Carlos Delgado

At 51 years old, Carlos Delgado has this physical status:

Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández (born June 25, 1972) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player.

He holds the all-time Major League Baseball home run record among Puerto Rican players, with 473.

He is one of only six players in Major League history to hit 30 home runs in ten consecutive seasons, becoming the fourth player to do so. During his twelve years with the Toronto Blue Jays, Delgado set many team records, including home runs (336), RBI (1,058), walks (827), slugging percentage (.556), OPS (.949), runs (889), total bases (2,786), doubles (343), runs created (1,077), extra base hits (690), times on base (2,362), hit by pitch (122), intentional walks (128) and at bats per home run (14.9).

Delgado also played for the Florida Marlins and New York Mets.

On February 4, 2015, Delgado was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

Early life

Delgado was born in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico to Carlos "Cao" Delgado and Carmen Digna Hérnandez. He grew up in the El Prado section of Aguadilla. There, he attended elementary school alongside his three siblings. Both his father, "Don Cao", and his grandfather, Asdrúbal "Pingolo" Delgado, were well-known figures in the town. Delgado has said that this made him feel "protected", but that it also demanded that he had to behave properly.

Delgado attended Agustín Stahl Middle School and José de Diego High School, from which he graduated in 1989. Delgado has expressed his strong feelings of pride in being an Aguadillano, noting everything he holds dear is found in the municipality, and his off-season house is located there. He is friends with many people who live there, many of whom he played little league baseball with.

Personal life

Delgado lives in his hometown of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. He is married to Betzaida García, who is also from Aguadilla. They have a son, Carlos Antonio, and in 2010 adopted a baby daughter, Mariana Isabel.

Like his hero (Roberto Clemente), Delgado is a well-known peace activist, and has been open about his political beliefs. As part of the Navy-Vieques protests, Delgado was actively opposed to the use of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico as a bombing target practice facility by the United States Department of Defense, until bombing was halted in 2003. He is also against the occupation of Iraq. In the 2004 season, Delgado protested the war by silently staying in the dugout during the playing of "God Bless America" during the seventh inning stretch. Delgado does not make a public show of his beliefs, and even his teammates were not aware of his views until a story was published in July 2004 in the Toronto Star. Delgado was quoted as saying "It's a very terrible thing that happened on September 11. It's (also) a terrible thing that happened in Afghanistan and Iraq, ... I just feel so sad for the families that lost relatives and loved ones in the war. But I think it's the stupidest war ever." The story was the subject of a media frenzy, mostly in New York, where on July 21, 2004, as was anticipated, Delgado was booed by Yankee fans for his passive protest during a game at Yankee Stadium. Delgado had explained that the playing of "God Bless America" had come to be equated with a war in which he didn't believe. In a New York Times interview, Delgado said this is what he believed in, and "It takes a man to stand up for what he believes." After being traded to the Mets, in a conciliatory measure, Delgado opted to stand during the singing of "God Bless America."

Among other charity work, Delgado is well known for his generous visits to hospitals in his hometown where, on Three Kings Day, he brings toys to hospitalized children. In 2006, he joined Puerto Rico's Senate President in co-sponsoring a massive Three Kings gift-giving effort in the town of Loíza. Delgado started his own non-profit organization, "Extra Bases" to assist island youth. In 2007, Delgado donated video conference equipment to allow his hometown's Buen Samaritano Hospital to establish a regular link with a hospital in Boston in order to allow for remote diagnoses through telemedicine.

Delgado has also contributed to improving Puerto Rico's public education system. In 2007, he participated in "Sapientis Week", an initiative sponsored by the non-profit Sapientis which brings distinguished public figures into classrooms in order to raise the public's awareness of the education crisis in Puerto Rico. Delgado taught a class on Athletic Mental Training and Health at the Ramon Power y Giralt School in the Luis Llorens Torres public housing complex.

For his efforts, Delgado was awarded the Roberto Clemente Award in 2006. The award goes to the player in baseball who best exemplifies humanitarianism and sportsmanship, and was named after Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente in 1973. Prior to the 2008 season of the Puerto Rico Baseball League, Delgado was involved in an initiative to provide economic help to the Indios de Mayagüez team.

