How a trade to Arizona changed the life of this D-back

This story was excerpted from Steve Gilbert’s D-backs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Bill Ladson contributed to this edition of the D-backs Beat newsletter.

It was 25 years ago this past December when the D-backs made arguably the best trade in franchise history. They acquired veteran outfielder Luis Gonzalez from the Tigers for outfield prospect Karim García.

García became a distant memory, playing with seven teams over 10 seasons before his last big league game in 2004. Gonzalez, on the other hand, became an icon in Arizona because of what he did in the batter’s box. During his eight years with the D-backs from 1999-2006, Gonzalez was a five-time All-Star, hitting .298 with five 100-RBI seasons. He ranks second in Wins Above Replacement (30) among position players in Arizona's franchise history, according to Baseball Reference.

Gonzalez's success in the batter’s box was because of a change he made to his stance. Prior to the 1999 season, he was more of a doubles hitter. By the time he joined the D-backs, the left-handed hitter went from a closed stance to an open one by having his right foot facing towards first base and his left foot facing the pitcher. The results were extraordinary. Early in the season, Gonzalez had a 30-game hitting streak. By the end of the year, he led the National League with 206 hits.

“I was feeling more comfortable. I was surrounded by great players. I had Matt Williams hitting behind me. They were going after me and I was starting to have some success,” Gonzalez said via telephone. “This game is a lot about confidence, and, for me, it was just gaining that confidence and then feeling really good about being in a great situation.”

If 1999 was a good year for Gonzalez, 2001 was a season for the ages. He captured the team’s Triple Crown, hitting .325 with 57 home runs and 142 RBIs. The highlight of his season was getting the walk-off single against closer Mariano Rivera in Game 7 to help the D-backs win their first World Series title over the Yankees.

As he looked back on his 19-year career, Gonzalez said getting traded to the D-backs was a life-changing experience.

“For me, just fitting in [with the team] was perfect from day one. I felt like it was natural that I belonged with other guys on the team,” Gonzalez said. “We all got along well. It was a good tight-knit bunch of guys. Everybody was playing for one goal, and that was to win the World Series.”

Twenty-three years after winning the World Series, Gonzalez is the D-backs’ senior advisor to Derrick Hall, who is the team’s president and CEO. Gonzalez calls himself “a jack of all trades” in the organization. He does a lot of community work for the team and often visits the team’s farm system and gives pointers to its Minor Leaguers. One can also see him as the team’s TV analyst during road games. As Gonzalez puts it, he is “living the dream.”

“I have the greatest job in the world. I go to the ballpark every day and get to be a part of a great organization,” Gonzalez said. “I love going to work. I love being around the game of baseball. This is my life. I’m very blessed to be where I’m at right now. I don’t take things for granted. I appreciate everything that I have. My wife and I try to instill that to our kids to this day.”

Gonzalez would like to see the D-backs win their second World Series title. The team came close this past season, but lost the Fall Classic to the Rangers in five games.

“We have a great group of young players. It’s exciting,” Gonzalez said. “Our general manager [Mike Hazen], his staff, our coaches, everybody, they are very enthusiastic. It’s fun to come to the ballpark, especially when you're a young player and you have a chance to win. Our pitchers are getting better. We have great young players in the Minor Leagues. The organization is [going] up and up right now.”