Carlos Quintana (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Carlos Narciso Quintana Hernandez (born August 26, 1965 in Mamporal
, Venezuela
) is a former Major League Baseball
player who played for the Boston Red Sox
from 1988-1993.
. Over the next four years he worked his way up the Red Sox minor league
system playing for Elmira
, Greensboro, New Britain and Pawtucket
.
He made his first appearance for the Red Sox on September 16, 1988. He split 1989 season between Pawtucket and Boston, and was named the full time first baseman
during spring training
in 1990, beating out Bill Buckner
for the job. Over the next two seasons Quintana earned a reputation as an outstanding defensive first basement and an intelligent batter who maintained a high on base percentage, albeit without much power or speed.
In February 1992, Quintana was involved in an automobile accident in town of Tacarigua de Mamporal, Venezuela while rushing his two brothers to a hospital after they were shot at a party. In the accident, Quintana broke his left arm and his right big toe and his wife Solys, broke both of her legs. The injuries caused Quintana to miss the entire 1992 season.
Quintana returned to the Red Sox for the 1993 season but was still feeling the effects of the accident, including loss of feeling in his left thumb. He lost the starting first base position to Mo Vaughn
and at the end of the season he announced his retirement from MLB baseball, but spent more than a season in Venezuelan League and played the season for the Buffalo Bisons
, then a Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates
. In 1998 played in Italy for Bbc Grosseto and hit four HR in a game against BC Modena.
In his career with the Red Sox, Quintana batted .276 (380-1376), with 19 home runs, 165 RBI, 163 runs, 59 doubles, one triple, three stolen bases, a .350 on base percentage, and 498 total bases for .362 of slugging average.
Mamporal
Mamporal is a city in the state of Miranda, Venezuela. It is the capital of Buroz Municipality....
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player who played for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
from 1988-1993.
Professional career
Quintana (kin-TAH-na) was signed by the Red Sox in 1984 as an undrafted free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. Over the next four years he worked his way up the Red Sox minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
system playing for Elmira
Elmira Pioneers
The Elmira Pioneers are an amateur baseball team based in Elmira, New York. They currently compete in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league. Prior to the 2006 baseball season, the team was a professional ballclub with a rich history of league...
, Greensboro, New Britain and Pawtucket
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
.
He made his first appearance for the Red Sox on September 16, 1988. He split 1989 season between Pawtucket and Boston, and was named the full time first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
during spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
in 1990, beating out Bill Buckner
Bill Buckner
William Joseph Buckner is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. Despite winning a batting crown in , representing the Chicago Cubs at the All-Star Game the following season and accumulating over 2,700 hits in his twenty-year career, he is best remembered for a fielding error during Game 6...
for the job. Over the next two seasons Quintana earned a reputation as an outstanding defensive first basement and an intelligent batter who maintained a high on base percentage, albeit without much power or speed.
In February 1992, Quintana was involved in an automobile accident in town of Tacarigua de Mamporal, Venezuela while rushing his two brothers to a hospital after they were shot at a party. In the accident, Quintana broke his left arm and his right big toe and his wife Solys, broke both of her legs. The injuries caused Quintana to miss the entire 1992 season.
Quintana returned to the Red Sox for the 1993 season but was still feeling the effects of the accident, including loss of feeling in his left thumb. He lost the starting first base position to Mo Vaughn
Mo Vaughn
Maurice Samuel 'Mo' Vaughn , nicknamed "The Hit Dog", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played from 1991 to 2003...
and at the end of the season he announced his retirement from MLB baseball, but spent more than a season in Venezuelan League and played the season for the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
, then a Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. In 1998 played in Italy for Bbc Grosseto and hit four HR in a game against BC Modena.
In his career with the Red Sox, Quintana batted .276 (380-1376), with 19 home runs, 165 RBI, 163 runs, 59 doubles, one triple, three stolen bases, a .350 on base percentage, and 498 total bases for .362 of slugging average.
Trivia
- Drove in six runs in the third inning of a game against the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
on July 30, 1991, tying the major league record for most RBI in an inning. - Played in a game in Pawtucket and a game in Boston on the same day in 1989.
External links
- Carlos Quintana Baseball Library
- Baeball Reference minor league statistics