Homer a Laughing Matter for Gonzales

Heroics are not his specialty, so the Baltimore Oriole’s Rene Gonzales went to his strength, the gag line.

When the radio interviewer asked him the last time he had hit a sudden-death, game-winning homer, Gonzales countered, “Playing for Honest John’s Meats.”

He got his laugh. And his teammates, taking Gonzales’ cue, fell quickly in line.

“Best player I ever saw,” said Joe Orsulak, “and you can quote me.”

Another Oriole stood in the middle of the clubhouse, saying to no one in particular, “Do you believe that? I don’t believe that.”

Sure, there were glad faces, and glad hands, all around. A five-game losing streak had ended and in fairly spectacular fashion -- the Orioles, a team for which each hit is cause for celebration, scoring three times to tie the score in the seventh to set up Gonzales’ ninth-inning shot into the left-field bleachers. You could safely say the homer was unexpected, in much the same way that rain is in the Sahara. This was his first home run since last June, his first in 128 at-bats, the fifth in his big-league career. So, yeah, jokes. Why not, as they used to say around here?

But when the laughter dies, Gonzales will not easily let go the moment. The surprise home run, which Gonzales crushed, meant one thing for the team -- starving for run production -- and another for Gonzales. He’s starving, too. What the home run means is that Gonzales, who was starting for the third consecutive game and the fifth time this season, will be in there again Monday night. It matters. There’s no way for you to know how much.

“I don’t remember in high school saying I’m going to grow up someday to be a utility player,” Gonzales said. “That’s not something you ever accept. If you accept that role, it’s time to get out.

“I admit I hate that role. Of course, you do. Is it wrong to think that way? I don’t think so. I think that’s what keeps me working so hard.”

Gonzales dreamed in high school, and still dreams today, as a 28-year-old grown-up, of playing shortstop in the big leagues. Don’t laugh. The Orioles cut no-hit, fair-field Mike Brumley this spring, and he is the starting shortstop for the Seattle Mariners, who finished on the wrong end of Gonzales’ homer Sunday.

Of course, Gonzales will not play shortstop for the Orioles, not when history and Cal Ripken have conspired to set up a fairly impressive roadblock. However, he can play third and second, and he has over the years, but only sporadically, and never knowing exactly when.

“Whenever I do come in, it seems like a do-or-die situation,” Gonzales said. “I hate to think like that, but it’s hard not to. You go out there thinking, ‘This is my shot.’ ”

We’ve heard this before from players who don’t play regularly. This should not surprise you. Gonzales is right. Every player should want to play. So the bench warmer says: Just give me the chance to play every day, without the pressure, without looking over my shoulder. In 1988, Gonzales started 72 games, but he hit only .215. Last year, he lost playing time and hit .217. To everyone in baseball, it’s pretty clear that Gonzales is a valuable guy to have on the bench. Clear to everyone except Gonzales.

Each day when Gonzales walks through the clubhouse door, he looks immediately to his right where the lineup card is posted. He takes a quick, too casual, glance, knowing where to look. It used to be somewhere near the top, where the regulars are listed. Just hoping. Now, he looks at the bottom left, where the reserves are written in, and hopes he doesn’t see his name. This is not an exercise Cal Ripken has to follow.

“I still drive 100 miles an hour to the ballpark,” Gonzales said. “The anticipation of playing is still there.”

What must give him some comfort is that playing ahead of him at second base is Bill Ripken, who never scared anyone with his bat, either, unless it was on a bubble-gum card. Ripken is hitting .209 this season. He has one RBI in 43 at-bats. That has meant giving someone else a chance.

If Tim Hulett had not been hurt, it might have been him. In fact, if Hulett had been healthy, there might not have been room for Gonzales at all. Gonzales is 28, he has been in the big leagues over three years, and he still comes to camp each season not knowing for sure if he’s coming back. You try that.

But he isn’t complaining. He’s getting a chance to play. He laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt in the seventh that helped set up two runs. That’s the kind of thing managers notice. On Saturday, he walked twice. That’s why he played Sunday as manager Frank Robinson is desperate for offense, any kind of offense. And then in the ninth, the big bopper. Gonzales had a notion that it was a home run, but lacked the experience to be sure.

“Usually, when I hit the ball, I put my head down and run as hard as I can,” he said.

No one expects him to hit another home run any time soon. A few base hits will get you time on this team. Eventually, there’ll come the day when Gonzales doesn’t get the hits and he’s back being valuable on the bench and thinking he deserves another shot on the field. But that’s for another day. On this day, he has more homers (one) this season than Mickey Tettleton and one fewer RBI (two) than Phil Bradley. And when he comes to the ballpark Monday night, he can be pretty sure on what part of the lineup card Robinson has written his name.