Hialeah honors former T-Bred Star Gio Gonzalez by retiring his No. 13 jersey

A long-standing tradition of the current team taking on the alumni took place again on Friday night when the Hialeah T-Breds baseball team squared off against players from the past.

But this night was much different as a big crowd packed into Alex Fernandez Field because a special guest was on hand to have his number retired.

Pitcher Gio Gonzalez, now a 15-year Major League Baseball veteran, was there with a large number of family members, friends and teammates as Hialeah retired his No. 13 jersey.

“This is truly an honor and just kind of a storybook thing for me,” Gonzalez said. “I was just talking with somebody about how everything comes full circle sometimes and that’s what it feels like tonight.”

Gonzalez, who helped lead the T-Breds to back-to-back state titles as a freshman and sophomore in 2001 and 2002, referred to the fact that, after being a first-round draft choice of the Chicago White Sox in 2004, he was just re-signed by the White Sox two months ago after spending 14 seasons with the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers.

“We were all kids, all brothers back then and to see everybody here together tonight evokes so many great memories,” Gonzalez said. “Memories that we will all cherish for the rest of our lives. Not just guys that won championships together but just to be part of this Hialeah baseball program. It’s so cool to see so many people out there tonight.”

Gonzalez’s best two years in the majors came in 2011 and 2012 when he played in the All-Star Game, first for the American League as a member of the A’s and then the NL in 2012 after being traded to the Washington Nationals.

In 2012 he led the National League in wins with 21 with a 2.89 ERA and 207 strikeouts. He won the Warren Spahn Award as the top left-hander in the major leagues and finished third in the Cy Young voting.

Rich Bielski is a baseball coaching legend in South Florida. Not only did he coach the T-Breds to those two state titles but then went on to Archbishop McCarthy and won seven more with the Mavericks including a state-record four straight from 2010-13.

“When he got here as a freshman, he was just a young scrawny skinny kid out there on the mound and had no idea what he might develop into,” Bielski said. “But he was a left-hander and had that big swooping curveball and he could beat everybody with it because of his ability to locate the ball. That particular year, we were short on pitching and he was able to gobble up inning for us.”

Gonzalez wound up starting the state championship game that year and was the winning pitcher as the T-Breds beat favored Wellington 8-3. He would lead the T-Breds to another state title the following year and to the state final four in 2003.

“Every year his velocity got higher and higher and curve ball got even better but I’ll be honest and this was the case even with my kids from McCarthy as well, it’s hard to know at that young age just how much they are going to develop at the next level because so many things can happen along the way,” Bielski said. “So watching Gio grow up and mature along the way and make it to the top of his game on the highest level was really a delight and pleasure to watch.”

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

▪ Palmer Trinity 63, Somerset Homestead 48: PT – Friedland 9, James 9, Thomas 7, McCray 7, Robertson 6, A. Waldman 5, Fumagalli 4, Battaglia 4, Azcuy 4, Young 4, M. Waldman 2, Rodz 2. SH – Davis 17, Touissant 12, Rolle 10, Valdez 7, Simmons 2. Half: PT 33-18. 3-pointers: Davis 3, Friedland 3, Rolle 2, Robertson 2, Valdez, A. Waldman, James. Rebounds: Thomas 7. Steals: A. Waldman 4. Assists: A. Waldman 7. PT: 13-7.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

▪ District 14-7A final — Krop 69, Everglades 36: Hornstein 21, Weingard 18, Walker 11,Magana 7, B. Knowles 5, Mills 5, A. Knowles 2. Rebounds: Walker 12. Assists: Weingard 5. Steals: B. Knowles 2, Walker 2. 3 Pointers: Hornstein 4, Weingard

▪ District 14-3A final — Miami Country Day 64, Carrollton 16: MCD – Daley 14, Theodule 11, Nelms 8, McCormack 7, Hession 7, Guevara 6, Shaw 3, Corbitt 3, Sheppard 3, Delancy 2. CAR – Mendez 9, Mas 6, Paneque 1. Half: MCD 21-12. 3-pointers: 3-pointers: Mas 2, McCormack 2, Guevara 2, Shaw, Theodule, Hession, Sheppard. Rebounds: Daley 13. Assists: Godfrey 4, Corbitt 4. Steals: Daley 7. Blocks: Shaw, Daley, Corbitt and Nelms, one each

▪ District 16-4A final — Keys Gate 63, Gulliver Prep. 38: KG – Hunter 15, Moore 12, Mateo 11, Martinez 10, Williams 7, Cairoza 4, Williams 2, Sanchez 2. GP – Sanders 27, Aguilera 7, Santero 2, Sanders 2.

BOYS’ SOCCER

▪ University School 3, Pine Crest 0: Sebastian Baredes, Joel Castellanos and Roman Baumgaertner scored one goal each. Sebastian “Nino” Smith two assists and GK Simon Mertnoff recorded his 11th shutout of the season. US: 16-0-2.

▪ District 15-3A final — LaSalle 1, Ransom Everglades 0: Samuel Rodriguez scored the lone goal and goalkeeper Manuel Lopez recorded the shutout.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

▪ District 16-7A final — Coral Reef 3, South Dade 0: Tianna Rivera, Katrina Rodriguez and Mia Vissepo one goal each. GK Amanda Fernandez shutout. CR: 18-2-1

GIRLS’ WATER POLO

▪ Miami High 15, Mater Lakes 6: MHS – Ashley Ampie-Salgado 8 goals, Kaitlyn Chang 3 goals. ML – Mater Lakes Emily Castanedo 2 goals

BOYS’ WATER POLO

▪ Mater Lakes 13, Miami High 10: ML – Ryan Castanaedo 5 goals. MHS – Martin Stern 7 goals.