Robb Quinlan

{{Infobox baseball biography

|image=Robb Quinlan (DSCF0383) (cropped).jpg

|caption=Quinlan with the Los Angeles Angels in 2004

|name=Robb Quinlan

|position=First baseman / Third baseman

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1977|3|17}}

|birth_place=St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=July 28

|debutyear=2003

|debutteam=Anaheim Angels

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=June 25

|finalyear=2010

|finalteam=Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.276

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=25

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=121

|teams=

Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ({{Baseball year|2003}}–{{Baseball year|2010}})

}}

Robb William Quinlan (born March 17, 1977) is an American former Major League Baseball utility player who played first base, third base, corner outfield, catcher and designated hitter for the Anaheim Angels / Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim between 2003 and 2010.

Amateur career

A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Quinlan attended Hill-Murray School in Maplewood, Minnesota. At Hill-Murray School he set the state and school record for consecutive time reaching base. In his junior year in 1994, Quinlan reached base 86 consecutive times, garnering praise from newspapers around the country. He was drafted by the California Angels in the 33rd round (900th overall) of the 1995 Major League Baseball draft out of high school and was offered $50, but did not sign with them. Instead, Quinlan decided to attend the University of Minnesota and graduated from there in 1999, obtaining a degree in marketing and communications.

While at Minnesota, he was selected to the Big Ten Conference All-Star team three times, in {{Baseball year|1997}}, {{Baseball year|1998}}, and {{Baseball year|1999}}. In 1997, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League where he was named a league all-star.{{cite web|url=http://capecodbaseball.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2012website/archives/Current%20Year/All_Time_MLB_CCBL_Alumni.pdf |title=Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |access-date=January 9, 2020}}{{cite news | last =Judd | first =Grant | title = Pitching Decides the Kettleers' Fate | pages = 18 | newspaper = Yarmouth Register | location = Yarmouth, MA | date = July 24, 1997 | url = http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/Yarmouth/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=DPLTR%2F1997%2F07%2F24&id=Ar01800&sk=53947AB2&viewMode=image }} In 1999, he was Big Ten Conference Player of the Year after leading the conference in batting average at .416 and hits (92). Quinlan left as the Big Ten Conference's career leader in hits and Minnesota's career leader in hits, home runs, doubles, runs scored, RBI, total bases, and at-bats.{{cite press release |url=https://gophersports.com/news/1999/5/20/quinlan_named_big_ten_player_of_the_year.aspx |title=QUINLAN NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR |access-date=February 18, 2019 |date=May 20, 1999 |website=gophersports.com |publisher=University of Minnesota Athletics |language=en}}

He was drafted again by the Anaheim Angels in the 10th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball draft and signed on June 10.

Professional career

=Minor leagues=

In 1999, Quinlan played third base for the Low-A Boise Hawks making the Short-Season All-Star team and being named the Northwest League's MVP. He batted .322 with 9 home runs and 77 RBI. In {{Baseball year|2000}}, he was promoted to High-A Lake Elsinore and moved to first base; he hit .317 with 85 RBI. Quinlan was promoted to Double-A Arkansas for {{Baseball year|2001}} and after a solid year, began {{Baseball year|2002}} with Triple-A Salt Lake as an outfielder.

2002 was a career year for Quinlan. He spent the entire year with Triple-A Salt Lake and hit .333, posting career-highs in home runs (20), RBI (112), hits (176), and triples (13). He was named Pacific Coast League Rookie of the Year, PCL MVP, and Anaheim Angels Minor League Player of the Year. He was also named a Triple-A All-Star, PCL All-Star, and one of Baseball America's 1st team minor league All-Stars.

Quinlan started {{Baseball year|2003}} in the minors with Triple-A Salt Lake, but after batting .310, he was called up to the majors where he spent the rest of the year. He began {{Baseball year|2004}} with Triple-A again, but was called up to the majors after 27 games.

=Major leagues=

Quinlan made his major league debut on July 28, {{mlby|2003}}, and hit .287 for the rest of the year. After starting 2004 in Triple-A, he was called up the first week in May. He had a 21-game hit streak in 2004 from July 7 to August 10 which is the longest by an Angels rookie in club history, and was the longest by any rookie in the majors since Ichiro Suzuki (23) in {{mlby|2001}}.{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-aug-18-sp-angrep18-story.html |title=Quinlan Expected to Miss at Least a Month |access-date=2008-10-21 |author=Mike Digiovanna |author-link=Los Angeles Times |date=2004-08-18 |work=Los Angeles Times}} On August 17, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a torn oblique muscle, causing him to miss the rest of the year. For the season, Quinlan batted .344, including .407 in July, with 5 home runs and 23 RBI.

