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Carlos Delgado
| Biography |
Carlos Juan Delgado Jr. was born on June 25, 1972 in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. First made famous by Christopher Columbus, who landed there on his second trip to the New World, Carlos's hometown is located on the island's northwest coast, about two hours from San Juan. Every offseason, he returns to those same shores, where he happily blends in with family, friends and neighbors to enjoy a couple of months as just another Aguadillan.
One of four children, Carlos grew up with a variety of interests, thanks in large part to his parents, Carlos and Carmen. His father was a drug and alcohol counselor. His mother worked as a medical laboratory assistant. Both preached the importance of a good education, but neither was blind to their eldest son's obvious athletic ability. Though the Delgados lived comfortably, they realized a career as a professional athlete might take Carlos a long way.
Carlos inherited his athletic skills from his father's side of the family. His grandfather was a first baseman whose booming bat was legend in Aguadilla. Carlos's dad was a talented basketball player who stood 6-4 and tipped the scales at more than 300 pounds. To this day, the Blue Jay slugger is known back home as "Little Carlos."
Carlos joined his first organized baseball league when he was six. Bigger than all his teammates (he weighed more than 100 pounds), Carlos was told to go behind the plate. He took to catching right away. Not that Carlos needed a way to keep his head in the game. He thought about baseball ’round the clock, and would pace around the house in his cleats before games, a habit that always earned a scolding from his mother.
Like all kids who play baseball in Puerto Rico, Carlos idolized Roberto Clemente (who, incidentally, died the same year he was born). One of his greatest thrills was suiting up for the Santurce Crabs, Clemente's team in the Puerto Rican League. Carlos hung on every word of pitching coach Juan Pizarro, who regaled the team with stories about the Hall of Fame outfielder.
Despite his deep love for baseball, Carlos found time for other sports. At 14, as a sophomore at Jose de Diego High School, he considered concentrating solely on volleyball. His father convinced him that he was making a mistake. The elder Delgado sensed his son's destiny awaited him on the diamond.
Carlos began planning seriously for a career in the big leagues as a high-school junior. He figured he would need to converse easily with pitchers and coaches, so he took advanced English courses. In addition to expanding his mind, Carlos was strengthening his body, lifting weights on a regular basis to increase his power at the plate.
In the summer of 1988, the Texas Rangers, New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays all wanted to sign Carlos. He chose Toronto. At the time, the organization was far ahead of the learning curve in developing young Hispanic talent. The jewels of the franchise were George Bell, Nelson Liriano and Tony Fernandez. GM Pat Gillick believed Carlos had more potential than any of them.
Carlos inked a deal that included a $90,000 signing bonus. Toronto also agreed to foot the bill for his college education, if he decided to pursue one. That was all the Delgados needed to hear;they fully supported their son's desire to play professional baseball, but only if he had a backup plan in the event he failed.
In the summer of 1989, after completing his final year of high school, Carlos joined St. Catharine's, Toronto's Class-A affiliate in the New York-Penn League. Before he left, his father gave him two pieces of advice: Remember where you came from, and never let money or fame change you.
Roberto Clemente,
1982 TCMA postcard
For Carlos—who didn't turn 17 until his second week with St. Catharine's—the transition to life away from home was difficult. The responsibilities of paying his own rent and bills were intimidating enough, but he was also trying to make adjustments on the field. A low minor league, the NY-PL is where many teams send their top draft picks. Among Carlos's teammates were Jeff Kent, Ryan Thompson and Nigel Wilson, all of whom were tabbed for stardom. St. Catharine's manager Bob Shirley used Carlos mostly as a DH. In 89 a bats, he struggled mightily, hitting just .180, and striking out 39 times. But Carlos learned important lessons nonetheless. Blue Jays roving instructor Mel Queen took a liking to him, and made sure Carlos understood the value of hard work.
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