Alex Gordon, who has spent his entire 14-year big league career with the Kansas City Royals, will hang up his cleats when the abbreviated 2020 MLB season concludes on Sunday.
The Royals' first round draft pick in 2005 (and second over all in the nation behind Justin Upton who was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks) and made the Opening Day roster in 2007, he was unfairly and unreasonably compared with George Brett. It also didn't help matters that Gordon was a third baseman thereby reinforcing the comparison to Brett.
Fortunately, the Royals saw fit to move Gordon to the outfield in 2010. Over the past decade, Gordon has become the defensive left fielder in the AL, if not all of MLB winning 7 Gold Gloves and a Platinum Glove in 2014. Gordon was named to three AL All-Star Teams, played on two AL pennant winning teams and earned a World Series ring in 2015. It won't be enough to get him into Cooperstown, but Gordon's career is regal enough to get him enshrined into the Royals' Hall of Fame. He was a good catch for the Royals after all.
In 1749 big league games, Gordon, 36, has collected 1641 hits for a lifetime batting average of .257 with 190 HR and 749 RBI.
It is a shame that Gordon will not be able to play his final game in front of a sold out crowd of adoring fans. But he gets to say goodbye on his own terms. Not every big league player is so fortunate.
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