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Professional career

Many major league clubs, including the Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, and Toronto Blue Jays noticed his potential at the age of 16, and the Toronto Blue Jays noticed him at the age of 16. After being discovered by team scout Epy Guerrero, he signed with the Blue Jays in 1988. Delgado played for the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League in 1992 and made 30 home runs and 100 RBI, leading the league in both directions as well as a.324 batting average. He was named USA Today's Minor League Player of the Year for the first time this season. He was voted the top prospect in the minor leagues by Baseball America before the 1993 season and was promoted to the Double-A Knoxville Smokies. He went.303 with 25 home runs, 102 RBI, and 102 walks in that year, winning the Southern League MVP Award. He made his major league debut on October 1, 1993 as a September call-up. Despite the fact that he did not participate in the 1993 World Series, he was given a World Series ring.

Delgado, a catcher, appeared in left field for the Blue Jays in 1994 and 1995 before moving to first base, where he became one of the most prolific sluggers in the major leagues. In ten seasons, he has hit at least 30 home runs in a row. Delgado, a two-time All-Star, has played for multiple Blue Jays single-season and career seasons. He received the Hank Aaron and The Sporting News Player of the Year Awards in 2000, as well as the Silver Slugger Award in 1999, 2000, and 2003.

Delgado's career-high 44 home runs, as well as 134 RBI and a.272batting average, stood out in 1999. He batted a career-high.344 this year, as well as 41 home runs, 57 doubles, and 137 RBI. In the 2000 American League MVP poll, he came in fourth place.

Delgado was the 15th major league player to reach four home runs in one game on September 25, 2003, in a match against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In the first run off Jorge Sosa, he hit a three-run home run, then off Sosa in the fourth off, and then leadoff the fourth off, then off Joe Kennedy while leading off in the sixth and then off in the eighth. Delgado is the only player to hit four home runs with just four at-bats in a game. Delgado led the Majors with 145 RBI in 2003, while batting.302; he came in second for the AL MVP Award in second. On September 30, 2003 and again on September 7, 2004, he was named AL Player of the Week.

Delgado became a free agent after the 2004 season and was followed by the Baltimore Oriolins, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, and Texas Rangers. Due to payroll issues, the Blue Jays were not keen on re-signing him.

Delgado made the decision to join the Marlins on January 25, 2005, four years ago, earning a reported $52 million. He made a good jump to the National League in 2005, with a.301 batting average,.399 on-base percentage, 33 home runs, and 115 RBI. At the same time, he shared the most significant league lead in first baseman mistakes, with 14.

Following one of the Marlins' regular salary cutoffs, the team completed one of its recurring salary cuts during the 2005 season. They released some of their higher-paid players as part of the "market correction." The Marlins sent Delgado and $7 million to the New York Mets on November 23, 2005.

Delgado did a good job as the Mets' feared cleanup batsman, hitting 38 home runs and driving in 114 runs in 2006. The Mets had the best national league record in 2006, but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series, 4–3. Delgado finished with 407 runs on the season's end, tied for 41st place in career home runs with Duke Snider for 41st place. Delgado was the all-time best-in-interleague play RBIs with 131, his second all-time record in home runs with 43 runs.

Carlos Delgado had early struggles in the 2007 season, with his batting average falling below.200 in April, but his numbers increased as the season progressed. During a game against the San Francisco Giants on May 9, 2007, he struck a home run into McCovey Cove, becoming the first visiting player to reach three splash home runs at AT&T Park. With 431 points, Delgado finished the season tied for 37th place on the all-time home run list.

Delgado was diagnosed with a hip impingement in spring training in 2008, but the Mets decided to keep him on the active roster. Delgado started the season in a defensive slump with a.204 batting average in April and only three home runs, but his stats improved as the season progressed. With five home runs in May, his batting average soared to.235. Delgado set a record for the most runs batted in by a Puerto Rican player on June 15, 2008. In an interleague match against the New York Yankees on June 27, Delgado set a new Mets record of 9 RBIs (hitting a two-run double, grand slam, and three-run home run), defeating Dave Kingman's club record of 8. Delgado's 17th home run of the season appeared in the final game before the All-Star break. Between June and July, his batting average increased to.260 with 19 home runs. Delgado hit four home runs between July 23 to 31 runs between July 23 and 31 runs.

