Gio González
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Giovany Aramis González (born September 19, 1985) is an American former professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
. He played in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) for the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
,
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
,
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
and
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
. A two-time
All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...
, González led the
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
in wins and won the Warren Spahn Award in 2012. He is of Cuban descent.


Early life

González was born in
Hialeah, Florida Hialeah ( ; ) is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. With a population of 223,109 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in Florida. It is the second largest city by population in Miami-Da ...
, to a Cuban immigrant mother from
Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Cuban-American Cuban Americans ( or ) are Americans who immigrated from or are descended from immigrants from Cuba. As of 2023, Cuban Americans were the fourth largest Hispanic and Latino Americans, Hispanic and Latino American group in the United States aft ...
father from
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
. He attended Hialeah High School in Hialeah, for the first three years of his high school career, where they won two state championships and nearly won a third. After his junior year, he transferred over to
Monsignor Edward Pace High School Monsignor Edward Pace High School is a Catholic secondary school in the Opa-locka North neighborhood of Miami Gardens, Florida. It was named a Blue Ribbon School in 2002 and one of the top 50 Catholic high schools in the country in 2004 and 200 ...
in 2004 where he played with future Nationals teammate Chris Marrero.


Playing career


Draft and minor leagues

The
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
selected González in the first round with the 38th overall selection of the 2004 MLB draft. In 2005, he was traded to the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
along with
Aaron Rowand Aaron Ryan Rowand (born August 29, 1977) is an American former professional baseball center fielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and the San Francisco Giants and won two World Series cham ...
and Daniel Haigwood for slugger
Jim Thome James Howard Thome (; ; born August 27, 1970) is an American former professional baseball first baseman, third baseman and designated hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 22 seasons (1991–2012). A prolific power hitter, Thome ...
. While with the Phillies, ''
Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
'' rated González the 2 prospect in their farm system behind
Cole Hamels Colbert Michael Hamels (born December 27, 1983), nicknamed "Hollywood", is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (2006–2015), Texas Rangers (2015–2018), Chi ...
in 2006. In December 2006 he was traded back to the White Sox along with Gavin Floyd for Freddy García. González led the minor leagues with 185
strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...
s in 150 innings in 2007.


Oakland Athletics

On January 3, 2008, the White Sox traded González along with fellow prospects Ryan Sweeney and Fautino de los Santos to the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
for
Nick Swisher Nicholas Thompson Swisher (born November 25, 1980) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was a switch hitter who threw left-handed, and played for the Oakland Athletics, Chica ...
. He was ranked the No. 1 prospect in the White Sox system at the time of the trade. González was called up to MLB on August 5, 2008, and made his MLB debut on August 6. Following the 2009
spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...
camp, he was returned to the Triple-A
Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland ...
. González started the 2010 season throwing 6+ innings against the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...
. He allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, striking out 6 and walking 1 in the 10–4 win. González was selected to the 2011 MLB All-Star Game. At the 2011 All-Star Game in Phoenix, Arizona, González was called out to the mound with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning and struck out the only batter he would face,
Jay Bruce Jay Allen Bruce (born April 3, 1987) is an American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies and New Y ...
. On the final day of the 2011 season, González threw 11 strikeouts over eight shut-out innings against the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
to secure a career-high 16 wins for the season.


Washington Nationals


2012

On December 23, 2011, the Athletics traded González and Robert Gilliam to the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
for Brad Peacock, Tommy Milone, Derek Norris and A. J. Cole. On January 15, 2012, González signed a five-year extension worth $42 million through 2016 covering his arbitration-eligible years. The deal also included club options for 2017 and 2018. González became the first pitcher since 1918 to have three consecutive appearances in which he finished a start with at least six shutout innings and no more than two hits allowed. González set a Nationals record when he pitched 25 consecutive scoreless innings which ended on April 29, 2012. When the 2012 MLB All-Star Game roster was announced on July 1, González found himself on it for the second time in his career. Later that same day, he earned his 11th win on the season after the Nationals topped the Atlanta Braves, 8–4. González would earn one more win in his last start before the All-Star break, pushing his record to 12–3 and lowering his ERA to 2.92, and in doing so, was tied for the most wins in the first half of the season. His win total tied a Nationals record set in
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
by Liván Hernández. On August 8, 2012, González hit his first career home run off
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
pitcher Armando Galarraga and pitched his second career complete game. On August 31, González pitched his first career
shutout In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...
in a 10–0 rout of the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
. When González and the Nationals beat the
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
on September 22, it moved his record to 20–8 and he became the first pitcher in MLB to reach the 20-win mark on the season. He finished the regular season with a major league best 21 wins, to go along with a 2.89 ERA and 207 strikeouts, winning the 2012 Warren Spahn Award as the best left-handed pitcher in the majors. González finished third in NL Cy Young voting in 2012.


