2011 MLB All-Star Game: Adrian Gonzalez and How He Saved My Social Life

I don't write about baseball too often. I just don't know the game that well, or at least not any better than the average American. But my lack of interest in the game is not because I find the sport dull or slow. It is mostly because I have never had a team I could really be proud of.

I was born in my parents' hometown of Boston, but moved to San Diego at a very young age. I don't really have an allegiance to the Boston Red Sox like my father, but I was never taught about the background of the San Diego Padres and thus never became a diehard fan.

Besides, if you follow the sport at all, you know that the Padres have done nothing in my 23 years of living to warrant anyone becoming a fanatic. But this does not mean that they haven't had players to watch.

The 2011 MLB All-Star Game will be played July 12th at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. When the American League hits the field, Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez will be at first, and he is the only player I will be watching.

I live in New York City now and am surrounded by Yankee fans. I stopped talking about baseball around them because all they will do is talk about how the Yankees are the greatest thing not only to happen to the sport, but to the country as a whole.

They speak of Ruth, DiMaggio, Gehrig, and Mantle like they are old drinking buddies. They like to recall all 27 World Series like they were in the stands for each of them, and I have no other option but to sit and listen.

Mind you, these are my friends who are all under the age of 25.

But this season is different.

I woke up on December 6th last year to an early Christmas present. I was back in San Diego to spend the holidays with my family, and speculation over the future of Adrian Gonzalez had been discussed in the local media.

I opened the sports section of the newspaper that morning to the headline: "GONZALEZ TRADE WILL BE OFFICIAL TODAY, SOURCE SAYS." Before I even started reading the article, my giddy father said he was going to Boston.

A soft grin came across my face. I called my best friend back in New York, and I told him "get ready to lose." He didn't have any idea what I was talking about at the time, but it didn't matter. I knew I finally had something to talk about when baseball became the topic of discussion.

Adrian Gonzalez was born and raised in San Diego. He was drafted first overall by the Florida Marlins in 2000, making him the first infielder to be the first pick since Alex Rodriguez in 1993. He would spend a few seasons in the farm program there and played a bench role for the Texas Rangers before being traded to the Padres in 2006.

His first season, he lead the team in batting (.304) and home runs (24), and was voted team MVP. That would begin a streak that would include four consecutive All-Star appearances, two gold gloves, and leading the team in hits, home runs and RBIs in his four years as a Padre. He was the best player to put on a San Diego uniform since Tony Gwynn.

When I got back to New York, I gladly started up a conversation about how the Red Sox are going to win the AL East and Adrian Gonzalez will be the AL MVP. My friends ignored me at first, thinking I was again out of my element.

When they realized I was serious, they came back with stats about A-Rod, Curtis Granderson, and Mark Teixeira. They even said Gonzalez wouldn't be a top-three player on their team.

So I got bold and said that he will win the Triple Crown. They laughed and offered up a statement to end the conversation: "He's alright, but he played for the Padres...in the NL West. The American League is a real league. He has never faced real pitching."

I just replied with, "you'll see."

Maybe I got a little ahead of myself with the Triple Crown statement, but Adrian Gonzalez is on his way to validating my other statements. Halfway through the season, he leads the AL in batting average, hits, RBIs, and is tied for the lead in doubles.

The Red Sox are also 8-1 against the Yankees, and though Gonzalez is batting a modest .236 against the Bronx Bombers, he has driven in 11 runs.

But perhaps the best thing that has happened occurred today, when the All-Star roster was announced. Much to the chagrin of my friends, my player is a better first baseman than theirs.

When we get together for our Fourth of July BBQ tomorrow, we will no doubt discuss the rosters. Sometime between them talking about how A-Rod is one of the best players of all time and how Robinson Cano will be the hero of this year's World Series run, I will quietly bring up first base.

With a smug smirk I have never had the pleasure of expressing before, I will calmly utter three words...

"Told you so."