SAN DIEGO — As the Diamondbacks continued to stumble toward the All-Star break, club legend Luis Gonzalez made critical remarks about the team on the Sunday afternoon show, calling on players to show some resilience. a lack of “urgency”.
Replacing analyst Bob Brenly, who was absent on the last road trip of the first half, Gonzalez suggested the Diamondbacks players might feel too comfortable with their place on the team.
“For me, looking from the outside – I’m not sure what’s going on in the clubhouse – I just don’t see the sense of urgency that a lot of these players have,” Gonzalez said. “The comfort factor for me: everyone feels really comfortable. There’s no, like, ‘Someone can take my job behind me.’
“A lot of times when you don’t play well you can lose that opportunity, you can lose your job. I just don’t see that sense of urgency in guys.
Gonzalez said he saw players working to improve but seemed to suggest something was missing.
“It’s hard to explain it sometimes as a player,” Gonzalez said. “I just think about tough love sometimes – some of these guys need a little tough love.”
Gonzalez also addressed criticism at second baseman Ketel Marte, saying his first half of the season “has just been kind of a mystery to everyone.”
“He can’t stay healthy,” Gonzalez said of the hamstring injuries that cost Marte a lot of time last season and limited him to designated hitter duties in recent weeks. “He struggled out of doors. He’s shown signs of being that All-Star player, but he really needs to come out the second half of the season with just a strong push if he can.
Marte entered Sunday with a .272/.366/.453 line. His .813 OPS was the highest on the team.
“He showed those sparks of being a superstar player,” Gonzalez said. “And then, of course, he’s had those days where he just feels like he’s taking a day off there.”
Gonzalez played parts of 19 seasons at the majors, including eight with the Diamondbacks, whom he helped win a World Series in 2001. He regularly fills in for the team’s broadcasts throughout the season while working with organization as senior adviser to Derrick Hall. , the president and CEO of the club.
The Diamondbacks finished the first half with 16 losses in their last 24 games.
Short jumps
Double-A slugger Leandro Cedeno made headlines for crushing a 527-foot home run for the Amarillo Sod Poodles on Saturday night, a shot that landed in a parking lot beyond the center field wall. The shot is longer than any home run recorded in the major leagues since Statcast began tracking bullets in 2015. Cedeno, who turns 24 next month, signed with the Diamondbacks as a free agent minor leaguers in the offseason.
* Manager Torey Lovullo said he expects right-hander Ian Kennedy to be back on the injured list when the season resumes on Friday. Kennedy, who came out with a blood clot in his leg, made an appearance in the Arizona Complex League at rookie level over the weekend.
Contact Piecoro at (602) 444-8680 or nick.piecoro@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickpiecoro.
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