Jonny Gomes announced he will play baseball in Japan via Derek Jeter’s the Players’ Tribune blog on January 3, 2016. In the article, he outlines the reasons why he wants to continue his career in Japan.
The truth of the matter is he cannot break his habit of hitting for power and coming up short each and every time. He is not a moneyball hitter, a player that hits for contact, resulting in a high on-base percentage. Someone like Dustin Pedroia, who can hit for power, yet is mostly looking for good pitches to convert into doubles. Perhaps, Gomes could have taken some notes from his former fellow teammates on the Kansas City Royals, first basemen, Eric Hosmer or third basemen, Eric Moustakas who led the team in RBIs last season.
Gomes swings like an angry caveman trying to kill flies with his club. You can not swing at every ball and pray to make contact each time. This strategy leads to you slashing a .167/.235/.233 on a World Series Championship team. If Gomes’ strategy worked, more people would play professional baseball and believe in the power of religion.
Sadly, the truth is Gomes is no longer a marketable player in Major League Baseball. Yes, I have been critical of him for years, specifically since he became a member of the Red Sox. He did okay with them in 2013 because he got lucky that year. However, last season his offensive numbers plummeted. He had to know that he would not do well on the free agent market, so in his own words, he said “Sayonara” to the United States.
Gomes is a great clubhouse player, a decent outfielder, still, his value on the field has dwindled. The yarn he spins in his blog post about his decision to move to Japan is a plausible one. Gomes recalls winning a Winter League championship in Mexico in 2005. He concludes that winning is possible anywhere in the world. Why not try again this season in Japan with the Rakuten Eagles?
A great yarn, indeed.
Gomes’ article in the Player’s Tribune is a nice story, but an unlikely one. No one chooses to play baseball in Japan, they are forced to.
One of the more memorable players to play in Japan was Manny Ramirez. In 2011, ineligible to play in the MLB after testing positive for PEDs, he went to Japan. It was the beginning of the end.
Ramirez’s story makes me wonder what else Gomes might be hiding. Has Gomes simply come to terms with his ability at the plate, or is it something more?
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