How would you feel if you were regularly mistaken for a well known professional athlete? Hard working Santa Ana and Anaheim-based businessman Edgar Gonzalez Santa Ana frequently gets mistaken for the retired ex-professional baseball player Edgar Gonzalez, who also happens to live in the sunny state of California.
Why is the businessman Gonzalez mistaken for his sporting namesake?
One of the reasons why the businessman Gonzalez may be frequently mistaken for Gonzelez the retired professional baseball player is that both men were born and raised in California and come from Mexican American families.
Another reason why Gonzalez the businessman is frequently stopped for autographs from avid sports nuts is that he also bears a slight resemblance to the former San Diego Padres player.
Why is Edgar Gonzalez the famous baseball player a household name in the state of California?
1. Edgar Gonzalez was one of six pairs of brothers to play for the San Diego Padres
While Edgar was the first of the two Gonzalez brothers to play in the MLB, Egar’s brother Adrian, was the first Gonzalez brother to play for the San Diego Padres. However, once Adrian became a regular part of the Padres’ lineup, Edgar decided to sign a contract in order to join his brother on the San Diego Padres squad.
2. Edgar Gonzalez was a hometown hero
As Gonzelez was born in San Diego, Gonzalez quickly became one of the most popular players to feature on the San Diego Padres’ squad. As the Padres’ fans loved being able to support their hometown boy.
Fans also were over the moon when Gonzalez chose to sign a contract with the San Diego Padres as for the first 8 years of his career, Gonzalez was contracted to play for a wide variety of MLB teams located across the country but never was contracted to play for the San Diego Padres.
Examples of some of the professional teams which Gonzalez played for during his extensive career include the Chicago Cubs, the San Fransisco Giants, the Washington Nationals, the Florida Marlins, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Texas Rangers.
3. Gonzalez played for a national team
In 2017, which was Gonzalez last year playing professional baseball, Gonzalez made the national Mexican squad. For which Gonzalez played a couple of hotly contested World Baseball Classic qualification matches. When Gonzalez debuted for the Mexican national squad, he followed in his father’s footsteps. As his father also played for the national Mexican men’s baseball team.
4. Gonzalez also played professional baseball overseas in Japan
Not only did Gonzalez enjoy having the opportunity to play professional baseball in the US but Gonzalez also played professional baseball in Japan where he was contracted to play for the Yomiuri Giants. Who sought to increase the profile of baseball in Japan by importing foreign players form the US. Many of which included former MLB players.
So if you’re ever meet a man who goes by the name Edgar Gonzalez in California, it’s well worth finding out whether you’re talking to the businessman or the ex-professional baseball player.