Paul Quantrill


Paul John Quantrill is a Canadian former professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He earned a reputation for being very durable and having impeccable control. Quantrill regularly appeared in 80 or more games a season and did not walk more than 25 batters in a season from onwards. Commentators often joked that he had a "rubber arm".

Career

Quantrill was drafted in 1986 Major League Baseball draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 26th round, 660th overall, but did not sign. After three years at the University of Wisconsin he was drafted again, by the Boston Red Sox in the sixth round of the 1989 MLB 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, a team located in his home province of Ontario.
Before the season, Quantrill signed a two-year, $6.8-million deal with the Yankees. Due to poor performance, arguably due to overuse by Joe Torre, in late 2004 and early, 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.

Accomplishments

Since retirement, Quantrill has lived in Port Hope, Ontario.
His son Cal, born February 10, 1995, was a pitcher at Stanford University and was selected in the first round, eighth overall, in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft by the San Diego Padres.
Daughter Avery, born October 26, 2001 is thriving in her young modelling career in Toronto. Other daughter, Reese, born October 12, 1997 has graduated Santa Clara University with a bachelors of science commerce.
As of June 2016, Quantrill serves as a special assistant to the Toronto Blue Jays organization.