Gonzalez grew up in modest means in northwestern Venezuela in Maracaibo. His mother, Lucila, worked in the insurance business. His father, Euro, helped pay the bills as an auto mechanic. They taught Carlos and his brother that anything worth having requires commitment and long hours.

When Carlos was 8 years old, his Dad took he and his older brother, Euro Jr., to a Venezuelan Winter League game. "I saw Bobby Abreu play, and I went home and started trying to make my stance like his," Gonzalez says. "After that, all I wanted to do was play baseball."

He and Euro would take tree branches, carve them into makeshift bats, and use rolled-up socks for balls until Carlos's talent earned him a spot on youth traveling teams.

Car-Go's first car after signing in 2003 was a very nice 2001 Honda Civic, and his Dad was his mechanic.

Carlos and his brother would accompany their dad on little trips around Venezuela. His father would work on people's cars along the way, and they would also look for any broken-down cars. Autos and baseball were the shared experiences for father and sons.

Gonzalez has very good aptitude on a baseball field. He has been compared to a young Carlos Beltran for his overall ability.

"Gonzalez has all five tools," Mobile manager Brett Butler said in 2007. "If you were going to try to compare him to a player, I guess we've talked to him being similar to a Bobby Abreu-type guy. He's got power, he can run, he's got a good glove, he's got a great arm—he can do it all."

In 2005, Gonzalez was the MVP of the Midwest League. And managers rated him the best batting prospect, best defensive outfielder, best outfield arm, and most exciting player in the league.

In 2006, Baseball America rated Gonzalez as 4th-best prospect in the D'Backs' organization. And in the spring of 2007, the magazine moved Carlos up to #3 in the Arizona farm system.

In 2008, Baseball America had Gonzalez as the #1 prospect in the Diamondback, and then the A's organization, after Oakland acquired him.

Scouts say Carlos doesn't always play hard, sometimes taking an at-bat off. He doesn't run out every ball. And because he has a rather cocky attitude, he can be a negative presence in the clubhouse. But other people consider his cockiness as part of his game—not show-you-up cocky, but confidence.

Scouts use the word "aloof" when describing his makeup. But the D'Backs say the problem is not bad makeup, just a case of being immature and lacking focus at times. Carlos is bright and outgoing. But still, scouts question his dedication on a daily basis.

"It's hard playing 140 games," Gonzalez said in 2007. "But I have to play every game like it's my last. That's something I have to work on. When you get to the big leagues, you don't want to be a regular player. You want to be a star; and that's the way I think. I work hard every day to be a great player, not just a good player."

When Carlos hit a double in the June 7, 2008 game for the A's, he became the first player to have the first seven hits of his career go for extra bases since Hall of Famer Johnny Mize in 1936.

When people meet Gonzalez, they are impressed with his effervescence and his impressive command of English.

Late in the 2009 season, Rockies manager Jim Tracy offered high praise for Gonzalez, saying he reminded him of the Mets' Carlos Beltran. Asked if it fit, Gonzalez said: "My favorite player was always Ken Griffey, Jr. But I have heard a lot of people compare me to Beltran. He's definitely on my list."

May 10-12, 2010: Carlos was away from the team while attending the funeral of an uncle he was very close to in Venezuela.

On July 31, 2010, Car-Go hit for the cycle. After hitting a single, double, and triple, he came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the 9th with the Rockies in a 5-5 tie with the Cubs. And he hit a walk-off home run!

In 2010, Gonzalez won the seventh annual Luis Aparicio Award, given to the most outstanding Venezuelan player in the Major Leagues, as voted by Venezuelan and international Spanish-speaking media that cover baseball.

When Carlos got to the Rockies, teammate Brad Hawpe nicknamed him the "Little Pony" because Gonzalez was running all around like a little horse, and Hawpe didn't want Carlos to get "the big head."

CarGo showed up for 2012 spring training carrying extra cargo—he was 222 pounds instead of 200. Carlos wanted to finish stronger. And it is all good weight: muscle.

After signing his big contract in January 2011, CarGo bought a new red Ferrari. It has style, horsepower and the capacity to shift gears seamlessly—just like its owner.

Gonzalez is partial to black, but teammate Troy Tulowitzki already had a black Ferrari.

Venezuela was off from Little Big League World Series play, so Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez—who once played in the tournament against future Rockies teammate Troy Tulowitzki and future Nationals pitcher Tyler Clippard—arranged for a bus to bring the group to Atlanta.

Gonzalez also donated each of the players two pairs of shoes, one with plastic spikes, one with actual spikes, plus shoes for the coaches.

