Carlos Lee

Carlos Noriel Lee (born June 20, 1976 in Aguadulce, Panama) is a left fielder in Major League Baseball who plays for the Houston Astros. He bats and throws right-handed. He is married and has two daughters, Cassandra and Karla and a son, named Karlos. Lee owns and operates cattle ranches in Aguadulce and Houston. His brother, also named Carlos, played professional baseball in the Brewers minor league system. Lee has also been given the nickname of "El Caballo".

MLB

White Sox, Brewers, Rangers

Lee made his major league debut with the Chicago White Sox on May 7, 1999, hitting a home run in his first-ever Major League at-bat. He would remain in the White Sox organization until being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfielder Scott Podsednik and pitcher Luis Vizcaino.

Lee was the White Sox' starting left fielder for the first six years of his career, with only a few games a season as a designated hitter. He can hit for both average and power. From 2001-02, his batting average slumped to the .260s, but he has returned to exceeding .300, and has a career average of .288. His home run totals increased over the years. Lee was given his nickname "El Caballo", which means "The Horse", by White Sox television announcer Hawk Harrelson.

While Lee has provided steady production, he has not often been amongst the top ten in offensive categories or received awards for performance. His best showing was in the National League with 114 RBI. He was selected for the National League All-Star team in his first two seasons as a Brewer, and participated in the Home Run Derby in 2005.

On July 28, 2006, he was traded to the Rangers with minor league outfielder Nelson Cruz for outfielders Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix, relief pitcher Francisco Cordero, and minor league pitcher Julian Cordero. According to Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin, the Brewers attempted to resign Carlos Lee, but by the evening of July 27, it became apparent he would not sign a contract extension. The Brewers reportedly offered a four-year, $48 million contract extension, close to the four-year, $50 million extension David Ortiz signed earlier in 2006. Lee's agent Adam Katz said the two parties were too far away in negotiations and did not make a counter-offer.


Houston Astros

On November 24, 2006, Lee agreed to a six-year, $100 million contract with the Houston Astros. Since signing with the Astros, Lee has established himself as one of the premier hitters in the National League. Lee had a very productive first year in Houston, hitting .303 with 32 home runs and driving in 119 runs, which was good for a three way tie in the National League along with Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder.

On June 28, 2007, Lee hit a walk-off grand slam in the 11th inning against the Colorado Rockies, four innings after teammate Craig Biggio recorded his 3000th career hit. It was Lee's 4th career walk-off home run. Lee also has four game-winning RBI singles and a game-winning sac fly.

His fan base in Houston has grown quickly. He has a fan club called the "Los Caballitos", which means the "little horses" in Spanish-referencing his nickname, "El Caballo" (The Horse). The club convenes in Minute Maid Park next to the Conoco Home Run Pump in left-center field, where they wear large straw cowboy hats, Carlos Lee number 45 jerseys and ride stick ponies when he hits a home run.

Lee is a car enthusiast and his collection includes a Porsche 911 Turbo, a Lexus SC 430, a 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser, and a Lamborghini.