In a breakout season, White Sox left fielder Carlos Quentin has taken a commanding lead in the American League home-run race with 32. The 25-year-old Quentin, who digs in and often leans over the plate, also leads the majors with 20 hit-by-pitches this season.

The right-handed hitter has stormed to the top of the HBP leader board by taking one for the team in six consecutive games going into Friday night’s contest in Oakland. From what historical records exist, reportedly Quentin is the only major leaguer since 1920 to be struck by a pitch in six straight games.

In the last 50 years, according to STATS’ databases, no one had been plucked in more than four consecutive contests in a single season before Quentin started taking hits this week. Five players have been struck four times in a season, with the most recent being Shawn Green in September 2006, as the Mets’ right fielder.

The others to get hit by a pitch in four straight games in a single season since 1954 are F.P. Santangelo (July 1997), Don Baylor (September 1976), Richie Hebner (May 1975) and Joe Cunningham (May-June 1961).

Baylor ranks second on the modern era’s all-time leader board for hit-by-pitches, with 267. His modern-era mark was surpassed in 2005 by Craig Biggio, who retired with 285. The long-time Houston star never was hit in more than three straight contests.

Quentin has a history of absorbing pitches with body parts. Playing for Stanford before signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks, he set an NCAA record by going 5-for-5 in a game against Florida State. That’s five times up, hit five times.

In 379 minor league games, Quentin was hit 112 times. He set a minor league record in 2004, when he was hit with 43 pitches playing between high Class-A Lancaster and Double-A El Paso. In 2005 with Triple-A Tucson, he was hit three times in a single game, twice in the same inning, en route to a new Pacific Coast League record for a single season (29).

On pace for 27 HBP in 2008, Quentin is far off from the modern-day record of 50 by Ron Hunt with the 1971 Expos. In time, Quentin may get there, but obviously his power breakout is what deserves the headlines. No one could have predicted Quentin competing for the AL home-run crown, let alone winning it.

That would be monumental to the White Sox for another reason. Only two White Sox players have ever won home-run crowns in the 107-year history of the franchise. They combined for three homer titles, all collected in the four-year span 1971-74. Bill Melton led the league with 33 in 1971, and Dick Allen topped the circuit in both 1972 (37) and 1974 (32).

A stranger twist to Quentin’s big season is that he could become just the sixth player in the modern era to lead his league in both homers and HBP in a single season, and he would be the first American Leaguer in 44 years. No one on the chart can top his 20 HBP.

Led AL or NL in HR & HBP in Same Season, Since 1900

Player, Year Team. . . . . . .League. . . HR. . . . HBP
Cy Williams, 1927 Phi. . . . . .. . NL. . . . .30*. . . . .9
Joe DiMaggio, 1948 NYY. . . . . AL. . . . . 39. . . . .8
Al Rosen, 1950 Cle. . . . . . . . . AL. . . . .37. . . . 10*
Harmon Killebrew, 1964 Min. . AL. . . . . 49. . . . .8*
Mike Schmidt, 1976 Phi. . . . . NL. . . . . 38. . . . 11*

• tied for league lead