DENVER – It might be news to a few loyal Rockies fans, but Carlos Gonzalez has not always been with the Colorado Rockies. For some, it may be a hazy memory of a time before he became the player known simply as CarGo.
Signed in 2002 by the Arizona Diamondbacks as a 16-year-old out of Venezuela, Gonzalez would spend several years developing his abilities traveling through smaller cities all over America like Missoula, South Bend and Mobile.
In the 2007-08 offseason, when Arizona needed to upgrade their starting rotation, they targeted Oakland’s young ace, Dan Haren. In turn, the Athletics targeted a package of players including the then 22-year-old Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, was included in an 8-player trade that also featured notable players Brett Anderson and Chris Carter.
After just 46 games at Triple-A with the Sacramento River Cats at the start of the 2008 season, Gonzalez got the call to be a part of GM Billy Beane’s Oakland Athletics.
On May 30, 2008, Gonzalez made his major league debut against Rangers starter Kevin Millwood. In his first at-bat during the third inning, he doubled to left field. His second at-bat yielded the same result.
No matter how long ago, how mundane or exciting, or how many organizations a player suits up for throughout their career, their Major League debut will always rank among their personal top career moments.
When asked about his time with the Athletics, Gonzalez smiled and started reflecting on those days in the Bay Area in front of his locker Friday night after game one of the series against Oakland.
“I made my big league debut with the A’s. I still get fan support from them. It was nice whenever you see an A’s fan and they say, ‘Hey, we miss you.’ I know it’s been a long time, but it’s always great to see them.”
His season in green and gold would only last 85 games and 316 plate appearance before he would be traded yet again.
Acquired along with starting pitcher Greg Smith and closer Huston Street for Matt Holliday in an offseason trade before the 2009 season, Gonzalez would become a member of the Colorado Rockies.
And he would remain a Rockies player for the next ten seasons.
During this time, he would suit up for Colorado over 1,000 times. Only Todd Helton has played in more games with the Rockies.
In a funny sequence of events that suggests all things come full circle, the Rockies announced this week that they have brought Holliday back into the organization, giving these two pillars of the franchise who were traded for each other a window of opportunity to share the same clubhouse.
But CarGo’s time in Oakland at the beginning of his career will be never forgotten.
“The A’s will have a special place in my career and in my life.”
