Carlos Lee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carlos Lee |
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Lee with the Astros in 2010
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| Left fielder / First baseman | |||
| Born: June 20, 1976 Aguadulce, Panama |
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| debut | |||
| May 7, 1999, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 2012, for the Miami Marlins | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .285 | ||
| Hits | 2,273 | ||
| Home runs | 358 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,363 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Carlos Noriel Lee, born on June 20, 1976, is a former professional baseball player from Panama. People often called him "El Caballo", which means "The Horse". He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1999 to 2012. Carlos was a great left fielder and first baseman for teams like the Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, and Miami Marlins. He hit 17 grand slams in his career, which is a lot! This puts him among the top players in MLB history for grand slams.
Contents
Carlos Lee's Baseball Journey
Starting with the Chicago White Sox
Carlos Lee began his big league career with the Chicago White Sox on May 7, 1999. In his very first time at bat in the Major Leagues, he hit a home run! During his first year, Lee had a batting average of .293 and helped his team score 84 runs in 127 games. He was one of the top rookies that year.
In 2000, Carlos continued to play well, hitting 24 home runs and bringing in 92 runs. The next year, 2001, he hit 24 home runs again and brought in 84 runs. In 2002, he hit 26 home runs and brought in 80 runs.
His best season with the White Sox was in 2003. He played in 158 games, hit 31 home runs, scored 100 runs, and brought in 113 runs for his team. He kept up his strong performance in 2004, hitting 31 home runs, scoring 103 runs, and bringing in 99 runs. He also had a great batting average of .305 that year.
After the 2004 season, Carlos Lee was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Playing for the Milwaukee Brewers
In 2005, Carlos Lee had a fantastic year with the Brewers. He hit 32 home runs and brought in 114 runs. He was chosen to be on the National League All-Star team in both 2005 and 2006. He even took part in the Home Run Derby in 2005, where players compete to hit the most home runs. In 2005, he also won his first Silver Slugger Award, which is given to the best offensive players at each position.
On July 28, 2006, Carlos was traded again, this time to the Texas Rangers. The Brewers tried to keep him, but they couldn't agree on a new contract.
Time with the Texas Rangers
Carlos Lee played 59 games for the Texas Rangers. He hit 9 home runs and had a batting average of .322. He played as a designated hitter and left fielder. Between his time with the Brewers and the Rangers in 2006, Carlos hit a career-high 37 home runs and brought in 116 runs.
Joining the Houston Astros
On November 24, 2006, Carlos Lee signed a big contract with the Houston Astros. He had a great first year in Houston in 2007, hitting .303 with 32 home runs and bringing in 119 runs. This tied him for the most runs batted in that year in the National League.
In 2008, even though he played in fewer games because of an injury, Carlos still hit 28 home runs and brought in 100 runs for the Astros. In 2009, he continued to be a strong hitter, bringing in 102 runs and batting exactly .300 in 160 games.
In 2010, Carlos sometimes played first baseman for the Astros. He hit 24 home runs and brought in 89 runs. Carlos was known for not striking out very often. During his six years with the Astros, he never struck out more than 65 times in a season. He also set a team record for the Astros by hitting seven grand slams.
Final Stop with the Miami Marlins
On July 4, 2012, Carlos Lee was traded to the Miami Marlins. He played his first game as a Marlin the very next day. On July 17, he hit his first home run for the Marlins, which was a grand slam! In 81 games with the Marlins, he hit 4 home runs.
Representing Panama
Carlos Lee also played baseball for his home country, Panama. He represented the Panama national baseball team in international competitions like the 2006 World Baseball Classic and the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
Career Highlights and Statistics
Over his 14 seasons and 2,099 games in Major League Baseball, Carlos Lee had a career batting average of .285. He collected 2,273 hits, scored 1,125 runs, hit 469 doubles, and blasted 358 home runs. He also brought in 1,363 runs batted in and stole 125 stolen bases. Carlos was a strong player both at bat and in the field.
Carlos Lee's Life Outside Baseball
Carlos Lee has a fan club called Los Caballitos, which means "Little Horses," a fun nod to his nickname "El Caballo" (The Horse). He is married and has two daughters, Cassandra and Karla, and two sons, Karlos and Carlos. Carlos also owns and runs cattle ranches in his hometown of Aguadulce, Panama, and in Houston.
His younger brother, also named Carlos, played baseball in the minor leagues for a few years.
See also
In Spanish: Carlos Lee para niños
- Grand slam (baseball)
- List of Major League Baseball players from Panama
- List of Major League Baseball players with a home run in their first major league at bat
