In his hometown of Maracaibo, Venezuela, San Francisco left-hander Wilson Alvarez is known as “the Untouchable.”
Cubs rookie Jeremi Gonzalez, who also hails from Maracaibo, is known simply as “Gonzo.”
Thursday afternoon in Wrigley Field, “Gonzo” beat “the Untouchable” in a head-to-head, made-for-Maracaibo matchup. Gonzalez called it the best game he has pitched in the major leagues and said it was even more special for him because it was broadcast home to family and friends on WGN-TV.
“I talked to my family every day this week,” Gonzalez said. “They told me if I win this game they’re going to give me a gift.”
What kind of a gift?
“Either a car or an apartment,” he replied.
Not bad for less than three hours of work.
The game may have had little meaning for the hopeless Cubs, but it was certainly a major deal for the 22-year-old Gonzalez (8-5). Alvarez is the biggest modern-day sports hero in Venezuela, perhaps the most popular baseball player in the South American country since former White Sox Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio.
Gonzalez has known Alvarez since they played on the same team in winter ball six years ago, when he first received some tips from Alvarez on how to pitch his way to the major leagues.
Gonzalez (8-5) obviously learned his lesson well and has been one of the few rays of sunshine in a season of utter despair on the North Side. He pitched six shutout innings against the Giants before giving up a homer to J.T. Snow and an RBI double to Glenallen Hill in the seventh.
Gonzalez said he went out to the mound thinking “about my city and my family.”
“I couldn’t wait for the last five days when I knew that I was going to pitch against (Alvarez),” he said. “I had total concentration. I know I gave up two runs, but today was my best game. I know that I’ll never forget this game.”
Helping hands: Sammy Sosa, who hit a two-run homer to help Gonzalez, said the rookie had been a little down of late since getting off to a 7-2 start after being called up in May, and then going through his first tough stretch as a big-leaguer.
“We all try to help him,” Sosa said. “We show him the right way. We hadn’t scored many runs for him the last five or six (outings), but today he was facing his friend from Venezuela, and we came through for him. He’s going to be a very good pitcher in the future.”
Giving back: Fifteen players from the Cubs-sponsored “Reviving Baseball in Inner Citites” team will travel to Denver this weekend to take part on the RBI World Series at Coors Field. Representing Chicago will be a team of All-Stars selected from local teams sponsored by Tyler Houston, Sammy Sosa, Turk Wendell, Scott Servais, Bob Patterson and Shawon Dunston. Those players provided financial support for equipment and uniforms and also helped coach some games. RBI is an outreach program designed to promote youth interest in baseball. The tournament takes place Aug. 10-15.
Trade aftershocks: Cincinnati General Manager Jim Bowden on the Giants-White Sox trade: “That’s the best trade-deadline deal that I’ve seen in my 13 years of baseball.”
With a third of the season remaining, the Giants owe both Alvarez and Roberto Hernadez $1.53 million of their $4.6 million contracts. Darwin makes $275,000, and the Giants owe him $90,000.
One of the guys the Giants dumped to make room for the three pitchers was catcher Rick Wilkins, who batted .195. “He didn’t take it too well,” manager Dusty Baker said. “You can’t blame him. It was real hard. He’s a good guy. If he had been a jerk, this would be no problem.”
