He moved to a new city, a new league and a new position. What didn’t change was his ability to hit; that’s what got the attention of fans and players.
Sunday, they voted Alfonso Soriano into the All-Star game as the starting left fielder.
“That means a lot,” said Soriano, who has made five All-Star teams, four times as a starter. “Everyone knows it’s not easy when you change positions and change the league and you’re still an All Star player.”
Soriano, mired in a multi-week slump, is batting .263 with 24 homers and 51 RBI. He was given the day off Sunday.
Nationals manager Frank Robinson said, “This is a vote of, no matter where you’re at, if you do your thing offensively, people will recognize you.”
Nats sign Dominican teen
The Nationals delivered a symbolic signing Sunday. Whether or not the player delivers remains to be seen.
The Nationals signed 16-year-old shortstop Esmailyn Gonzalez, giving him a $1.4 million signing bonus. Major League Baseball rules prohibited them from signing him until July 2. Nats officials said Gonzalez would have been a mid-first round pick this June had he been draft eligible.
The Nationals said Texas, the New York Yankees, Boston and Minnesota all pursued Gonzalez. But his relationship with Jose Rijo, who first saw him play two years ago and serves as Washington’s special assistant to the general manager, gave the Nats an edge.
“It’s a very strong message,” Nats vice president/general manager Jim Bowden said, “If you’re out there and you think you have them, you have to play with us because we’re here to play. … We’re on a mission. In the future, you’ll see us go worldwide.”
Gonzalez, who is about 5-foot-10, is a line-drive switch-hitter who also does Ozzie Smith-like backflips. He will receive instruction at the Nats’ complex in the Dominican Republic and train with them at the Instructional League. He can’t play in a game until next spring training.
“I give him three years at most,” Rijo said. “Right now, he could play major league defense for any team.”
