Carlos Lee
| Carlos Lee | |
|---|---|
| Houston Astros – No. 45 | |
| Left Fielder | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| debut | |
| May 7, 1999, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Career statistics (through July 24, 2007) | |
| Batting average | .286 |
| Home runs | 240 |
| RBI's | 862 |
| Teams | |
| |
Carlos Noriel Lee (born June 20, 1976 in Aguadulce, Panama) is a left fielder in Major League Baseball who plays for the Houston Astros. He bats and throws right-handed. He is married and has two daughters, Cassandra and Karla and a son, named Karlos. Lee owns and operates cattle ranches in Panama and Houston. His brother, also named Carlos, plays professional baseball in the Brewers minor league system.
Lee made his major league debut with the Chicago White Sox on May 7, 1999, hitting a home run in his first-ever Major League at-bat. He would remain in the White Sox organization until being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfielder Scott Podsednik and pitcher Luis Vizcaino. Many people thought this was a lopsided trade for the Brewers, considering the caliber of a player Carlos was, however the White Sox ultimately ended up winning the world series with Podsednik and Vizcaino as regular players in their lineup.
Lee was the White Sox' starting left fielder for the first six years of his career, with only a few games a season as a designated hitter. He can hit for both average and power. From 2001-02, his batting average slumped to the .260s, but he has returned to exceeding .300, and has a career average of .288. His home run totals increased over the years. Lee was given his nickname "El Caballo," which means "The Horse, " by White Sox television announcer Hawk Harrelson.
While Lee has provided steady production, he has not often been amongst the top ten in offensive categories or received awards for performance. His best showing was in the National League with 114 RBI. He was selected for the National League All-Star team in his first two seasons as Brewer, and participated in the Home Run Derby in 2005.
On July 28, 2006, he was traded to the Rangers with minor league outfielder Nelson Cruz for outfielders Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix, relief pitcher Francisco Cordero, and minor league pitcher Julian Cordero. [1] According to Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin, the Brewers attempted to resign Carlos Lee, but by the evening of July 27th, it became apparent he would not sign a contract extension. The Brewers reportedly offered a 4 year, $48 million contract extension, close to the 4 year, $50 million extension David Ortiz signed earlier in 2006. Lee's agent Adam Katz said the two parties were too far away in negotiations and did not make a counter-offer.
On November 24, 2006, Lee agreed to a 6-year, $100 million contract with the Houston Astros.[2] Since signing with the Astros, Lee has established himself as one of the premier hitters in the National League. Through 16 July, Lee has a .295 batting average and leads the Astros with 17 home runs and 75 RBI's.
His fan base in Houston has grown quickly. He has a fan club called the "Los Caballitos" which means the "little horses" in Spanish referencing his nickname "El Caballo". The club convenes in Minute Maid Park next to the Conoco Home Run Pump in left-center field, where they wear large straw cowboy hats, Carlos Lee No.45 jerseys and ride stick ponies when he hits a homerun.
Career Statistics
- Career statistics and player information from Error: Template:Baseballstats must contain at least one valid parameter name.
See also
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference