Erik Gonzalez's mindset as important to Pirates as his glove

Two hours before first pitch Friday night at PNC Park, Erik Gonzalez was confronted with a question that can perplex the oldest, wisest and most talented players.

“How do you handle the mental pressure inherent in the game of baseball?”

Gonzalez thought about it for several seconds before he conceded to the reporter, “First of all, good question.”

His ultimate answer revealed the mindset the Pittsburgh Pirates need Gonzalez to carry with him as a valuable utility player on a team trying to survive the loss of several injured players. While bouncing among multiple positions and sharing his favorite (shortstop) with Kevin Newman, Gonzalez has learned how to take the proper mental approach to the game.

“As a ballplayer,” the 29-year-old Dominican said, “something I’ve been able to grasp and learn is even though baseball is important and baseball has a lot of value, it’s not everything,” he said. “I’m married. I have a beautiful wife. I have a beautiful family.

“No matter how much the fans want to boo, no matter how challenging the game becomes in my life, as a ball player, I have a mindset where I recognize that even though baseball has value and baseball has been good to me and it’s important, I have something better that’s worth living for and that’s my wife, my family.

“For me, I feel that’s what helps my mindset, (helps me) manage the pressure, just not allowing the game to eat my mindset up where I make the game bigger than what it is.”

Keeping his mind right has helped Gonzalez in the field where he has committed only 25 errors in six seasons and 678 chances while playing all seven positions in the outfield and infield.

His slash line this season needs some work (.211/.229/.297), but he’s hitting .286 with two outs and runners in scoring position and is tied for second on the team in RBIs (15) with Bryan Reynolds and Jacob Stallings.

In his third season with the Pirates, Gonzalez’s ability to switch from shortstop to third base is valuable while Ke’Bryan Hayes is out with a wrist injury.

Gonzalez learned long ago that the best way to continue collecting MLB paychecks is to make yourself indispensable.

“When I first came up to the Cleveland Indians (in 2009 at the age of 17), they signed a lot of prospects for a lot of money,” he said. “They all played my position. They all played shortstop. It put me in a position where I needed to get more familiar with other positions.

“I started working in other positions to make sure I got more playing time. It just made me more versatile. It made me more equipped to function at the caliber of the big leagues.

“I visualized the future of my career, and I recognized this is something I needed to do.”

He’s played the majority of his career at shortstop (95 games), but he’s totaled 120 at second and third base.

He may not play every day for the Pirates, especially after Hayes, Phillip Evans and Colin Moran recover from their injuries. But with 75% of the season to play, Gonzalez already has started 30 games — 23 at third, seven at shortstop — only 17 short of his career high set last year.

Also, manager Derek Shelton has indicated he has no problem moving Gonzalez to first base. He’s played there seven times in his career (once this season), and can back up Will Craig, the backup to Moran. Craig was at first base for all four games of the San Francisco Giants series because he’s a home run threat on a team that’s last in the majors in homers (26) and slugging percentage (.347).

Gonzalez uses just one glove when he’s playing shortstop, second or third. “That’s my baby,” he said.

But he also keeps first base and outfield gloves in his locker.

Growing up in the Dominican Republic, he played baseball almost exclusively, although at 6-foot-3, he wasn’t bad at volleyball and basketball.

“I used to enjoy playing basketball,” Gonzalez said, “but my dad didn’t really like me playing basketball because he thought I would get injured.”

The only positions Gonzalez hasn’t tried in the majors are pitcher and catcher.

He hasn’t pitched since he was 14, but he hit 94 mph on the radar gun three times “just for fun,” he said.

“If the situation comes where they need me, I’ll be ready,” he said. “I got a good sinker.”