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The former Rockies player, Carlos Gonzalez, began his stay in Chicago with a frank assessment of what happened at the Wrigley Field jersey last October.
"I noticed that there was something in the Cubs team that I had not seen before," Gonzalez said Monday before the start of his Cubs against the Angels. "We (the Rockies) took advantage of it. It was a very good match. We went on extras (13 innings) and we ended up winning the match (2-1), and I think that's largely because they seemed to be a little behind because of their fight at the end of the year.
"No matter the circumstances. You have to believe in yourself every day and keep fighting, and a lot of great things happen afterwards. "
The 2018 Cubs have never admitted to losing confidence in themselves. But Gonzalez said the Rockies could feel it in their faces and body language.
"As an opponent, you will always notice it," said Gonzalez. "We arrived and we knew they were struggling, we knew they were limping (after losing the division in a tiebreaker game against the Brewers). It seemed that they were down. You never want to show this attitude to an opponent, because that's exactly what we did. We took advantage of it.
The Cubs are happy to have Gonzalez on their side, and he had a memorable debut on Monday with a 1-for-3 record and a great performance on the finish in his 8-1 win over the Angels.
"An incredible man," he said. "I've had a lot of games here over the years. I spent 11 years in the National League and every time I come here, there is always this special energy.
"Being here makes the situation even more special. The smallest thing they give gives the impression that it's huge, whether it's a room or a room. They simply keep you in the game and it forces you to play hard. "
Gonzalez arrives as a low-risk solution for the Cubs' recent woes. The Indians released him after he had hit .210 with two home runs in 30 games, after signing a contract with the minor leagues during the spring training, which netted him $ 2 million. dollars in 2019 when he was part of the team.
Gonzalez said that he had always been a slow starter, and that "everything seemed to be going as before" after his signing in mid-March.
Gonzalez must prove that it's not a product of the Coors Field Factor after spending most of his career in the Rockies. He is a .328 hitter with a .993 OPS at Coors, but has a career average of .250 and .725 OPS in road matches. The high altitude in Denver has increased the statistics of many hitters over the years.
Gonzalez is only 33, but in modern baseball, 35 is the new 40. He has to show that he has something left in the tank and he knows that there are doubts.
"I feel strong. physically, I feel good, "he said. "The last two years, the numbers have not been the same, as everyone was: the over 300 years (average), the over 30 years (home runs). It just shows that baseball has a lot of ups and downs.
"But I am convinced that there is a lot of baseball in front of me – that's where I want to be – I want to be able to help a club win baseball games, and that's a good thing. opportunity for me. "
As the Angels started Monday's "opening match" with reliever Cam Bedrosian, Cubs manager Joe Maddon immediately placed Gonzalez in the makeup game program.
"He's still a young man," Maddon said of Gonzalez. "I guess he's had a good game for our Triple-A team. I'm just going to get him out and play him. He is not as up-to-date in his field, but he is going to play in this area and I just told him not to worry about mistakes and to stay himself, as I say to everyone.
"I hope it's going to create a bit of buzz within the group."
Maddon said he would generally choose matches to determine Gonzalez's playing time. Gonzalez has a .245 career lead over 94 at Wrigley Field with nine innings and 15 RBIs.
Gonzalez said that he simply wanted to contribute, regardless of the role he played.
"It's exciting, a new chapter in my career," he said. "It's a great place to play baseball and has a lot of energy, so I'm really excited. … Over the years, I had very big games in this stadium, so hopefully that will translate to the other. "
Twitter @PWSullivan
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