Editorials

Dodgers News: Don Mattingly Praises Gonzalez’s Consistency

[new_royalslider id=”3″] In Saturday night’s victory over the New York Mets, Adrian Gonzalez drove in five runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers to help them earn a 7-4 decision.

Gonzalez bumped his season total to 88 RBIs, which is good for second in the National League behind Giancarlo Stanton. The slugging first baseman is on pace to reach 100 RBIs for the seventh time in his 11th season and second time in his second full season with the Dodgers.



According to Steve Dilbeck of the LA Times, Dodger manager Don Mattingly had some high praise for Gonzalez:

As far as consistency, I don’t think we’ve had anybody quite like him,” said Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly. “Matt’s had some big years, Dre’s (Andre Ethier) had some big years. But in terms of a day-in, day-out kind of guy, Adrian is probably the most consistent.”

Last season, Gonzalez finished the year hitting .293 with 22 home runs and 100 RBI and is on pace for a similar season. He has struggled a bit with his average in 2014, but has bumped it from .250 in July to its’ current .268 clip. Along with his production at the plate, the former All-Star also provides strong defense. He’s currently at 10 defensive runs saved on the year and could be a Gold Glove candidate. Gonzalez is one of the few players that has been in the lineup just about every day since the season began.

Gonzalez offered a simple reason for his sustained success:

It’s about having a consistent approach and not trying to do too much,” Gonzalez said. “There’s no formula.”

The 32-year-old still has four more years on his deal after coming over from the Boston Red Sox in August of 2012. The Dodgers will hope he can continue his consistency over those years, and history has shown that he will continue to make the necessary adjustments to keep up the numbers.

[divide] Dodgers Dugout Bubble Machine Is Here To Stay

Vincent Samperio

Vince is currently the Associate Editor and Social Media Manager for Dodgers Nation. Hailing from San Pedro, CA and a student at Cal State Long Beach, Vince has previously written for the Daily 49er and LASF Magazine.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button