Several Venezuelan-born Rockies—infielder Jonathan Herrera, catcher Yorvit Torrealba, and pitcher Jhoulys Chacin—hosted the players. The young Venezuelans also met Tulowitzki and Rockies center fielder Dexter Fowler.

Gonzalez married a Venezuelan woman named Indonesia Riera on October 20, 2012.

January 10, 2014: Intense stomach pain sent Carlos to a Denver hospital, and he then received an emergency appendectomy.

Gonzalez and his wife, Indonesia, became parents of identical twin girls, Carlota and Genova, born on June 13, 2014. The Gonzalezes also have a 5-year-old boy, Santiago.

July 16, 2014: Nike and Carlos are joining forces. They set out to reinvent the baseball glove and came up with a new one.

The Nike Vapor 360 uses hyperfuse and flexible flywire technology to make the glove 20 percent lighter and virtually cut break-in time completely.

With special “tunable” inserts and perforated leather, the glove will form comfortably to your hand the first time you use it.

Gonzalez showed off the new glove during the 2014 All-Star Game. It’s expected to go on sale in time for the holidays.

Gonzalez worked out with several current and future football stars in Orlando, Fla., during the 2015 off-season, but he insists he didn't develop the type of muscle that inhibits a baseball player.  Specifically, Gonzalez appears larger in the biceps. It's not cartoonish, but still it is noticeable and could be concerning. If big biceps helped a player throw—and the ability to erase baserunners is one of Gonzalez's many attributes—pitchers would have them.

But Gonzalez, who trained at speed and performance coach Tom Shaw's center with coaches Brian Stamper and Bert Whigham, took special care to make sure bigger arms don't lead to shorter throws.

"What's important for me when I'm lifting hard is I want to be flexible, so I stretched a lot with my upper body and my lower body," Gonzalez said. "After working out, I was sure that I'd run and I always played catch. It was part of my routine. It can affect you if you don't throw. I'd lift in the mornings, work pretty hard, then run. And in the afternoon, I'd do my whole baseball program so that it doesn't affect me."  

Of course, arm strength is part of power hitting. If Gonzalez can add a few more feet in distance and height—with the fence in front of the bullpen increased from eight feet high to 16 feet, six inches—more power to him. 

Rockies coach Eric Young noted that he paid no attention to the larger arms, but he was happy to see that the rest of Gonzalez remained lean.

"I watched him throw when he came here, and he's good to go," Young said. "And you see his waist and all that, and he's really trim and quick. I think he's in for a big year."  (Harding - MLB.com - 3/3/16)

Carlos and Felix Hernandez used to play against each other in youth baseball. Carlos still brags that he homered against Felix when he was 13.

December 2016: Carlos committed to play for Venezuela in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Dec 23, 2016: On Sept. 24, 2016, Rockies star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez watched with pride from the visitors' dugout in Los Angeles as the Dodgers presented corner-infield prospect Edwin Rios, who hit 27 home runs at three levels in his first full pro season, with their Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year Award. The performance was Rios' thank you for all Gonzalez gave last winter, and continues to offer.

"I don't want to say something corny or anything, but it was crazy," recalled Rios, who at 22 is 8 1/2 years younger than Gonzalez. "We worked out last offseason, and we became real close. He and I shared a lot of stuff together. He invited me to his house for his Christmas party and stuff like that. "To have him there that day of the award, it was awesome. Just being able to see his face, just to see how proud of me he was, made me feel great. It made me feel like I accomplished something."

The relationship between Gonzalez and Rios demonstrates that when professional athletes are their best selves, the giving of friendship and mentorship is not limited by the bounds of team affiliation. Gonzalez lives in Orlando, Fla., during the offseason and decided to work out in renowned football strength and conditioning coach Tom Shaw's program, in which baseball players such as Martin Prado had begun to participate.

When Gonzalez arrived, he saw the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Rios emulating Prado, a relatively small line-drive hitter. Rios was doing the same drills as Prado, trying to hit line drives all over the field. Rios also let his competitive spirit boil over. One of the key charges of the Shaw facility is to prepare football prospects for the NFL combine. People like former University of Alabama star running back Derrick Henry were there increasing their 40-yard dash times. Rios re-injured his hamstring just trying to keep up. Gonzalez stepped in.

"One of the things I first said to him was, 'Listen, you're 6-5, 250 pounds,'" Gonzalez recalled. "'No one expects you to steal bases. No one expects you to pull a hammy going down the line to first base. Understand your role.'"

Rios said, "He was not very happy about it. He said it in a funny way, but he was serious about it."

Gonzalez also smiled and invited Rios to hit with him.

