Juan Gonzalez
Acquired in a nine-player trade from Texas before last season, Juan Gonzalez had his worst year since the strike-shortened 1994 campaign. The Tigers expected more than 22 home runs and 67 RBI from the two-time American League MVP. He was limited to 115 games because of foot, ankle and back injuries. He also complained loudly about the distance to the fence in left-center at Comerica Park and left the team with two days remaining in the season while sidelined with a herniated disk.
Despite his subpar statistics, Gonzalez showed just enough last season to serve notice that he remains a formidable hitter. When hes on, he has exceptional plate coverage and is capable of driving any type of pitch out of the park. His biggest weakness remains chasing outside breaking balls. His slugging percentage last season on the road was .545, not far below his career mark of .566. It was at home where Gonzalez struggled the most, hitting just eight home runs one inside-the-park in 217 at-bats.
Gonzalez isnt going to crash into walls trying to make
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