HITTING THE BOOKS
Gonzales’ passion for reading has his mind locked in during camp
BRADENTON, Fla. — Nick Gonzales insists he was a much more avid reader in the past.
But one of his best buds on the Pirates, Liover Peguero, sings a much different tune.
“He does. All the time,” Peguero said. “He’s just reading, quiet as always. He’s always into books. I’m not into it, not really. But he’s always on it. Big-time reader.”
Gonzales, 24, first seriously took up the hobby when he was in college at New Mexico State. His older brother, Daniel, played football at Navy and initially got Nick hooked on leadership books.
Before the Pirates selected him No. 7 overall in the 2020 MLB draft, Gonzales picked the brains of various teams’ sports psychology coaches in the pre-draft process to see what books they were into. From there, Gonzales began compiling a list that continues to grow — and has forced him to get some new furniture.
“I have a huge bookcase,” Gonzales said. “Right now, I probably have over 100 books, but it doesn’t look very cool because I got a big bookcase and want to fill it, have a little library.”
Topics are wide-ranging for Gonzales, who finds he learns quite well through reading. Unlike during college or his youth years, when reading choices were naturally predetermined, Gonzales thoroughly enjoys the freedom to choose as he pleases.
“It’s school, so it’s something that you have to do,” Gonzales said. “Now, I look at it as something I get to do. I get to read and [am] fortunate enough to have access to books.”
Gonzales is locked into history literature these days, encompassing events like World War II. Currently, he’s reading Siddharth Kara’s “Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives” which details issues within the cobalt-mining industry.
Gonzales likes to mix things up with his reading for myriad reasons. He finds it repetitive to sift through books of all the same subject matter. In addition to educating himself, Gonzales believes he’s able to stay sharper mentally this way.
“I can get really lazy sometimes with my mind and kind of just lay there and vegetate a little bit,” Gonzales said. “I want to stay on top of stuff. That way, I’m just a good all-around human, can talk. Sometimes, I just get a little quiet and I kind of just want to just keep up with it, keep up with the issues that are going on today.”
Gonzales is far from the loudest or most outgoing personality in the Pirates’ clubhouse, with such descriptions reserved for players like Peguero. But just because Gonzales has a tendency to keep to himself doesn’t mean he’s not actively seeking out ways to get better at his profession.
Peguero commended Gonzales for his watchful eye, while manager Derek Shelton heaped praise toward his intelligence.
“Outwardly, you don’t see a lot of emotion from him,” Shelton said. “But in terms of his conversations, his willingness to learn, his willingness to take in information, it’s very good.”
It’s no surprise, then, that Gonzales finds value in his reading as it pertains to baseball. Not only does it keep his mind sharp, but it also provides him with the perspective that whatever he’s going through has likely been countered by somebody before him.
Take the Pirates’ open second base competition, for instance, where Peguero, Ji Hwan Bae and Jared Triolo are all factoring in as possible options alongside Gonzales.
“It’s always nice when you’re going through a situation and you can remember something that you read,” Gonzales said. “Or you can remember an experience that an author had, or an experience that an author talked about with a different athlete.”
Like many athletes, Gonzales sets aside time for some sports reading. Jim Gray’s “Talking to GOATs” is a quick recommendation from Gonzales for any sports fan.
Reserved at heart, Gonzales doesn’t discuss his reading with many teammates, mostly keeping those conversations for his fiance.
But as Gonzales continues with quite the significant spring, one that will determine whether the former top- 10 pick gets another crack in the big leagues or starts the 2024 campaign with Triple-A Indianapolis, he can find solace in reading.
Being a bookworm, after all, has guided Gonzales this far.
“Anything that we’ve gone through, someone else has gone through many times,” Gonzales said. “It’s nice to have that literature to help you.”