Come on, Ned! Move this thing!
I can’t! It’s a Geo!
The Yankees will face the baseball equivalent of a Geo today, Gio Gonzalez. A 2004 supplemental first round pick, Gonzalez has bounced around the league quite a bit: he’s been traded three times already, and one of them was back to a team that once traded him.
A year and a half after the White Sox drafted him, they sent him to Philadelphia as part of the Aaron Rowand – Jim Thome trade. Pitching above A ball for the first time in the Phillies’ system, Gonzalez had his struggles, seeing his K rate drop and his BB and HR rates rise.
After just one season — 363 days after the original trade — the Phillies sent Gonzalez back to the White Sox, along with Gavin Floyd, for Freddie Garcia. That one didn’t work out too well for Philly.
One would think that the White Sox liked Gonzalez, considering they traded him and then traded for him back. But in January 2008 they sent him to Oakland, along with Ryan Sweeney, for Nick Swisher. Among all these trades, there are multiple games of six-degrees.
The Yanks look to make it nine straight. I hope everyone enjoys the game. I’ll be at a wedding.
Lineup:
1. Derek Jeter, DH
2. Brett Gardner, CF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Nick Swisher, RF
6. Robinson Cano, 2B
7. Melky Cabrera, LF
8. Cody Ransom, SS
9. Jose Molina, C
And on the mound, number forty-six, Andy Pettitte.