Carlos Delgado

About Carlos Delgado

Carlos Juan Delgado Hernández (born June 25, 1972) is a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman for the New York Mets. As of the end of the 2007 season, Carlos Delgado ranks thirty-seventh (37) among all-time Major League home run hitters. Delgado is sixty (60) home runs away from joining the 500 home run club and, as of May 2008, holds the all-time home run record among players born in Puerto Rico.

Delgado was born to Carlos "Cao" Delgado and Carmen Digna Hérnandez and grew up in a sector named El Prado in Aguadilla. Here he attended elementary school along side his three siblings. During his childhood he was well known since his father "Don Cao" and his grandfather Asdrúbal "Pingolo" Delgado were known figures in the town. He has said that beeing known made him felt "protected" but that he had to behave properly due to it. When he was a teenager his family moved to Reparto Ramos. He attended Agustín Stahl middle school and José de Diego high school, from which he graduated in 1989. Delgado has expressed that he feel a strong pride in being an Aguadillano, noting everything he holds dear is found in the municipality and his off-season house is located there. He developed friendship with several of the town's inhabitants, with whom he began playing baseball in the little leagues. Delgado married Betzaida García who is also from Aguadilla.

In the summer of 1988, the Texas Rangers, New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays all wanted to sign Delgado. He chose the Toronto Blue Jays, and made his Major League debut with the team during the 1993 season. Though he didn't play in the 1993 World Series, he was awarded a World Series ring, as the Blue Jays won.