Ex-MLB star Carlos Gomez aims to achieve Dominican history with Olympic cycling bid
Once an MLB All-Star, Carlos Gomez is thinking of a career after baseball in another sport. The 38-year-old, who last played an MLB game in June 2019, aims to participate in the 500-meter cycling race in the 2024 Paris Olympics. According to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Todd Rosiak, Gomez wants to represent his home country, the Dominican Republic, at the mega event.
To qualify, he'll need to participate in and win a race in May. The last cyclist to represent the Dominican Republic in the Olympics was Diego Milan in 2016.
For preparation, Carlos Gomez is eating 7,000 calories per day to recover from the weight loss he endured due to intense workouts. Rosiak also mentioned that Gomez is unmatched in the competition due to his lower body strength.
Apart from cycling, Gomez previously tried to become an MMA fighter but had to give up on that due to neck issues.
Carlos Gomez to work under MLBPA as special assistant
According to Tenchy Rodriguez of Z101, the Milwaukee Brewers Hall of Fame inductee is hired by the MLB Player Association to work as a special agent. His job will be to resolve disputes between MLB and players union.
Over the years, there have been several disputes between the league and the union. One example of that was the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) which resulted in players getting increased bonuses, pay for pre-arbitration players, and several other measures were taken to safeguard players' interests.
Carlos Gomez spent 13 years in MLB, playing for New York Mets (2007), Minnesota Twins (2008–2009), Milwaukee Brewers (2010–2015), Houston Astros (2015–2016), Texas Rangers (2016–2017), Tampa Bay Rays (2018) and New York Mets (2019).
He is well known among Brewers fanbase for earning two straight All-Star selections in 2013 and 2014. He stole over 30 bases in four different seasons, including 40 in 2013. He won the Gold Glove Award in 2013 and received MVP votes in both 2013 and 2014.