it's catcher Miguel Gonzalez.
Age: 26.
Position: Right-handed catcher.
Vitals: 5-11, 220.
Acquired: Signed as a free agent in Dec., 2014.
A veteran minor leaguer: Gonzalez started playing minor league ball when he was 17 years old, spending 7 years in the Chicago White Sox organization.
A cup of Joe in the big leagues: In 2013, Gonzalez played five games for the White Sox. He didn’t get a hit in nine at bats, striking out three times.
Last season: Gonzalez played in 66 games at Toledo, hitting .243 and driving in 33 runs.
Earlier this week, I saw you catch Justin Verlander’s bullpen. Is there added pressure catching somebody like Verlander? “It was a really good experience. I caught him last year in Toledo when he went down for rehab. That was pretty great. It feels good to catch somebody like that.”
Do you get nervous? “At the beginning, you try not to be nervous. You get excited. He shows you confidence. … It’s amazing catching guys like that.”
This team has so many guys from Venezuela like Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez. Did you know each other growing up? “No. Not at all. I’d see those guys, being in the same room as them, and it feels great. You want to be like them.”
You grew up on an Island? “Yes. I grew up Margarita Island and I lived there until I was 9 or 10 years old. Then, I moved to Maracay, which is where Miguel Cabrera is from. I was there because there was more competition, more baseball. I got more chances to be a professional baseball player.”
Let’s talk hobbies. Do you do a lot of fishing? “I started fishing 3 years ago. Even here, sometimes, I go to a lake. Last year, I went with (shortstop) Dixon Machado.”
Who is better at fishing, you or Machado? “Oh, definitely me,” he said, laughing. “No. Just kidding.”
Related:
Detroit Tigers not planning to rush prospects to major leagues
Get to know ...
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.