Should we really be surprised that Boston Red Sox first baseman/right fielder Adrian Gonzalez was named the American League Player of the Month for June? Yeah I didn’t think so either.
Here’s the release from the Red Sox:
First baseman Adrian Gonzalez of the Boston Red Sox has been voted the Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month for June. Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of Major League Baseball and sponsor of 24 of 30 clubs, is also the presenting sponsor of the National League and American League Player of the Month Awards. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.
Gonzalez, who will be appearing in his fourth career All-Star Game and his first with the American League on July 12th in Phoenix, batted a Major League-best .404 (40-for-99) with eight doubles, two triples, six home runs and 25 RBI in 25 games during June to win his first career A.L. Player of the Month Award. It is the first monthly honor for the Red Sox since teammate David Ortiz took home the award in May 2010. Among the A.L. leaders, Adrian tied for first with New York’s Mark Teixeira in RBI and was second in the league in hits, runs scored, on-base percentage (.478) and slugging percentage (.707). On June 4th against the visiting Oakland Athletics, Gonzalez went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs scored to help lift the Red Sox over the A’s, 9-8, in 14 innings. It was the second of 13 multi-hit games in June for the left-handed slugger. On June 17th, Gonzalez again led the way for the Boston offense, finishing a triple shy of the cycle as he recorded three hits and a walk in five trips to the plate along with a season-high three runs scored as the BoSox outscored the Milwaukee Brewers, 10-4, at Fenway Park.
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On June 20th against the San Diego Padres, Gonzalez’s first matchup with his former club since being traded to Boston after the 2010 season, the 29-year-old recorded his fifth three-hit game of the month, going 3-for-5 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored as the Red Sox routed the Pads, 14-5. Two days later, in the series finale with San Diego, Gonzalez tied a season-high with four hits, all of which were singles. Gonzalez started in right field in Philadelphia on June 29th, his first appearance at the position since late in the 2005 season with the Texas Rangers. Heading into play today, Gonzalez leads the A.L. with a .348 batting average and 120 hits and leads the Majors with 28 doubles, 75 RBI and 202 total bases.
Among others receiving votes was Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, who batted .369 (31-for-84) with four doubles, 10 home runs and 20 RBI in 23 games. The 2011 All-Star Game Final Vote Sponsored by Sprint candidate paced the A.L. in home runs and slugging percentage (.774) and was fifth in the league in on-base percentage (.448) and batting average. New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher (.326, 7 HR, 23 RBI) and Baltimore Orioles infielder J. J. Hardy (.362, 6 HR, 25 RBI) also received consideration.
The Budweiser Presents American League Player of the Month, Adrian Gonzalez, will receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, for his accomplishment.
Photo credit: Getty Images
