It'd be hard to write a better commercial for the wonders of modern jet travel than the one that Adrian Gonzalez authored on Saturday. After waking up in Boston as a member of the Red Sox, he was able to hop a Los Angeles Dodgers-sponsored charter with Nick Punto and Josh Beckett around noon Eastern time, just after the mega trade was completed.
After a cross-country flight, the first baseman arrived at Dodger Stadium for a standing ovation during pregame warmups, and then an even bigger ovation when he did the following in the first inning.
Because you never have a second chance to make a first impression:
Well, so much for jet lag. Gonzalez's three-run homer off Miami's Josh Johnson in the first inning of Saturday's 8-2 win over the Marlins marked only the sixth time that a player homered in his first at-bat in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform. It was also the type of highlight that made you wish Dodger Stadium had an efficient parking lot system as a large number of fans hadn't yet reached their seats for the official arrival of the new and improved (and very expensive) L.A. Dodgers. Still, there were a lot of fans lucky enough to see such a cool moment and they did make a lot of noise.
Stragglers weren't as fortunate as the early birds as Gonzalez went hitless over his last four at-bats. But the Dodgers did pull within a game of a postseason spot with the win, meaning there'll be more chances for Gonzalez to create that type of excitement for a fanbase that can't wait to see him do more.
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