Nice Gordon article from Wichita

[KCTown]

Saw this from the Wichita Eagle website. Big baseball fans down there, and they like what they see from Alex so far. Check this out.

 

 

Work in progress Alex Gordon, the Royals' No. 1 pick in 2005, enjoyed his break after draft day _ but the Wranglers' third baseman is happiest when he's playing ball

BY JOANNA CHADWICK

The Wichita Eagle

he idea of taking a summer off appealed to Alex Gordon initially. He's always been the type to work on his game, get in the weight room, take grounders and hit in the batting cage.

 

Even at age 4, Gordon was working on his game -- his dad, Mike, knew that most days when he got home from work, he'd be throwing batting practice to Alex.

 

So, yeah, a little time off sounded good.

 

Even though the third baseman had just been drafted No. 2 overall by the Royals.

 

"Me and my brother went on vacation, and my girlfriend came, too," said Gordon, who went to Los Angeles for the ESPY awards and then to Arizona. "I did a lot of fun things with the family. I've never really had a lot of spare time before."

 

But as the negotiations with the Royals dragged on, the whole vacation thing got old.

 

"It was relaxing at first," said Gordon, who had just finished playing with Nebraska in the College World Series. "Pretty much all I wanted to do was relax. Then I started getting questions from everybody. It was getting frustrating."

 

Mike Gordon saw it.

 

"I knew he didn't like the time off," he said. "He was always wanting to play. He probably spent more time working with the weights and going to the cage. He did a lot of swinging and throwing, but it's not like playing in the game.

 

"But this was all new to us, this process. As time went by, he especially started saying, 'I want to go play, I want to go play.'

 

"Finally, it was, 'This is enough. It's a fair enough deal.' "

 

Gordon signed with the Royals on Sept. 28, and received a $4 million bonus.

 

More importantly, he got back on the field.

 

Getting started

 

Gordon, 22, debuted with the Wranglers on Thursday in Tulsa and should be at third base for the home opener Tuesday.

 

He stole three bases Friday night, including second and third in the second inning, and was 2 for 4 at the plate. On Thursday he was 2 for 7 with a double, a homer, a walk and three strikeouts.

 

After signing last fall, Gordon played 16 games for Surprise in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .260 with four doubles, two homers and nine RBIs.

 

He spent spring training with the big-league club, hitting .333 in 18 games.

 

Gordon insists he doesn't regret taking that time off.

 

Even though he's well aware of how Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, the No. 4 pick in the 2005 draft, was a fall call-up after signing quickly. Zimmerman started at third for the Nationals on opening day.

 

"I'm glad that everything worked out for him," Gordon said. "I knew that he would get up there quickly. He impressed a lot of people. That's why he's in the opening day lineup.

 

"I'm not comparing myself or looking at other people. I'm just glad that he's getting the opportunity."

 

You have to believe him, too, for Gordon oozes sincerity.

 

He's a down-to-earth guy who rented a Kia during spring training. No Hummer for him.

 

"He's one of the most humble young men around," said Randy Brolhorst, who coached Gordon at Lincoln (Neb.) Southeast High. "Success has not gone to his head, and it never will.

 

"People would pat him on the back, and that embarrassed him. He wants to be the guy up there when the bases are loaded and you're down by three runs. He wants the home runs but not the accolades."

 

The Royals looked into Gordon's background before drafting him. Still, there have been pleasant surprises.

 

"We knew he could swing the bat; we knew he would be a good player," said Muzzy Jackson, the Royals' vice president of baseball operations. "What we didn't know was how solid an individual he is.

 

"... His demeanor, he's such a professional at such a young age. He came into spring training with his ears open and his mouth shut. He was really impressive."

 

Baseball family

 

That demeanor can be traced directly to Gordon's parents, Mike and Leslie.

 

"I get my humbleness from my mom," he said. "She never does anything for herself; she's so unselfish.

 

" (I get my) work ethic from my dad. He's a hard worker and anything he does, he gives 100 percent."

 

Gordon's love for baseball can be linked to his family, as well.

 

His grandfather, Charlie, was Lincoln Southeast's longtime baseball coach. His dad played at Nebraska.

 

All three brothers grew up in baseball -- Eric (24) played at Nebraska-Omaha, Brett (19), who is named after George Brett, is playing at Independence Community College, while Derek (14) is trying to become a switch hitter.

 

" (Baseball's) been in our blood forever," Mike said. "I guess the easiest thing to do is go out and play catch to start with. All four have taken to it."

 

Mike has spent plenty of evenings with his boys playing catch or pitching. Most nights they'd head to a park three blocks away for a little hitting and catching.

 

"We used to hit whiffle balls in the yard, but those don't work," Mike said. "So we'd take baseballs and go to the park, then we'd wander around trying to find them."

 

Alex Gordon's passion for the game meant he'd never rely on his pure talent to get ahead.

 

He worked for it.

 

"When he was younger, some didn't think he was putting in a lot of effort because it was so easy for him," said Brolhorst, his high school coach. "He was working hard, but he was so smooth, he made it look so easy."

 

Gordon didn't stop working once he got to Nebraska, either.

 

"When he saw the level of ball after high school, he knew he had to put in more and more time to keep ahead of everyone," Mike said.

 

It showed.

 

Gordon played three seasons at Nebraska, leading the Huskers to the College World Series in 2005. He won the Golden Spikes Award, the Dick Howser Award, the Brooks Wallace Award and the ABCA Rawlings Player of the Year.

 

At Nebraska last season he hit .372 with 22 doubles, 19 home runs and 66 RBIs. He also stole 23 bases, was walked 63 times and had 38 strikeouts.

 

Expectations

 

Baseball America named him the Royals' top prospect, and opponents' scouts have gushed to Jackson about what they've seen.

 

"He controls an at-bat," Jackson said. "He knows what he's trying to do; he's working on certain situations. When a pitcher is doing certain things, he's changing his approach and making adjustments.

 

"He's very impressive. He came in like a big leaguer. He wasn't shaking. It didn't seem like it fazed him. He went out and did his business."

 

So how long will he be in Wichita? Probably not long.

 

Jackson estimates Gordon could move up to Kansas City in a month or two.

 

"It depends on Alex," Jackson said. "He's a guy who has terrific talent, and he had a great spring training. We obviously think he's going to be a fixture and a member of our organization for a long time.

 

"... We need a month or two before really being able to gauge if he's major-league ready."

 

Gordon's fine with the time frame. As long as he's playing.

 

No vacationing this summer.

 

"I approach it the same way as if I were on the big team," he said of being in Double-A. "I play the same way, I work the same way, I try to improve my game the same way."

 

Such a statement wouldn't surprise his dad.

 

"He's a down-to-earth kid," Mike said. "He's not boastful, but he will give everything he's got to get to where he wants to go.

 

"I hope he lives up to it. I know he wants to."