Carlos Gomez - Which Side of My Brain Wins?

Throughout my schooling & work life, I was frequently given the opportunity to take various personality tests, many of which would establish whether I was dominant in my left or right brain. All that was actually established is that I clearly have no idea. Sometimes I was barely left, sometimes barely right, and almost anytime the middle was an option, I seemed to fall right there (no pun intended). This makes sense for many reasons: I write & eat left handed, yet am right handed in any athletic activities, and text message right handed as well. I was a teaching assistant for a Logic class in college, yet I spent my younger years writing stories, telling myself stories when I was bored, thinking up imaginary worlds, etc. (no, I didn't think I was in those imaginary worlds, so I wasn't completely nuts). Just like all those personality tests, the trade of Minnesota Twins outfielder Carlos Gomez to the Milwaukee Brewers for shortstop J.J. Hardy leaves me right in the middle.

Since Americans always lean toward the right first (when two paths appear, we veer right; in retail stores, we go right first...sometime go ahead and compare the right & left sides of a Best Buy store), I will start with the left. I like this trade. Carlos Gomez is a coveted "5 tool" player, but at times he seems to have left most of the tools in the box at home (for those who don't know, a 5 tool player is considered to be excellent in speed, hitting power, hitting average, fielding ability & throwing ability). We all know Gomez had speed & combined with his great glove, he could make some amazing plays. However, his strong arm had a tendency to throw about 15 feet to the side of his intended target, his power numbers are barely above little Nicky Punto, and his batting average is, well, average.

Then there is that small issue of a crowded outfield. Denard Span has shown that he needs to be an everyday player, and now he will be the Centerfielder, and not the utility outfielder. Michael Cuddyer had a phenomenal year, and with Justin Morneau taking back 1st base, Cuddy will return to right field. Delmon Young used late August & September to give us a glimpse of why he was drafted #1 overall by the Tampa Bay (then) Devil Rays. He is still the most awkward runner I have ever seen, but apparently has some speed if you can get past the complete lack of style. GM Billy Smith said Delmon had become a better teammate as well, which is important. Now if only Jose Mijares could get someone to hit him more often, since that really fired him up,so he could knock out 50 homers a year...and finally, Jason Kubel.

Kubel should be the everyday DH, but he likes to play in the field, so every so often Gardy will throw him out there in right or left. When he gets to the ball, he actually is a much better fielder than people give him credit for, but the key phrase is "when he gets to the ball." I'm not sure who would win a foot race between Kubel and nearly 40-yr old Mike Redmond. So the outfield is full, and Gomez was spending most games on the bench, until being inserted late as a defensive replacement. His tendency to swing out of his shoes at any count, in any game situation, which put him at a disadvantage against most pitchers in the league. Plus, speed on the bases is only good if you know how to use it. He seemed to think he could outrun the ball on throws to second, which led to way too many "caught stealing" box score entries.

Finally, the Twins need a shortstop. Smith had already talked to Orlando Cabrera's agent the morning before the trade, and he said OC was going to be looking in a different direction, so going after Hardy was a logical choice. He had the worst year of his career in 2009 (though the numbers overall looked better than Gomez's), but he was an All-Star in 2007, and he's still only 27 years old, with 2 years left on his contract. Usually it seems the Twins wait until late February to try to fill these holes, but this time they took advantage of the opportunity right away, and can now decide what they want to do with 2nd, 3rd & various pitching possibilities.

Well, that was the logical side, which usually takes up more space as it requires analyzing & supporting arguments. Now for the more passionate right side of the brain.

I love Carlos Gomez!! How can you not love a kid who is always smiling & having fun, who can fly around the bases and the outfield like a cheetah and who has really fun hair? Go-Go would always bring the energy. Even when he would swing out of his shoes, you always knew he was trying as hard as he could, even if he wasn't thinking enough. After losing perennial Gold Glove centerfielder Torii Hunter, it was a lift to have Gomez racing around the same territory as Torii & Kirby before him, chasing down everything in sight. He was the top outfielder in Baseball Tonight's Web Gems, even though he was rarely a starter this season.

If he could've slowed down a little bit, he would've had even more Web Gems, but when you're that fast, you're able to get to balls while still on your feet, that others could only dream of catching. Racing a ball down and staying on your feet will never make Web Gems. What Twins fan didn't feel secure with Gomez in CF & Span in RF late in a game? The Twins probably don't make the playoffs without this line-up, as Span chased down a sure run-scoring extra-base hit in right during the final game in Detroit, in which a Tigers win could've ended the season 5 days earlier than the eventual conclusion.

Speaking of making the playoffs, Carlos Gomez may have come off the bench, but how crucial was he in Game 163 in the last Twins win ever at the Metrodome? Getting that big 12th inning hit, and then that speed...as soon as Alexi Casilla singled the ball between 1st & 2nd, there was no question that Go-Go could race from 2nd to home with time to spare, to clinch the American League Central Division title. That old baggy roof stadium went nuts as he crossed the plate & then flew up in the air like a young Michael Jordan after the game winning shot over Craig Ehlo.

Who could forget that night on the southside of Chicago in 2008, when Gomez managed to become the first Twin to hit for the cycle since Kirby Puckett in 1986. Hitting for the cycle requires many of those 5 tools - power for the homerun, average to get that single & double, and speed to get the triple (unless hell freezes over like it did this year, when Jason Kubel managed to get a cycle). Seeing the joy on his face as he crossed first base to complete the cycle just gave me the chills!

Sure, the kid made mistakes & played like he wasn't always sure what game he was in, but the key word there is "kid." He's only 23 years old. Justin Morneau was 24 in his first full season in the majors, and his .239 average did not exactly scream out "MVP" (he'd have to hit the ripe old age of 25 for that to happen). It seems awfully early to give up on the only member of the Johan Santana trade who had shown any real potential in the last 2 seasons. And most importantly, I just liked Go-Go. There's a reason his jersey was so popular with Twins fans and it had nothing to do with his stats on the field; he has charisma & excitement, which is contagious for anyone who is able to see him, in person or on TV. We will miss Gomez!

There, I clearly solved that issue. Obviously the right side of my brain won...wait, what? Oh, the left side is claiming victory now. Hmm...I guess only time will tell!