"He would always be like, 'You're like me. What do I do?'" Rios recalled. "And I was like, 'Man, you hit home runs.' And he said, 'Exactly. You've got to hit home runs.'"

Interestingly, Gonzalez offered little direct advice. It was as if Gonzalez's tip that Rios had everything it took to be admitted to the club of power hitters unlocked his potential.

"It was, in Spanish, 'Bombela la bola'—hit a home run," Rios said. "That was his advice. It's funny, man. I get it. Hearing it from Carlos … it's hard to explain. For some people, it might be like, 'Come on, dude. You've got to tell me more than that. That's not working.' But for me, it clicked. We kind of saw eye to eye. We understood each other. I knew what he meant."

The relationship has grown beyond workouts. Rios calls Gonzalez a "big brother and a friend."  (T Harding - MLB.com - Dec 23, 2016)

January 2017: Gonzalez committed to play for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.

Carlos turned down a multiyear contract offer from the Rockies in the spring of 2017 for "the experience of going through free agency." All it did was remind him what was important.

"If you make $100 million, if you make $1, it's the same," Gonzalez said. "I came here with a bat and a glove when I was 16 years old. Everything from now on is a plus." Gonzalez's free-agent experience was not what he expected. Big offers didn't come, and he missed a month of Spring Training 2018 before signing a one-year, $8 million contract with Colorado.

Gonzalez, who had been working out in Florida, hit against college players and former Minor Leaguers while awaiting a deal. He plans on taking at-bats at the Rockies' Minor League camp with the aim of entering Cactus League play soon. 

Gonzalez was one of several accomplished free agents who at some point turned down contract offers (CarGo's offer was reportedly three years and $45 million), then found themselves still waiting while camps began. But Gonzalez's teammates were thinking of him.

2017 was the end of a seven-year, $80 million contract Gonzalez signed with the club long before he was close to being eligible for free agency. This offseason, Gonzalez's heart was with the Rockies, but he admitted the usual free-agent dreams and aspirations.

"I signed my seven-year deal when I was in my second year in the big leagues. I'd never gone through arbitration or free agency. So I wanted to see what it was like. That was the main thing." (Harding - mlb.com - 3/13/18)

The deep and raspy voice of Ender Inciarte rings in the ears of Carlos Gonzalez after a long 2017 offseason of training together. But, when Gonzalez imitates his one-time protégé—and now confidant—Inciarte's voice ends up ringing in his own ears.

"Sometimes he calls me at night and he's like, 'Hey, I've got this friend next to me. Can you please talk the way I talk?'" said Gonzalez. "He'd start laughing."

This past winter, Gonzalez, 32, found more than a good laugh from the voice of Inciarte, 27. He found support through workouts in Orlando, Fla., that helped Gonzalez prepare for a turnaround in 2018, after a down year in 2017. But, no matter how hard they were working, CarGo could make Inciarte smile.  "I don't think anybody can do it as good as he," Inciarte said. "I'm trying to get him back."

They go back to when Gonzalez was a teenage prospect in the D-backs' organization and met a kid in his hometown of Maracaibo, Venezuela. "He was, like, 10 years old and I was already playing winter ball and in the Minors," Gonzalez said. "His older brother [Astolfo Inciarte] used to play for the Diamondbacks organization, and I remember this little kid coming to the ballpark, trying to copy us, trying to be a baseball player like us. I used to give him outfield gloves."

Gonzalez went on to represent the Rockies in three All-Star Games, earn three Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, win a batting title in 2010 and take home two Silver Slugger Awards.  Through that, Inciarte was doing the imitating. Inciarte broke in with the D-backs in 2014, but blossomed after joining the Braves in 2016. He has won the last two Gold Gloves in center, and last year played in his first All-Star Game.

"I always appreciated the way he was with me," Inciarte said. "Right now, we have a really good relationship. I can still call him my brother."

After the 2017 season, Gonzalez began calling players he respected. For example, veteran Carlos Beltran, who had just earned a World Series ring with the Astros. Beltran assured Gonzalez that any player can have a bad year. But Gonzalez didn't seek knowledge only from graybeards.

Gonzalez knew Inciarte would be around Orlando, and they would be working out together at Tom Shaw Performance at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. To relax, Gonzalez and the Inciartes—Astolfo and Ender—would watch soccer games. But during quiet moments, Gonzalez asked Inciarte for help, without a hint of ego.  "He would say, 'Man, you're still my favorite player,' stuff like that," Gonzalez said. "And I'm like, 'Listen, man, I think you've done pretty good over the years.'

"I never pretend to think I'm better than anybody else. I always try to pick people's brains, just trying to see what they're doing, what's their approach, what's their work ethic. He had over 200 hits last year. I admire the way he plays."

