Carlos Guillén

Infobox MLB player
name = Carlos Guillén


caption =
width = 300
position = Left fielder
team = Detroit Tigers
number = 9
bats = Switch
throws = Right
birthdate = birth date and age|1975|9|30
birthplace = Maracay, Venezuela
debutdate = September 6
debutyear = 1998
debutteam = Seattle Mariners
statyear = August 8, 2008
stat1label = Batting average
stat1value = .290
stat2label = Home runs
stat2value = 103
stat3label = Runs batted in
stat3value = 571
teams =
*Seattle Mariners (by|1998–by|2003)
*Detroit Tigers (by|2004–present)
awards =
*3x All-Star selection (by|2004, by|2007, by|2008)

Carlos Alfonso Guillén (born September 30, 1975) is a Major League Baseball left fielder [http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2008/09/detroit_tigers_4_tampa_bay_ray.html] and switch-hitter who plays for the Detroit Tigers. He was born in Maracay, Aragua State, Venezuela.

Guillén was signed by the Houston Astros as a non-draft amateur free agent in 1992. He was traded to the Seattle Mariners with pitcher Freddy García and John Halama in the deal that sent Randy Johnson to the Astros. Guillén made his debut in 1998 and was traded to Detroit at the end of the 2003 season.

eattle Mariners

In Seattle, Guillén was forced to play second and third base with incumbent Alex Rodriguez at shortstop. After the by|2000 season, Alex Rodriguez signed with the Texas Rangers, allowing Guillén to move back to his natural position. He had a league-average campaign in his first full-season with the club.

In Game 3 of the 2000 American League Division Series, he hit a perfect squeeze play in the bottom of the ninth inning to score Rickey Henderson and complete the Mariners' sweep of the Chicago White Sox. In September 2001, Guillén was hospitalized after being diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis, but he was ready for the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees the following month.

Detroit Tigers

In by|2004, Guillén joined a young and restructured Tigers team. In a career year, he led his club in RBI (97), runs (97), doubles (37), triples (10), total bases (283), slugging percentage (.542), OPS (.921), and his .318 batting average was only second to .334 of teammate Iván Rodríguez. Guillén also got his first All-Star berth. However, his breakout season was cut short, as he missed the final month of the 2004 season after tearing his ACL while legging out a triple. He healed well during the 2004 05 offseason and was back to his previous form in time for by|2005's opening day, although problems with his left hamstring kept him out of the lineup for much of the year. Guillén returned to elite status in by|2006 having another outstanding season. His on-base percentage reached .400 for the first time in his career, and he led all Major League shortstops with a .919 OPS.

On August 1, 2006, Guillén became the tenth Tiger to hit for the cycle, in a game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

In 2006, Guillén became the first player in modern Major League history to raise his average for six consecutive seasons, batting .320. In the field, however, he tied for the major league lead in errors at shortstop, with 28.

On August 6, 2007, in the bottom of the 1st, he got his 1,000 hit, knocking in Curtis Granderson with two out.

On September 30, 2007, on his 32nd birthday, Guillen hit the 93rd home run of his career and it gave him 100 RBIs in a season for the first time in his career.

In 2007, he had the lowest fielding percentage of all major league shortstops, .955.

Due to the acquisition of shortstop Edgar Rentería from the Atlanta Braves during the 2007–by|2008 offseason, and due to his decreased mobility, Guillén initially moved to first base to start the 2008 season. However, on April 22, manager Jim Leyland announced that Guillén would be moving to third base, with Miguel Cabrera becoming the new starting first baseman. [cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3362720 |title=Tigers move Cabrera to first base, Guillen to third |accessdate=2008-08-08 |work=ESPN.com |publisher= |date= ]

On September 27, Tigers manager Jim Leyland announced that Guillen will play left field in 2009. [http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2008/09/detroit_tigers_4_tampa_bay_ray.html]

Personal life

Carlos has three children with his wife Amelia—two sons and a daughter. [cite web |url=http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080706/SPORTS02/80706028/1050 |title=Carlos Guillen is lone All-Star for Tigers |accessdate=2008-08-08 |work=Freep.com |publisher= |date= ]

References

External links

*baseballstats |mlb=136722 |espn=3944 |br=g/guillca01 |fangraphs=1079 |cube=G/carlos-guillen