Carlos J. Quentin (born August 28, 1982 in
Bellflower, California), is an outfielder who plays
for the Chicago White Sox.
Quentin attended Saint Pius X Elementary School
(Chula Vista, California), and later, University of
San Diego High School (San Diego, California), where
he was a three-sport star (baseball, football and
basketball). He was named San Diego Male Athlete of
the Year in 2000.
Quentin went on to attend Stanford University, where
he played under legendary head coach Mark Marquess.
His Stanford career was exceptional; 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 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.
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 RBI, and 26 stolen bases
in 199 games played for the Cardinal.
Quentin was Arizona's second first round pick of the
2003 Major League Baseball Draft, going 29th
overall. 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 Diamondback
prospects.
Quentin set a minor-league record by getting hit by
a pitch 43 times in 2004. 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.
Quentin was hitting .289 with 30 doubles, three
triples, nine homers and 52 RBIs 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, 9 home runs, and
32 RBIs in 57 games for the Diamondbacks. He began
the 2007 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 went 2-4 with 2
doubles. After a few months into the season, Quentin
was demoted to Triple A on July 6, after he produced
disappointing results (.210, 5 home runs, 28 RBIs in
66 games).
On December 3rd, 2007, Quentin was traded to the
Chicago White Sox for minor league first baseman
Christopher Carter, who played for the low class A
Kannapolis Intimidators in 2007 and was considered
one of the best White Sox prospects.
Quentin is currently dating Jeane Goff, coach of the
Chaparral Track & Field Distance team. Goff ran the
steeple chase while attending Stanford University,
and now resides in Arizona.