In {{mlby|2005}}, Quinlan, playing part-time, saw his batting average drop over 100 points to .231 and missed time with a bulging disk and inflamed shoulder. He rebounded in {{mlby|2006}} with a .321 average and saw a career-high in playing time with 234 at-bats in 86 games. Quinlan signed a two-year, $1.8 million contract before the {{mlby|2007}} season avoiding arbitration, but his batting average slumped again to .247. In {{mlby|2008}}, he played in 68 games mostly at third base and slightly improved his average to .262.

After the 2009 baseball season Quinlan filed for free agency for the first time in his career. On February 11, 2010, Quinlan agreed to a minor league contract to return to the Angels. He was added to the Major League roster at the end of spring training. On September 7, 2010, Quinlan was released by the Angels.{{cite web|last=Drellich|first=Evan|title=Angels release veteran utility man Quinlan|url=http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100907&content_id=14420730¬ebook_id=14424856&vkey=notebook_ana&fext=.jsp&c_id=ana|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909232108/http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100907&content_id=14420730¬ebook_id=14424856&vkey=notebook_ana&fext=.jsp&c_id=ana|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 9, 2010|work=MLB.com|date=September 7, 2010|access-date=September 7, 2010}}

Quinlan signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies with an invitation to spring training for the 2011 season.{{cite web|url=http://philly.sbnation.com/2011/1/6/1918939/phillies-training-camp-michael-schwimer-6-others-get-invites|title=Phillies Spring Training: Domonic Brown Ranked Baseball's 4th Best Prospect|website=SB Nation Philly|date=6 January 2011 }} On March 11, 2011, the Phillies reassigned Quinlan and his agent asked for his release, which the Phillies granted.{{cite web|url=http://zozone.mlblogs.com/archives/2011/03/the_phillies_locked_up_charlie.html|title=The Zo Zone|website=The Zo Zone}}

Personal

In May 2011, Quinlan became a volunteer coach and hitting instructor for the University of Minnesota, his alma mater, through at least the 2011-12 season.{{cite web |title=Robb Quinlan Joins Gophers as Volunteer Assistant |url=https://gophersports.com/news/2011/5/13/Robb_Quinlan_Joins_Gophers_as_Volunteer_Assistant.aspx |website=University of Minnesota Athletics |access-date=December 27, 2018 |language=en |date=May 13, 2011}}{{cite web |title=Robb Quinlan Back With the Gopher Baseball Team |url=https://gophersports.com/news/2011/9/5/robb_quinlan_back_with_the_gopher_baseball_team.aspx |website=University of Minnesota Athletics |access-date=December 27, 2018 |language=en |date=September 5, 2011}}{{cite web |title=Gopher Baseball Set to Host Pro-Alumni Game |url=https://gophersports.com/news/2012/1/25/Gopher_Baseball_Set_to_Host_Pro_Alumni_Game.aspx?path=baseball |website=University of Minnesota Athletics |access-date=December 27, 2018 |language=en |date=January 25, 2012}}

Since 2013, Quinlan has been the owner of multiple chiropractic franchises.{{cite web |last1=Pipes |first1=Kerry |title=Playing the Back Field: Making the shift from MLB to franchisee |url=https://www.franchising.com/articles/playing_the_back_field_making_the_shift_from_mlb_to_franchisee.html |website=Franchising.com |access-date=December 27, 2018 |date=May 10, 2018}}

Quinlan's older brother, Tom Quinlan, spent parts of four seasons in the major leagues with the Blue Jays, Phillies, and Twins. Tom and Robb Quinlan were part of the ownership group for the St. Croix River Hounds, a collegiate summer baseball team intended to play at Hudson, Wisconsin in the Northwoods League. First reported on in July 2017,{{cite news |last1=Mariscal |first1=Rebecca |title=Northwoods team to make Hudson its home |url=https://www.rivertowns.net/news/4297046-northwoods-team-make-hudson-its-home |access-date=July 1, 2024 |work=Hudson Star-Observer |publisher=Forum Communications |date=July 13, 2017 |location=River Falls, Wisconsin |language=en |quote=In 2018, the league will have 22 teams, including the St. Croix team.}} the team was removed from the Northwoods League website in 2023.{{cite news |last1=Leischner |first1=Mike |title=Northwoods League Expands Further Into North Dakota |url=https://wsau.com/2023/10/14/northwoods-league-expands-further-into-north-dakota/ |access-date=July 1, 2024 |date=October 14, 2023 |work=WSAU (AM)}}