Goin' Gonzo

Shank's weekly CNN / SI column takes a longer look at Adrian Gonzalez. Shank chats him up as a potential Triple Crown threat:

There were stormy days in Boston when the Red Sox were outbid in the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes three and a half years ago. Sox bosses John Henry and Larry Lucchino visited the free agent slugger's home during the offseason, then said they felt deceived and used by Teixeira and agent, Scott Boras. The Boston brass was ripped and ridiculed (by Shank, natch - Ed.) when Teixeira wound up with the Yankees. It got worse when the Yankees went on to win the 2008 World Series.

Here we are in the early part of the 2011 season and Boston fans are suddenly OK with the guy they have at first base. After playing in all of Boston's 46 games, Adrian Gonzalez is hitting .342 with nine homers and a MLB-best 41 RBIs. He poses a threat to win baseball's first Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski turned the trick in the magical summer of 1967. At Fenway, Gonzalez might be a better fit than Teixeira.

And just when you thought Yo Adrian had been mercifully retired...

Fans can't get enough of Yo Adrian's sweet left-handed stroke.

The rest of the column redeems the gratuitous Stallone quote.