Career
In 1998, Quinn led the Texas League in batting average when he hit .349 for the Wichita Wranglers. He captured a second minor league batting crown the following year, posting a .360 average for the Omaha Golden Spikes of the Pacific Coast League.
On September 14, 1999 Quinn became just the third player in MLB history to hit two home runs in his major league debut, joining Bob Nieman (1951) and Bert Campaneris (1964). In 2000 Quinn became the Royals regular leftfielder. He hit .294 with 20 home runs, earning him the Sporting News American League Rookie Player of the Year and a spot on the 2000 Topps All-Star Rookie Team. Quinn split the 2001 season between right field, left field, and designated hitter. His production at the plate dropped to 17 homers and a .269 average. Quinn opened the 2002 season on the DL with one of the more bizarre sports injuries: a broken rib caused by "kung-fu fighting" with his brother in San Diego. By 2002 Quinn only appeared in 23 games for the Royals and hit just .237 in what would be his final year in the majors.
After the Royals released him during Spring Training of 2003, Quinn played in the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago White Sox organizations, along with a stint for the Long Beach Armada of the independent Golden Baseball League.
In four seasons with the Royals, Quinn batted .282 with 45 home runs, 167 RBI, 153 runs, 72 doubles, five triples, and 17 stolen bases in 293 games.
Quinn's 45 career home runs surpassed fellow Royals alumnus Jamie Quirk's total of 43, giving him the second-most home runs all time for a player whose last name begins with a "Q". Carlos Quentin, currently an outfielder for the San Diego Padres, has hit 71 as of the end of the 2009 with the Chicago White Sox.
His penchant for free-swinging and refusing to take walks led to a fireworks display (normally reserved for home runs) over Kauffman Stadium in his final season when he drew a walk after a long drought.
Read more about this topic: Mark Quinn
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