2013–2018

González's name was among those listed in a January 2013 report about
Biogenesis Spontaneous generation is a Superseded scientific theories, superseded scientific theory that held that living creatures could arise from abiotic component, non-living matter and that such processes were commonplace and regular. It was Hypoth ...
, a clinic producing and providing performance-enhancing drugs to MLB players. However, on August 5, González was cleared of any wrongdoing in connection with the Biogenesis scandal, and thus was not among the 12 players who were suspended for it. In 2013, González had a record of 11–8 with a 3.36 ERA. In the first half of 2014, González went 6–5 with a 3.56 ERA. On July 20, González recorded his 1,000th career strikeout against the Milwaukee Brewers, including 511 strikeouts with the Oakland Athletics and 489 strikeouts with the Washington Nationals. He ended the 2014 season with a 10–10 record and a 3.57 ERA. In 2015, he was 11–8 with a 3.79 ERA and led the major leagues in allowing opposing batters the highest batting average on balls in play (.341). In 2016, he went 11–11 with a 4.57 ERA, his highest since 2009. His WAR of 0.9 was also his worst since 2009. In 2017 he was 15–9 with a 2.96 ERA. He led the major leagues in stolen third bases of allowed with seven. To start 2018, he went 7–11 in 27 starts. He recorded 126 strikeouts while having a 4.57 ERA and a 1.5 WAR.


Milwaukee Brewers

On August 31, 2018, the Nationals traded González to the
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
for KJ Harrison and
Gilbert Lara Gilbert may refer to: People and fictional characters *Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Gilbert (surname), including a list of people Places Australia * Gilbert River (Queensland) * Gilbert River (South ...
. He would make five starts for the Brewers, going 3–0, posting a 2.13 ERA. In a 2–1 loss of Game 4 of the NLCS against the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, Gonzalez suffered a high ankle sprain, attempting to field a ball hit by
Yasiel Puig Yasiel Puig Valdés ( , ; born December 7, 1990) is a Cuban-born American professional baseball right fielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, and Clevelan ...
, ending his season and being replaced by Zach Davies on the Brewers roster. He became a free agent following the season.


New York Yankees

On March 19, 2019, González signed a minor league contract with the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
. The deal guaranteed $3 million if he made the big league roster and $300,000 for each game started. After pitching for the
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders, are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...
, González opted out of his contract and the Yankees released him on April 22.


Return to the Brewers

González signed a major league contract with Milwaukee on April 26. He went 2–1 with a 3.19 ERA to start the year with Milwaukee before going on the disabled list with a dead arm on June 1. He was activated from the DL on July 20. He became a free agent following the season.


Chicago White Sox

On December 20, 2019, González signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
, with an option for 2021. With the 2020 Chicago White Sox, González appeared in 12 games, compiling a 1–2 record with 4.83 ERA and 34 strikeouts in innings pitched. He became a free agent following the season.


Miami Marlins

On March 3, 2021, González signed a minor league contract with the
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
organization that included an invitation to spring training. He announced his retirement on March 25, 2021, stating that donning the jersey of his hometown club was one of his "biggest dreams" but that his "body wasn't keeping up with his mind."


Scouting

González threw four pitches: a
four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch (baseball), pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the fastest ball thrown by a pitcher. It is s ...
at 92–95 mph, a
two-seam fastball A two-seam fastball is a pitch in baseball and softball. It is a variant of the straight fastball. The pitch has the speed of a fastball and can also include late-breaking action caused by varying the pressure of the index and middle fingers on t ...
at 91–95, a
curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
at 78–82, and a
changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball, but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced spee ...
at 85–87 that he used against right-handed hitters. He used his curveball frequently when he was ahead in the count, especially against left-handers. González's pitches had above-average strike out whiff rates, with the curveball leading at 36% and the changeup close behind at 35%. His curve also had an outstanding ground ball/fly ball ratio at nearly 7:1. Gio said of his curveball:
My curveball is a blessing. My father taught it to me. He felt that it was a pitch he wanted me to learn, right on the side of the house, and it just ended up working. I never asked what the tricks were, or anything like that. He made it simple for me to use on my own form, and it works for me. I've never changed my grip since the day my dad showed me how to throw it. He taught me how to try to make it look exactly like a fastball.
González was a strikeout pitcher, with a rate of nearly one per inning over his career. He was fourth in strikeouts per nine innings pitched in the AL in 2011, and second in the NL for the 2012 season ().


Personal life

González is married to Berenice Lea Moures, with whom he has two children. In 2012, González created the GIO (Giving Individuals Opportunities) foundation, a charity to assist medical patients in need of financial support. He is also a
comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...
hobbyist. On July 13, 2024, González returned to
Nationals Park Nationals Park is a baseball stadium along the Anacostia River in the Navy Yard (Washington, D.C.), Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals. Since its completion in 2008, it wa ...
in a guest pitching appearance for the Savannah Bananas, throwing a perfect inning.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalez, Gio 1985 births Living people 2013 World Baseball Classic players American League All-Stars American sportspeople of Cuban descent Baseball players from Hialeah, Florida Birmingham Barons players Bristol White Sox players Chicago White Sox players Kannapolis Intimidators players Major League Baseball pitchers Milwaukee Brewers players Monsignor Edward Pace High School alumni National League All-Stars National League (baseball) wins champions Oakland Athletics players Peoria Saguaros players Potomac Nationals players Reading Phillies players Sacramento River Cats players Savannah Bananas players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Washington Nationals players 21st-century American sportsmen Winston-Salem Warthogs players World Baseball Classic players of the United States