Carlos Quentin

Carlos José Quentin (born August 28, 1982) is an American former professional baseball outfielder.

He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres.

In addition, he participated on the 1997 high school state championship team in basketball.

He was named the San Diego Male Athlete of the Year in 2000.

Aside from sports, he was on his school honor roll.

He lost the USDHS Senior Year Best Athlete award to his high school classmate Mark Pfizenmayer.

Quentin attended Stanford University, where he was named All Pac-10 the three seasons he played (freshman, sophomore and junior).

He was honored by Baseball America magazine all three seasons as well.

He was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2001.

In a game against the Florida State Seminoles baseball team on February 9, 2002, Quentin was hit by a pitch five times, a college baseball record.

In his junior season (2003), he was named Third Team All-American by the NCBWA and was one of five finalists for the Golden Spikes Award.

He played alongside future major leaguers Oakland Athletics outfielder Sam Fuld and Oakland Athletics middle infielder Jed Lowrie.

Quentin helped lead the Cardinal to postseason appearances all three years of his collegiate career, culminating in a 2-for-2, 2-RBI performance in Stanford's 2003 College World Series Championship Series Game 3 loss to Rice University.

He finished his Stanford career with a .350 batting average, 35 home runs, 170 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases in 199 games played for the Cardinal.

Quentin was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round (29th overall) of the 2003 Major League Baseball Draft.

He sat out that year after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow (a rare procedure for non-pitchers).

Once recovered, he quickly became part of a talented core of young Diamondbacks prospects.

Quentin set a minor-league record in 2004 when he was hit by a pitch 43 times.

That season, he led all Arizona minor league players in batting (.332), RBIs (91), runs (103), hits (157), and walks (69), numbers that were divided between Single-A Lancaster and Double-A El Paso.

He also starred on a TV show chronicling the life of a minor leaguer with Chris Young and Dustin Nippert.

Quentin was hitting .290 with 30 doubles, three triples, nine homers and 52 RBI in 85 games for the Tucson Sidewinders when he was called up to the Diamondbacks on July 20, 2006.

After grounding out in his first two major league at bats, Quentin hit a two-run home run off Mark Hendrickson in the sixth inning of Arizona's 5–2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His arrival was long anticipated by Diamondbacks fans; he was expected to replace Shawn Green as the everyday right fielder for the Diamondbacks once Green retired or otherwise left the team.

Green was traded to the New York Mets in August, clearing the way for Quentin to become a full-time starter.

Quentin would finish the 2006 season with a .253 batting average, nine home runs, and 32 RBI in 57 games for the Diamondbacks.

Quentin began the season on the disabled list when he was diagnosed with a partial tear of his left labrum during Spring Training.

He made his season debut on April 16 against the Dodgers and finished 2-for-4 with two doubles.

After producing disappointing results through the first half of the season (.210, five home runs, 28 RBI in 66 games), Quentin was demoted to Triple-A on July 6.

On December 3, 2007, Quentin was traded to the Chicago White Sox for minor league first baseman Chris Carter.

Carter played for the Single-A Kannapolis Intimidators in 2007, and was considered one of the White Sox' best prospects.

In 2008 and 2011, Quentin was selected as an All-Star.

Quentin attended Saint Pius X Elementary School (Chula Vista, California).

At University of San Diego High School, he was a three-sport athlete, playing baseball, football, and basketball.

He led his baseball team to two Western League Championships, while setting a record at the school with 28 home runs and 119 RBIs.

In football his senior year, he was selected First Team All-County, All-CIF, and All-Western League, and was named Western League Defensive Player of the Year as an outside linebacker.

He also captured two league and two section titles.

In 2008, Quentin was a huge surprise for the White Sox, emerging to become one of the team's best hitters.

Through August 18, he was ranking among American League leaders in home runs (first, 35), slugging percentage (third, .586), OPS (third, .981), and runs batted in (third, 96).

Quentin's strong season drew calls for a possible AL MVP award.

Prior to a game against the Seattle Mariners on August 18, White Sox catcher A. J. Pierzynski said, "As far as I'm concerned, Quentin has been the American League MVP."