GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Jose Quintana made a promise at the end of the 2013 season.
This promise wasn't to become an American League Cy Young Award candidate or an All-Star or a pitcher who threw 200 innings per season. No guarantees of those types were needed with the talent and work ethic possessed by the southpaw. It seemingly came naturally.
The native of Colombia wanted to become fluent in English, being able to converse with his teammates and do his interviews with the media in the same way. And when Spring Training began in 2014, Quintana had achieved his goal.
No interpreter was needed, aside from occasional clarification on a point or two from Billy Russo, who serves in that role currently for the White Sox. Quintana was basically self-taught, aside from a couple of Chicago classes.
His learning process began in-season, speaking with his teammates, listening closely to what they were saying and processing the words. He also watched American television shows to help pick up the language.
What were the shows Quintana relied upon, you may ask? When questioned recently, he said there were a couple. When pushed for one in particular, Quintana laughed and needed a little help from Russo to jog his memory.
"Who is the guy who made the Boston Red Sox movie?" asked Quintana, referring to "Fever Pitch".
"Jimmy Fallon," Russo responded.
"I watched his show," Quintana said, smiling a little broader at this point. "I watched a couple of TV shows from him. It's really funny."
So the current host of The Tonight Show contributed to the current ace of the White Sox putting yet another impressive accomplishment on his resume. Ultimately this is not a tale of Quintana's late-night endorsement, as much as it's about the easy dedication and fervor with which Quintana approaches life.
"Just did it on his own. Made it look easy. Didn't draw any attention to the process and all of a sudden he's fluent," said White Sox general manager Rick Hahn of Quintana. "It's kind of like how he picked up the cutter in one Spring Training."
"That's part of my job and I put a lot of effort in to learn that language," Quintana said. "It's fun. It's fun when you can talk with American guys and know what they mean and everything. It's a different language, sometimes a different style. So that's cool when you can talk with them."
In 2010, at 21, Quintana pitched as part of the Yankees organization for the first time in the United States. He spoke Spanish and maybe a few words of English. It was difficult for him to form a phrase, and he lived that difficulty when going to a local mall or restaurant.
Flash forward seven years, and Quintana eloquently expressed himself on a national stage after no-hitting the USA for 5 2/3 innings during the World Baseball Classic.
Quintana added that it's easier to understand pitching coach Don Cooper's exact instructions even though Cooper does speak Spanish.
Credit goes to Quintana for his desire to learn, but maybe he can take from Fallon's regular bits and send a thank you note for Fallon's unknown contribution. Then again, Quintana's success might someday lead him to be a guest on the show.