Joe Christensen's Sunday Insider: Gomez gets same assignment

The goals the Brewers want Carlos Gomez to embrace for 2011 are no different than the objectives the Twins had for him in 2008 and 2009.

Forget about home runs. Cut down on the strikeouts. Use that speed and get on base.

Gomez smiled this spring, when asked how many times Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and hitting coach Joe Vavra told him the same things.

"I appreciate the coaches I've had in the past, what they were trying to teach me," Gomez said. "Now, I'm in my fifth year, and I know exactly what I have to do. When you're young, you get excited and think you can do everything. My job is to get on base, not be the guy to drive in runs."

Last year, the Twins appeared to get the better of the deal that sent Gomez to Milwaukee for shortstop J.J. Hardy, but Hardy has since been shipped to Baltimore for relief prospects Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson. Meanwhile, Gomez, 25, remains an important factor for the Brewers heading into a high-stakes season in Milwaukee.

Gomez batted .247 with a .298 on-base percentage last year with five home runs and 72 strikeouts in 291 at-bats. Late in the season, he lost his center field job to Lorenzo Cain.

But the Brewers traded Cain to Kansas City, along with shortstop Alcides Escobar and two pitching prospects, for former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke.

The trouble is, much of that experience has been painstaking for Gomez, dating to his time with the Mets in 2007.

"What you really see is he was rushed to the big leagues, clearly," said veteran Brewers infielder Craig Counsell. "So he's going through all the learning up here, and you get to see all the warts. But he wants to do well. He works hard, and I think he's going to get it. Eventually guys get sick of failing."

As Gomez put it, "If I do my job, get on base, I'm going to be an everyday player. If I score 100 runs, it's better than hitting 20 home runs and driving in 60."

Gomez remains a top defensive center fielder, and this is no small thing for the Brewers, who have sluggers Ryan Braun and Corey Hart in the corner outfield spots.

In spring training, Gomez added more hope, batting .333, but drew just one walk, giving him a .344 on-base percentage. Gomez has had good spring trainings in the past, before pitchers begin to zero in on his weaknesses, baiting him with pitches out of the strike zone and feeding him a heavy dose of sliders.

The Brewers traded for Nationals speedster Nyjer Morgan last month, but for now, Gomez remains the center fielder. Milwaukee also likes center field prospect Logan Schafer, but he missed most of last season at Class AA because of injury and broke his right thumb during spring training.