Quinton McCracken facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Quinton McCracken |
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McCracken with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: August 16, 1970 Southport, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 17, 1995, for the Colorado Rockies | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 5, 2006, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .274 | ||
| Home runs | 21 | ||
| Runs batted in | 244 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Quinton Antoine McCracken (born August 16, 1970) is an American former professional baseball player. He was an outfielder who played for 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He made history as the first center fielder and batter for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on March 31, 1998.
Contents
Early Life and Sports
Quinton McCracken grew up in Southport, North Carolina. He went to South Brunswick High School. He was a talented athlete in many sports.
High School Achievements
- He was the starting running back and free safety in football.
- He was the starting point guard in basketball.
- He was a star in baseball and a top athlete in track.
In 1988, during his senior year, Quinton led his high school baseball team to an amazing 29–0 record. They won the state championship that year. USA Today even ranked his team as the fifth-best in the entire nation.
Professional Baseball Career
After high school, Quinton McCracken went to Duke University. He was later chosen by the Colorado Rockies in the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft. This was the very first draft for the Rockies team.
Starting in the MLB
Quinton made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on September 17, 1995. He played in three games that year. In 1996, he mostly played center field and had a batting average of .290. In 1997, he stole a career-high 28 bases. His batting average also went up to .292.
Time with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
On November 18, 1997, Quinton was picked by the new expansion team, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He was their second pick in the 1997 Major League Baseball expansion draft. He became their starting center fielder for the 1998 season.
That year, Quinton played in 155 games, which was the most in his career. He had his best season, hitting .292 with 7 home runs and 59 runs batted in (RBI). He was even named the Devil Rays' first-ever Most Valuable Player.
In 1999, he played only 40 games because of a knee injury. He spent most of 2000 playing in the minor leagues for the Triple-A Durham Bulls. After that, the Devil Rays released him.
Moving to Other Teams
Quinton then signed with the Minnesota Twins in 2001. He spent most of that year in Triple-A, where he hit .338 for the Edmonton Trappers.
In 2002, he joined the Arizona Diamondbacks. He played the whole season with the main team and hit .309. The Diamondbacks won their division that year. Quinton played well in the playoffs, but his team lost. In 2003, his batting average dropped to .227.
He was traded to the Seattle Mariners in 2003. However, he didn't play much there and was released. He then rejoined the Diamondbacks and hit .288 in 55 games.
In 2006, Quinton signed with the Cincinnati Reds, but was released later that year. He then played for the Triple-A team for the Minnesota Twins. After that, he played for an independent team called the Bridgeport Bluefish. He finished his playing career in the Dominican Winter Baseball League in late 2007.
After Playing Baseball
After retiring as a player, Quinton McCracken continued to work in baseball.
- In 2011, he joined the front office of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
- In 2012, he moved to the Houston Astros.
- In 2018, he became an outfield and baserunning coordinator for the Miami Marlins.
- In 2019, he returned to the Durham Bulls as a third-base coach.
- In March 2024, Quinton McCracken was named the manager of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers team.
