Teeing off with Trent

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez gives team just the spark they were looking for

Graphic+by+Karl+Enghofer%2C+The+Spectator

Graphic by Karl Enghofer, The Spectator

Story by Trent Tetzlaff, Staff Writer

Carlos Gomez isn’t your ordinary centerfielder in the MLB; it turns out he is a heck of a lot more. Gomez showed the MLB he is a passionate player Sunday, and may be the spark to propel the Brewers into a postseason run in 2014.

Gomez was the main piece of a bench-clearing brawl in Pittsburgh between the Pirates and the Brewers Sunday.

Although the brawl wasn’t instigated by Gomez, he became involved when Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole followed him to third base screaming profanities. Gomez then responded like Gomez always does, by going off.

Although many around the league are outraged at what Gomez did, you can watch the highlight and see he simply wasn’t at fault during his at bat.

If you didn’t see the replay, Gomez hit a deep fly ball to centerfield which he thought was routine so he watched it and didn’t run, like most MLB players do.

But as it carried, he noticed it was going to go off the wall and was able to sprint into third base safely. All was fine until Cole came off the mound.

Pirates fans stood and cheered as Gomez, Cole and their respective teammates went at it for what seemed to be at least a minute, with only one solid punch thrown by Brewers catcher Martin Maldonado before it was broken up.

After all was said and done, Gomez was given a three-game suspension and Maldonado, a five-game suspension. Pirates catcher Russell Martin was also given one game, and outfielder Travis Snider, who ran at Gomez, received two games.

The Brewers, however, came out of this brawl unscathed in my mind. Gomez is appealing his suspension, so he will most likely only miss a game or two.

The Brewers sit at 16-6 and lead the tough National League Central division. During this span, we learned a ton about who the Brewers really are.

They are a tough, hard-nosed, ready- to-battle-day-in-and-day-out team that many around the league have grown to hate. Although I’m fond of the style.

Gomez, as I talked about earlier, is the main reason the Brewers are where they are today. He gives the team a spark day after day, whether at the plate in his leadoff position, on the basepaths using his blinding speed or in centerfield making gold glove-type plays.

It’s all beneficial to the team, but what I think is most important, is his ability to chirp with other players and get in the other teams head, as we saw Sunday.

He has become one of the most hated players over the past few years because of his cocky style of play, but what people don’t understand is how much this style helps his team.

As Gomez shows off, talks to the opponent and does his thing, the Brewers are able to build momentum and have fun.

The Brewers have consistently surprised me this season in all facets of play, but what Gomez has shown me is something I never could have expected, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.