NewsGomes working to stay in big leagues
Reds outfielder keeping eye on rebound to his career
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
05/28/09 5:38 PM ET
CINCINNATI -- A few weeks ago while waiting out a rain delay with teammates at Triple-A Louisville, outfielder Jonny Gomes watched a Reds game on television. It proved to be the equivalent of a cold splash of water to the face. "They did the Minor League reports and showed the four hottest guys at each level. My name wasn't on the Louisville side," Gomes said. "When you're not on the hot side and you're not on the 40-man roster, that's a gut check right there. I didn't need any more motivation, but seeing that in front of my face just kicked me into gear." Gomes had struggled for several weeks with Louisville after being a final cut at Reds Spring Training, where he was a non-roster invitee. Eventually, he heated up and was batting .282 with a team-leading nine home runs and 27 RBIs when Cincinnati promoted the 28-year-old on May 22. The hot bats made the 90-minute trip up Interstate 71 along with Gomes, who reached safely in all five of his games with the Reds and is batting .429 (6-for-14). "Everyone can pat me on my back right now, saying, 'Good job,' and what not," Gomes said. "I'm telling them I'm five lousy at-bats away from people not talking to me or possibly wondering if my jersey will still be hung up in my locker. This game is big peaks and valleys. You definitely have to find the happy medium with both of them. You can't keep your head in the sand in the valleys nor your head in the clouds for the peaks." In his debut vs. the Indians, Gomes' eighth-inning leadoff double as a pinch-hitter led to the go-ahead run in a win. On Monday in a win over the Astros, he had three hits and three RBIs and also made a fantastic diving catch in right field near the foul line. Known for his intensity and enthusiasm going back to his six seasons with the Rays, Gomes is hungry to reestablish himself as a big leaguer. "Some guys are looking for a home," Reds manager Dusty Baker said when asked about Gomes. "For a lot of guys, it's the end of one dream to get to the big leagues and the beginning of another dream to stay in the big leagues." That's the crossroads Gomes has been stuck at for a couple of years now. Once a top prospect for Tampa Bay, he played over 100 games in the Majors for three straight seasons but was optioned to Triple-A in 2007. He struggled in 2008 and had another stint in the Minors to get straightened out. He signed a Minor League deal with the Reds and was invited to camp as a non-roster player. The Minors are even tougher when you've already tasted the Majors, especially for an extended period. "It's a lot easier to accept the grinds down there when you've never been on the other side," Gomes said. "If you've been on a chartered flight, that eight-hour bus ride is that much longer. It's definitely a lot harder to stay here than it is to get here." Back to having all the bells and whistles of big league life, including state-of-the-art fitness equipment, Gomes likes to make like "Rocky" and do some old-fashioned training. He doesn't chase around a chicken to improve his quickness, but several times a week, Gomes will head to the ballpark seats to do a series of sprints up and down the steps. "When I started in rookie ball in 2001, a buddy of mine and I were sitting in Princeton, W. Va., and realized how far we were from the show," Gomes said. "So we both got our personal training licenses over the Internet and did take home tests. It was something to fall back on. I'm fairly educated on most of the stuff that I do." In a sport that is often associated with having too many trappings of comfort, Gomes doesn't conform to the stereotype. "Even in the limelight of the big leagues, I'm living in a hotel and my closet is in my car with that rack that goes across the back," Gomes said. "People don't see that. I'm alright with it. As long as I'm healthy and between the lines, it's all good."Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