The exercises were tough. Running in sandpits to catch thrown fly balls, practicing turning and running with heavy rubber straps around the hips, and the like. Gonzalez fed off Inciarte's hunger. "The whole offseason we were working together—him, Martin [Prado] and a few other Venezuelan players," Inciarte said. "We worked hard. A lot of days you're going to feel lazy and maybe tired. Some days I was pushing him to work harder and some days he was pushing me to work harder."

Bert Whigham, a trainer at Tom Shaw Performance, said Gonzalez was insightful in taking Inciarte's lead.  "It's one thing for someone like a family member to say, 'It's going to be OK,' but you've got to get somebody who isn't invested in your life," Whigham said. "Ender is just a friend. He doesn't rely on CarGo to provide for his family. When someone like that cares, it creates an environment where they're going to be more successful because of each other."

And they laughed, because of each other.  "The imitation just kills Ender; it's hilarious," Whigham said. "It didn't matter what he said. He could be 100 percent right, but CarGo could say it just like him and everyone would be dying laughing. But CarGo didn't have an ego about it. He would go and do the work."

Gonzalez imitates with love.  "Obviously, he's faster than me, but he's like, 'Man, I'm beating you by one or two steps,'" Gonzalez said. "I say, 'Man, that's all I need right now. I don't need to beat you. I've just got to stay close. That's all I'm trying to do.'  We'd laugh. We'd have fun. But he was pushing me the whole time. I have to thank him." (Harding - mlb.com - 4/05/18)

June 10, 2019: It wasn't planned, but Carlos González was given uniform No. 2 when he joined the Cubs on June 1, a digit that, when inverted, becomes a 5. That's the number he wore for 1,247 games with the Rockies, the club with which he became a star. Though he played against his former club at Wrigley Field, Gonzalez walked into Coors Field, a ballpark he called home for a decade, as a visiting player for the first time, and he was given a warm ovation before his first at-bat, a walk leading off the second inning.

"You can always imagine how it's gonna be or whatever, but it was definitely better than I thought," CarGo said of the ovation from the crowd of 44,859 during the Cubs' 6-5 loss. "They showed their support and they showed their appreciation over the years, and it's going to be something that's going to stay with me for the rest of my life."

"Real recognizes real," said Rockies outfielder Ian Desmond of Gonzalez's ovation. "I think the best way I can say it is: Real recognizes real. He's a heck of a player. It's not easy to do the things he did here for a long time. You've gotta give respect where respect is due."

Infielder Ryan McMahon was a rookie in Gonzalez's final year with the Rockies, but the veteran left an impression.

"You could probably ask Nolan [Arenado] or some of the guys who have been around him more, but I had a special year with him last year," McMahon said. "He was great to me. I didn't know how long I should clap for. I wanted to clap a little bit but I didn't want to clap too much. It was great. I think he got the ovation he deserved, and the video was good, too." (M Randhawa - MLB.com - June 11, 2019)

TRANSACTIONS

2002: The Diamondbacks signed Carlos as a free agent, out of Venezuela, at age 16. Miguel Nava is the scout who signed him.

December 14, 2007: The A's sent pitchers Dan Haren and Connor Robertson to the Diamondbacks. They acquired Gonzalez; pitchers Brett Anderson, Dana Eveland, and Greg Smith; outfielder Aaron Cunningham; and infielder Chris Carter.

January 4, 2011: CarGo signed a seven-year, $80 million contract with the Rockies.

Nov 2, 2017: Cargo chose free agency.

March 12, 2018: Cargo signed with the Rockies, signing a one-year, $8 million contract.

Oct 29, 2018: Cargo chose free agency.

March 16, 2019:  The Indians agreed with outfielder Carlos González on a Minor League contract. The 33-year-old right fielder will make $2 million if he makes Cleveland’s big league roster, plus $1 million in incentives. 

April 14, 2019: CARGO was activated by the Indians.

May 26, 2019: CARGO was released by the Indians.

May 30, 2019:  Carlos signed a Minor League deal with the Cubs.

July 2, 2019: Gomez declared free agency.

Carlos has a smooth, effortless lefthanded stroke. He keeps the ball in the strike zone for a long time. His hands are so quiet, he has such easy power with not a lot of movement at all, just explosion through the zone with superb bat speed and leverage and loft in his sweet swing. The strength and leverage in his natural inside-out stroke makes the ball jump off his bat.

He has a quiet approach at the plate with quick hands and impressive bat speed that provides power. But he tends to be pull-happy and expand the strike zone.