Delgado went 5 for 5 against the Atlanta Braves on August 21, 2008, including a double, 3 RBIs, a double, and a walk-off single scoring David Wright in the ninth off the glove of left fielder Omar Infante. It was the first time he had gone 5 for 5 in ten years. The Mets dominated the three-game series. Delgado led the Mets to a 9–1 victory over the Houston Astros on August 25, 2008. He became the third Mets player to have at least 65 RBIs in a 65-game stretch in a season on September 7. With seven runs, Dave Kingman set the most multi-home run games during a season as a Met on September 9. Delgado was hit for his 2,000th appearance in his career against the Atlanta Braves on September 21, 2008. The Mets played Delgado's $12 million trade on October 31. Greggado was ninth in the 2009 National League MVP competition, behind Albert Pujols, Ryan Braun, Manny Ramirez, Lance Berkman, CC Sabathia, David Wright, and Brad Lidge.

Delgado was the first Major League player to pitch a home run into the Pepsi Porch at Citi Field on April 8, 2009. On May 10, 2009, he played his last major league game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Delgado had a bone spur and a torn labrum in his hip, and he'd have to have surgery. The Mets announced the next day that the operation was fruitful, and Delgado will be out for about ten weeks, delaying his quest for 500 home runs. However, he did not play again in 2009.

Delgado applied for free agency on November 5th. Delgado made his Puerto Rico Baseball League (PRBL) debut in the 2009 season, with a batting average of.364 and one home run in his first three games.

Delgado underwent another hip surgery in February 2010, this time to reconstruct the labrum on his right hip; he also underwent microfracture surgery on his hip socket. Despite the fact that Delgado had reportedly received notice from Major League clubs (including the Mets and Florida Marlins), he was nevertheless ill and decided to do the second surgery to be more prepared for the upcoming season. "Felt," his agent, David Sloane, Delgado, said, "it was a better option for him to be the Carlos Delgado of old rather than an old Carlos Delgado."

The Boston Red Sox signed Delgado to a minor league deal on August 7, 2010. He appeared in five games with the triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox between August 9 and 15, averaging three singles in 13 at-bats (.231, 0 HR, 2 RBI). After Delgado's 2010 season, he was essentially dependant on his surgically repaired hip.

Delgado officially announced his retirement from professional baseball on April 13, 2011 while living in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced on December 7, 2012, that Delgado will be the tenth individual to be inducted into the Club's Level of Excellence. The induction took place at Rogers Centre in Toronto on July 21, 2013. With the Toronto Blue Jays playing against the Tampa Bay Rays, Delgado also threw the ceremonial first pitch for that day's game.

Delgado batted out 1,280 runs, 483 doubles, 18 triples, 473 home runs, 1,512 runs batted in (RBI), 1,109 bases on balls,.383 on-base percentage, and.546 slugging percentage in 2,035 games over the past 17 seasons. He had a.992 fielding percentage as a first baseman throughout his career. He batted.351 (13-for-37), three doubles, four home runs, 11 RBIs, and six walks in ten postseason games.

International career

Delgado appeared in the first edition of the World Baseball Classic in 2006. He spent time as a hitting coach for the Puerto Rico national baseball team, which represented the island at the 2013 World Baseball Classic. In the 2017 World Baseball Classic, he reprised his role as hitting coach for Team Puerto Rico.

Post-retirement career

Delgado has continued to work on baseball-related topics since retiring. He was announced as the new member of the Board for the Athlete's Full Time in February 2013. The Department of Sport and Recreation of Puerto Rico's Department has the responsibility for this department.

In addition, he served as hitting coach for the Puerto Rico national baseball team, which also represented the island at the 2013 World Baseball Classic in March. In the rankings, the team came in second place. In the 2017 World Baseball Classic, he revived his role as hitting coach for Team Puerto Rico.

Delgado's first appearance on the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, he received just 38 percent of the vote, below the 5% minimum required to remain on future ballots. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in the same year as a child.

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Awards and honors

• World Series champion (1993)
• 2-time All-Star (2000, 2003)
• 3-time AL Silver Slugger Award (1999, 2000, 2003)
• AL RBI leader (2003)
• 2000 AL Hank Aaron Award
• 2000 Sporting News Player of the Year Award
• 2006 Roberto Clemente Award
• Toronto Blue Jays Level of Excellence
• Member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame