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If you want to make a bet against the spread in Major League Baseball, then you have to know the players on the field – and one player that always made a massive impact on these kinds of wagers was Juan Gonzalez. Check out MLB betting odds now to place bets on current players and teams.
Check out the information below on Juan Gonzalez to learn about his career and history, baseball rumors and allegations, so you know everything you need to know about this former MLB star.
About Juan Gonzalez
Juan Alberto Gonzalez Vazquez is a former Major League Baseball player from Puerto Rico. He was born back in October 1969 and played in the league for a total of 16 years as an outfielder.
He made his MLB debut in 1989 for the Texas Rangers but his last MLB appearance was in 2005 while playing for the Cleveland Indians. During this time, Gonzalez played for a range of teams but is best identified with the Texas Rangers club, which he played for between 1989 to 1999 and then from 2002 and 2003. He hit a total of 434 home runs and had a batting average of 0.295 – making him one of the most feared hitters during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Since retiring from MLB baseball, Gonzalez has gone on to manage and coach the Puerto Rico national baseball team, leading the team to success in various events.
Juan Gonzalez’s Debut
Before Gonzalez made his MLB debut, he grew up in Puerto Rico and started out hitting corks and bottle caps with a broomstick handle. He went on to join the Puerto Rico youth league and was nearly scouted by the Yankees but due to a lack of funding, was left behind while his friend Bernie Williams was scouted instead.
In 1986, when Gonzalez was 16 years old, he was signed on by the Texas Rangers as an amateur free agent. He played in the minor leagues until 1990, slowly improving his ratings and averages. In 1991, the Texas Rangers finally gave Gonzalez the chance to become an everyday player and he came up as a center fielder along with Sammy Sosa. The Rangers kept Gonzalez and traded Sosa, and Gonzalez officially made his debut at the young age of 21.
Juan Gonzalez And The Texas Rangers
It was during the 1990s and his time as a Texas Ranger when Gonzalez found true stardom as an MLB player.
In 1992, he was the American League home run champion after batting 43 home runs in the last season, making him the youngest player since Johnny Bench in 1970 to lead the majors, and he also won his first Silver Slugger Award.
In 1993, he led the AL again and earned an invite to his first All-Star team. He wowed audiences with his impressive homer hits (estimated between 470 to 450 feet) and took home the Home Run Derby title. By the end of the year, he had earned a second consecutive Silver Slugger Award and came forth in the voting for 1993’s AL MVP.
Gonzalez’s time with the Texas Rangers continued up to 1999 and during that time, he consistently won awards, honors, and titles including more Silver Slugger Awards and won two MVP awards.
The 2000-2001 Break From Texas Rangers
In 1999, Gonzalez was traded in a huge, blockbuster deal with the Detroit Tigers which saw a total of nine players move teams.
He turned down an eight-year $140 million contract with the Tigers but Gonzalez played a bad season as he was held back by foot pain and was not used to the dimensions of the new Comerica Park. He was shopped before the trading deadline and refused to play in New York, scuttling a deal the Detroit Tigers lined up with the Yankees.
A free agent in 2001, Gonzalez signed up with the Cleveland Indians on a one-year contract. During this time, he had the season’s best-hitting streak for 15 games.
Return To Texas Rangers And The End Of His MLB Career
Once his contract with the Cleveland Indians was up, Gonzalez returned to the Texas Rangers in a two-year contract.
There, he was on a hot streak after hot streak until a tear in his calf muscle ended the season short for him. Although he still finished his contract 5th in home runs and was tied 6th in the entire league for outfield assists, the Texas Rangers granted Gonzalez free agency as they prepared for a new wave of younger players to join the ranks.
After that, Gonzalez moved from contract to contract. He signed up with the Kansas City Royals for a year, then the Cleveland Indians, and the Long Island Ducks, and later joined the spring training season with the St Louis Cardinals – but injuries kept holding him back.
Gonzalez’s MLB career was over and he returned to Puerto Rico.
In 2013, he was invited to join the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame but he declined the invitation. In 2015, the invitation was renewed and this time, Gonzalez accepted. To this day, he ranks in the top 5 in the club’s history in almost every major offensive category.
Final Thoughts
Juan Gonzalez has one of the most impressive legacies in MLB history, but it was also marked with unproven accusations of steroid use and recurring injuries cut many a season short. Nonetheless, he has his rightful place in the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and still holds many records to this day.
Frankie Wilde – is a content writer at various gambling sites. Also, he is a passionate traveler and a great cook. Frankie shares informative articles with the world.
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