Monday, June 21, 2010

Autograph Questions With...Paul Quantrill

So many interviews conducted, so little time to blog them.

Yes readers, I've got ALOT of "AQW..." to blog about now! Now, if I could only find decent to write them all out!

Anyways, enough complaining, let's get started.

Last Thursday, my family and I made the trip (back) to St. Mary's, Ontario for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame's celebrity softball game. I had the pleasure of meeting the Hall's newest inductee; Paul Quantrill.













Paul Quantrill, born in London, Ontario, is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He earned a reputation for being very durable and having impeccable control. He regularly appeared in 80 or more games a season and did not walk more than 25 batters in a season since 1996. Commentators often joked that he had a "rubber arm".

Quantrill was drafted in 1986 by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 26th round, 660th overall, and again by the Boston Red Sox in the sixth round of the 1989 amateur draft, 161st overall, and made his Major League debut on July 20, 1992.

Originally considered a starter, Quantrill eventually found consistency as a reliever after several years of splitting time between the bullpen and the starting rotation for several teams. Some of his best years came for the Toronto Blue Jays, in his home province of Ontario.

Before the 2004 season, Quantrill signed a two-year $6.8-million deal with the New York Yankees.
















Due to poor performance in late 2004 and early 2005, Quantrill was designated for assignment on July 1, 2005. The next day he was traded to the San Diego Padres for pitchers Tim Redding and Darrell May. Quantrill was then traded to the Florida Marlins and spent the rest of the year in the bullpen. In the middle of March while playing in the Baseball World Classic, Quantrill said he would retire at the end of the World Baseball Classic.











Quantrill was one of the coaches for Team Canada during the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

On June 19, 2010, Quantrill was inducted, along with former Blue Jay Roberto Alomar, into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St Marys, Ontario.

He pitched in 841 MLB games, by far the most of any Canadian.

After recieving a great autograph from Quantrill, and posing for a picture with the Canadian relief pitcher, the former 2001 All-Star answered a few autograph questions.


















Let's roll.

Autograph Questions With...Paul Quantrill

Who was the first person you asked for an autograph?

PQ; My father got me a Bobby Orr autograph, when I was young.


















Who was the most recent person you asked for an autograph?

PQ; It was actually a Yankees team signed baseball for my son, while I played there.


















What MLB city had the most autograph hounds, when you played?

PQ; Baltimore.













What's the 'coolest' thing you've ever autographed?

PQ; Being Canadian, I have to say signing a hockey stick was the coolest thing that comes to mind!


















Finally, if you could ask anyone (living or deceased) for an autograph, whom would you ask?

PQ; Babe Ruth.




















Well, that's my first baseball player "AQW...", and I'm glad that it was a Canadian baseball player! Hoped you enjoyed it!














Thanks to Paul for his time, during his induction weekend. And thanks to Chris for taking our picture!

Take care,
Chris

3 comments:

  1. I chatted with him a bit on Saturday, since we are both from the same area. He is a class act for sure.

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  2. This blog needs more hockey, & cowbell...lol!
    Nice looking 8x10 though!

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  3. @Bill This is one of the two seasons in Canada-Winter and No Hockey

    ReplyDelete