Gonzalez and Moures celebrating Thanksgiving with their dog. (Instagram)
Gio Gonzalez, 30, is a veteran of the Washington Nationals. Having pitched there for several years and been a part of multiple playoff runs, Gonzalez has established himself as a mainstay in the middle of the Nationals rotation. Though he hasn’t reached the heights of his first year with Washington, he has remained a much-needed presence and a consistent presence any team with pitching needs would want.
If DC and the Nationals fans have appreciated Gonzalez, Gonzalez has appreciated the area back, creating a life there. That life involves his partner, Berenice Lea Moures. Moures goes by Lea, if Gonzalez’s Instagram account is any indication. They’ve created a family together in the nearby area, though time will tell if the Nationals pick up his option for next year.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. They Are Engaged To Be Married
Gonzalez at the Nationals’ 2016 Photo Day. (Getty)
There isn’t really information online regarding when Gonzalez and Moures began dating, nor how they met. What little there is to go on, however, is a noticeable difference in how she’s referred to in articles.
The earliest articles on her being with Gonzalez date back to about 2013. It was around this time YouTube videos noted who she was as well. She was referred to as Gonzalez’s girlfriend, a title that she was referred to into 2015. It wasn’t until 2016 that she was being reported as his fiancee, and not because of the engagement.
2. The Couple Had a Son, Enzo, in March of 2016
A pregnant Moures, on Gio Gonzalez’s Instagram. (Instagram)
In March 2016, during Spring Training, Gonzalez and Moures became parents. It was in these announcements that she was referred to as his fiancee, as he briefly left the team at Spring Training to be with her. Their son, Enzo Louis Gonzalez, was born on March 17th. Just a few days later, he was back with the team to pitch in a game.
Gonzalez said of the quick succession of events, “It was exciting to be a father and then all of a sudden come back to work and play baseball… You felt like a little kid as an adult..” On Monday the 21st, he was pitching in a Grapefruit League game against the Houston Astros. According to MLB.com, he was not too sharp in the first couple of innings, but ultimately went 4 1/3 innings, giving up 5 hits and 4 walks but limiting the damage to 1 run. They also noted that baby Enzo was born 8 pounds and 1 ounce.
3. Moures is a University of Maryland Graduate Who Works As a Consultant at World Bank
Gonzalez and Moures. (Instagram)
Many successful athletes find themselves dating celebrities and models. Though Moures is a beautiful woman, modeling is not exactly the career she ended up with, if her LinkedIn page is any indication. Moures is an alumni of the University of Maryland College Park, double majoring in both economics and French language and literature. She is also bilingual, proficient in both English and French.
Moures’s first job out of college was at Cuisine Solutions, working as a Marketing Associate. For over 5 years now, though, she has worked as a consultant at The World Bank, who describe themselves as “a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world.”
4. Gio Gonzalez Had Also Been Rumored To Date Angela Rypien, Daughter of Mark Rypien
Gonzalez’s love life had a few rumors in the Washington media. (Getty)
Gio Gonzalez was a star quickly in Washington, with a breakout first year with the Nationals in 2012. The nearby press began to speculate on his love life. Speculation began in the summer of 2012, when Gonzalez sent out a tweet about needing a date for a gala. Needless to say, he got plenty of responses.
A rumor popped up later that year involving Gio Gonzalez and Angela Rypien, daughter of former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl MV[ Mark Rypien. Angela has also played quarterback in the Lingerie Football League. A vague tweet Rypien sent out had people wondering if she and Gonzalez were more than friends. Gonzalez quickly put that rumor to bed, joking to a Washington Post reporter, “She’s spreading some terrible rumors!” He said everyone “jumped the gun on this rumor, adding “You give someone tickets to come see a game, you and your friends. People you invite, doesn’t mean you’re dating them. You can’t jump the gun automatically.”
5. Gonzalez is a 2-Time All-Star in His Fifth Season With the Wasington Nationals
Gonzalez pitching for the Nationals in the 2014 playoffs. (Getty)
Gonzalez has had a very solid career so far, playing for two teams. He got his start playing for the Oakland Athletics, pitching there for 4 years. After two solid full seasons and an All-Star appearance in 2011, he was traded to the Washington Nationals, where he soon signed an extension that covered his arbitration years.
His first season in Washington in 2012 was outstanding, going 21-8 with a 2.89 ERA. He made another All-Star Game and finished 3rd in NL Cy Young voting. This year has not been his best season, going 5-8 so far with a 4.70 ERA. However, he still has a solid strikeout rate, striking out 104 batters in 103.1 innings. And his 4.11 FIP is far more manageable, suggesting a bit of bad luck.