So, Gonzalez needs to have a plan every time he goes to the plate, so he doesn't expand his strike zone and get himself out. He gets himself in trouble when he tries to pull the ball too much. 

Carlos can hit any style of pitching, and both lefthanders and righthanders. He is excellent at adjusting to how pitchers are working him. 

Carlos tends to get too pull-conscious at times. Pitchers can get him out sometimes with balls on the outside of the plate. He can get a little anxious at the plate, expanding his strike zone. With his type of swing, Gonzalez should not be striking out so often.

Gonzalez could improve his game by accepting more bases on balls. But contact is so easy for him, he doesn't let too many pitches go by.

Car-Go has still not developed patience at the plate, where he shows off that sweet swing a little too often. He still needs to be more selective.

In 2010, according to Fangraphs.com, 37% of Gonzalez's swings were at pitches outside the strike zone. Only 14 hitters chased bad balls more often.

In August 2013, CarGo altered the way he holds the bat because of his chronically sprained right middle finger. Gonzalez usually holds the bat with his pinky beneath the knob. Now he'll have all of his fingers on the bat handle in hopes of offering stronger support. To compensate for the loss of length on the hitting surface, Gonzalez ordered 35-inch bats—an inch longer than usual.

April 20, 2016: Gonzalez collected his 1,000th career hit.

August 27, 2016: Gonzalez notched his 200th career home run.

Gonzalez has plenty of arm for right field. He gets a good jump on the ball off the bat and takes good routes to the ball. He has the arm for right and covers enough ground to play center field.

But in 2011, the Rockies made CarGo their regular left fielder. Coors Field's left field is a big one, ranging from 347 feet down the line to 420 in the power alley. Right field is smaller in Coors, being only 375 to the power alley.

Gonzalez will make some really outstanding plays in the outfield, but he will also misplay a ball on occasion. 

Carlos has learned to take better routes to balls and when he should air out that strong arm, or just hit the cutoff man.

In 2006, Carlos led the California League in errors, with 12.

In 2007, he led the Southern League in errors, with 12.

GOLD GLOVER

He had the second-best fielding percentage in the NL among outfielders, with a .996 mark.

In 2012, Car-Go won his second Gold Glove.

He won his third Gold Glove in 2013.

April 2004: Carlos broke his right wrist the second week of the season while with the South Bend Silver Hawks.

April 22-May 8, 2008: Carlos was on the D.L. at Sacramento with a bone bruise between his index finger and thumb. He injured his right ankle while sliding into third base.

March 2009: Carlos was sidelined with an intercostal strain.

August 22, 2009: Gonzalez cut his hand. He said he was picking up his plate to put in the sink after eating at home when a knife fell off of it. He instinctively reached for it and grabbed the blade. It left him with a deep cut that required a stitch and medical treatment.

July 23-August 6, 2011: Car-Go was on the D.L. with a strained right wrist.

September 15, 2011: Gonzalez crashed into the right field wall trying to field Pablo Sandoval's triple and suffered his third right wrist injury of the season. It was a deep bone bruise and tendon inflammation.

He wore an electro stimulation device on his right wrist to speed up the healing so he could get into a game before the season ended. But only rest in the offseason would heal it. He was told not to swing a bat until November 1, as a precaution.

"That's the problem, it’s never healed the way it’s supposed to because I was trying to get back in July when we had a chance to do something special,” said Gonzalez.

August 5, 2013: CarGo was on the D.L. with a sprained joint in his right middle finger and missed the final two months of the season.

He opted against surgery after he played for a week in the Instructional League in October.

"I went to Arizona and played, and it felt fine," he said. "It has gotten a lot better. I am going to rest it, and I should be good to go for spring training."

January 10, 2014: Intense stomach pain sent Carlos to a Denver hospital, and he then received an emergency appendectomy.

June 3-July 11, 2014: Carlos went on the D.L. with left index finger inflammation. Pain in the index finger had lingered when Gonzalez consulted hand specialist Thomas Graham at the Cleveland Clinic on May 29 when the Rockies were starting a series against the Indians.

June 10, 2014: Gonzalez underwent surgery on the finger in Cleveland, having a small tumor removed from his left index finger. It was beneath the sheath around the muscle.

August 9, 2014: Gonzalez was on the D.L. with left knee tendinitis and a sprained right ankle.

August 18, 2014: Car-Go underwent season-ending surgery on that left knee to repair his patella tendon and have a bursa sac removed.

April 16-May 2, 2015: Carlos was on the D.L. with a strained right hamstring.

June 26-July 3, 2017: The Rockies placed Gonzalez (right shoulder strain) on the 10-day disabled list.