{"id":24360,"date":"2021-02-11T16:57:03","date_gmt":"2021-02-11T21:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pyx.yib.mybluehost.me\/?p=24360"},"modified":"2021-04-29T13:58:37","modified_gmt":"2021-04-29T17:58:37","slug":"gonzalez-has-played-baseball-in-three-continents-now-hes-a-catcher-at-mdc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mdcthereporter.com\/staging\/8357\/gonzalez-has-played-baseball-in-three-continents-now-hes-a-catcher-at-mdc\/","title":{"rendered":"He Has Played Baseball In Three Continents\u2014Now He\u2019s A Catcher At MDC"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jose Tovar and Victor Gonzalez-Vaca<\/b><\/p>\n

Juan Gonzalez\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0<\/a>baseball journey has taken him all across the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The five-foot-ten-inch catcher from Venezuela has played in World Cups and international tournaments in countries like Korea, Spain, Italy, and the Czech Republic in the past six years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, Gonzalez, who graduated from Champagnat Catholic School in Hialeah in 2020, brings his experience to a Miami Dade College baseball team that features 13 new players and is 7-6 this season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJuan is a hard worker, good teammate, competitor, and a warrior who wants to be great,\u201d said Shark\u2019s Head Baseball Coach Adrian Morales. \u201cHe is 1 of 30. We need all 30 guys to be successful. Without him, there\u2019s a link missing in the chain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gonzalez was born in Caracas, Venezuela, on Feb. 20, 2001. He grew up in La Guaira, a port city 21 miles away from the capital. Gonzalez enjoyed basketball and soccer but gravitated toward baseball because his older brothers, Tito and Julian, played the sport.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Freshman Find: Catcher Juan Gonzalez is batting .235 in six games for the Miami Dade College baseball team this season. ALICE MORENO \/ THE REPORTER<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When he was four years old, Gonzalez joined Criollitos de Venezuela, the country\u2019s little league system, and quickly developed an interest in catching. To him, the position meant having a voice on the field while leading the team\u2019s pitching staff.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt always caught my attention because I maintain order and makes me one of the leaders on the baseball field,\u201d he said. \u201cNow I view it as a career.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gonzalez played at Criollitos for nine years before coming to the United States to play for Elev8 Academy in Delray Beach, Florida, from fall 2014 to spring 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was the first of many international experiences in his career.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That summer, Gonzalez traveled to Spain\u2014a country known for soccer more than baseball\u2014to play for the U-18 Spanish national team. He qualified for the squad based on his dual-citizenship because his grandparents were born in Spain.<\/span><\/p>\n

As part of the Spanish national team, Gonzalez played in three U-18 European Championships. Between 2015-18, he played in the Czech Republic, Spain, and Italy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But his best tournament was the U-18 Baseball World Cup in Korea in 2019. In eight games, Gonzalez posted a .323 batting average with nine RBI and four doubles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, Gonzalez also spent eight months with the Epy Guerrero Academy in the Dominican Republic in 2018. He was mentored by Patrick Guerrero, a Major League Baseball scout, who taught him the importance of effort and helped him improve his strength and consistency.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s a bit hard over there, but when it comes to fulfilling a dream, any effort or sacrifice is made to move forward,\u201d Gonzalez said.\u201cThere I became a much better and mature player.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In October of 2018, he moved to Miami and started playing in recruitment tournaments with In The Big Inning Baseball Academy in Doral.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A few months later, fortune knocked on his door. Jorge Aguas\u2014the head coach at Champagnat Catholic School\u2014and former Major Leaguer Bobby Ramos saw him catch a bullpen session at Tamiami Park and offered him a spot with the Lions in February of 2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c[Aguas] saw me catching and I caught his attention,\u201d Gonzalez said. \u201cHe watched me hit and told me they needed a fourth bat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite playing only eight games in his senior year with Champagnat due to the coronavirus pandemic, MDC\u2019s assistant coach Bryan Morgado\u2014who had seen him at the recruitment tournaments\u2014asked him to join the Sharks last February.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Through six games with MDC, he has a .235 batting average and is battling for playing time with catchers Nicolas Patelli and <\/span>David Pereira<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe is a hard worker, good teammate and competitor,\u201d Morales said. \u201cThe more people at games\u2014the more eyes\u2014the better he plays. He played for Spain\u2019s junior national team so playing in front of large crowds is what he\u2019s used to.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gonzalez sees baseball as his long-term career and hopes to play in the Major Leagues.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c[He\u2019s] always going to come to the field with energy and a big smile, bringing good vibes,\u201d said infielder Erick Orbeta. \u201cHe comes to the field ready to work day in and day out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Swing Batter, Batter: Juan Gonzalez prepares to swing during a game versus Elite Squad Academy at Kendall Campus on Feb. 5. The Sharks lost the game 10-5 but Gonzalez had a triple and an RBI in four at-bats in the game. ALICE MORENO \/ THE REPORTER<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n