MIAMI -- Carlos Gómez knows it will be all for fun when he swings for the fences later this month at American Family Field with Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and other former Brewers as part of a celebration of the team’s 25th season in its domed home. But if he’s going to swing a bat in front of fans who helped turn him into an All-Star, Gómez wants to do it right.
And that takes practice.
So when a visit to Miami with his 16-year-old son, Jandel, coincided with the start of the Brewers’ three-game series against the Marlins, Gómez asked if he could come take batting practice. The Brewers obliged, letting him take his hacks on Friday in a hitting group that included power-hitting first baseman Rhys Hoskins.
The swing looked extremely familiar, with Gómez successfully parking a handful of homers during his three rounds of hitting. So did the bat. He swung one of his old Marucci models engraved with his name.
“It’s not serious-serious, it’s more like the adrenaline to step on [the field] at Miller Park again with my ex-teammates,” said Gómez, referring to the name the ballpark had during his six-year tenure with the Brewers from 2010-15. “With this organization, a lot of good memories come to mind. I’m excited.”
The Brewers will have a collection of former players on hand for their July 25 game against the Marlins in Milwaukee who collectively account for every year the team has played at Miller Park/AmFam Field, from Mark Loretta and the 2001 club to the current group who welcomed Gómez into the clubhouse on Friday.
After the Marlins-Brewers game that day, the field will be reset for a home run derby, with a number of the Brewers’ broadcasters calling the action and interviewing players. The field of participants includes Fielder, the obvious frontrunner considering he’s a two-time All-Star Home Run Derby champion, along with fellow former MLB Derby sluggers Braun and Corey Hart, plus Eric Thames, Bill Hall, Keon Broxton, Casey McGehee, a onetime leadoff man in Nyjer Morgan and even a pitcher in Yovani Gallardo. Longtime Brewers coach Ed Sedar and alum George Kottaras will form the pitching and catching battery.
Before his swings on Friday, Gómez borrowed a Brewers top from first-base coach Julio Borbón. But he had to seek out a former teammate, associate manager Rickie Weeks, to complete his uniform for the afternoon.
“You’re the only big guy,” said Gómez, who hit 87 of his 145 career homers with Milwaukee. “I need pants.”
Gómez remains an imposing figure, although a serious cycling accident in spring 2024 resulted in a torn labrum that has limited some of his weight work. He biked 40 miles on Friday morning before his visit with the Brewers and has made it a point to stay in shape ever since his 13-year Major League career ended with a Mets stint in 2019.
He played for six teams in his MLB career, but his heart remains in Milwaukee.
“This organization gave me a lot, gave me the opportunity to be who I am,” said Gómez, who represented the Brewers in All-Star Games in 2013 and ’14. “Every organization, they gave me a job. But I spent almost six years [in Milwaukee], and I have a really good memory of the way they treated my family, the way they treated me. Every time I got to Milwaukee, I feel the love.
"When you feel that vibe, that love, why not come back? I’ve spent holidays in Milwaukee and people say, ‘You go to Milwaukee? It’s cold!’ I say yes I do, because there is a lot of love for me and my family there. This organization was special. The day I was traded [to the Brewers], it changed my career.”
The Brewers love hearing stories like that.
“It’s super healthy that we keep those people around the organization," manager Pat Murphy said. “You know, those players retire and we all think they ride off into the sunset and it’s easy. And I think there’s a really tough transition. One of the great pleasures in life, when you hear from great players, is when they walk out and somebody boos them. I mean, they never boo a bum.
“And one of the other great pleasures is when you come out in front of your own fans and they’re cheering like crazy. Those guys tell me that is one of the greatest feelings in the world. They miss that.”
Gómez remains involved in baseball with the MLB Players Association, and he coaches his three kids, including occasional BP with Jandel pitching. But it had been a while since he took swings in a Major League stadium.
“I think I’m in really good shape to put on a show,” he said.