José Castillo (infielder) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids José Castillo |
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Castillo with the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2011
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| Second baseman / Third baseman | |||
| Born: March 19, 1981 Las Mercedes, Guárico, Venezuela |
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| Died: December 6, 2018 (aged 37) Yaracuy, Venezuela |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: April 7, 2004, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| NPB: March 26, 2010, for the Yokohama BayStars | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| MLB: September 28, 2008, for the Houston Astros | |||
| NPB: October 22, 2011, for the Chiba Lotte Marines | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .254 | ||
| Home runs | 39 | ||
| Runs batted in | 218 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .271 | ||
| Home runs | 24 | ||
| Runs batted in | 89 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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José Castillo Rondón (born March 19, 1981 – died December 6, 2018) was a professional baseball player from Venezuela. He was an infielder, meaning he played in the inner part of the baseball field. José played for several teams during his career. These included the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, and Houston Astros in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States. He also played for the Chiba Lotte Marines and Yokohama BayStars in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. Sadly, José died in a car crash in Venezuela in 2018.
Contents
Playing Baseball Professionally
Starting with the Pittsburgh Pirates
José Castillo began his professional baseball journey on July 2, 1997. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization as a young international player. His first professional game was in 1999 with the GCL Pirates. In 2000, he played for the Hickory Crawdads. He hit well, with a batting average of .299 and 16 home runs.
The next year, he moved up to the Lynchburg Hillcats. He continued to improve, especially in 2002, where he hit .300 with 16 home runs. In 2003, he played for the Altoona Curve. After this season, Baseball America magazine called him the fourth-best young player in the Pirates' system. USA Today Sports Weekly also ranked him as the top Pirates prospect.
In 2003, José was chosen to be the starting shortstop for the World Team in the Major League Baseball's All-Star Futures Game. This game features some of the best young players in baseball. He was also an All-Star in the Double-A Eastern League.
Making it to Major League Baseball
José Castillo joined the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2004 for his first season in Major League Baseball. He quickly impressed everyone with his great defense. He could cover a lot of ground and had a very strong arm. This was even better than the Pirates expected.
At the plate, he showed flashes of his power. He hit a very long home run, about 445 feet, on July 5, 2004. Even though he missed two months due to injury, he finished his first year with eight home runs and a .256 batting average. Because of his strong defense, he became the Pirates' starting second baseman for the 2005 season.
Dealing with Injuries
The 2005 season was tough for José because of injuries. He missed time in April with a muscle strain. Then, in late August, he hurt his left knee during a game and missed the rest of the season.
Despite these injuries, José showed progress. His defense remained strong, and he helped the Pirates turn many double plays. He also improved his hitting, batting .268 with 11 home runs. The Pirates hoped he would be fully healthy for the 2006 season.
A Strong Start in 2006
In 2006, José Castillo was the Pirates' main second baseman. After a slow start in April, he had an amazing May. He was one of the best hitters in all of Major League Baseball that month. He even won the "Player of the Week" award for his great performance.
The 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held in Pittsburgh that year. José was one of the top vote-getters among second basemen in the National League. However, his teammates Jason Bay and Freddy Sanchez were chosen to represent the Pirates.
After his strong start, José struggled later in the 2006 season. His hitting average dropped, and he made more errors than usual. He finished the season with 14 home runs and a .253 batting average.
Changes and Challenges
In 2007, José Castillo worked hard and had a great spring training. However, the Pirates decided to make José Bautista their starting third baseman. This meant José Castillo would start the season as a player who came off the bench.
He didn't get to play much in May and June. Even though his manager praised his good attitude, José's agent asked the Pirates to trade him so he could play more. The 2007 season was disappointing for José. He played in only about half of the team's games, often as a pinch hitter. He finished with a .244 batting average and no home runs. The Pirates released him on December 6, 2007.
Moving to Other Teams
After leaving the Pirates, José Castillo signed with the Florida Marlins in December 2007. However, he was soon picked up by the San Francisco Giants in March 2008. He started as their third baseman and played well for a few months. But in August, the Giants decided to let him go.
A week later, the Houston Astros claimed him. He finished the 2008 season with the Astros, hitting .281 in 15 games. After the season, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.
Playing in Asia and Mexico
In 2009, José Castillo joined the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions in Taiwan. He had a fantastic season there, hitting .314 with 13 home runs. He even helped his team win the Taiwan Series championship!
In 2010, he moved to Japan to play for the Yokohama BayStars in Nippon Professional Baseball. He played in 131 games, hitting 19 home runs. The next year, he played for the Diablos Rojos del México in the Mexican League, where he hit .357. Later in 2011, he returned to Japan to play for the Chiba Lotte Marines.
José continued his career playing for several teams in the Mexican League over the next few years. He played for the Rojos del Águila de Veracruz multiple times, and also for the Pericos de Puebla and Olmecas de Tabasco. In 2013, he had an amazing season with Puebla, hitting 25 home runs and driving in 108 runs. His last professional team was Parmaclima in the Italian Baseball League in 2017.
Tragic Death
On December 6, 2018, José Castillo was in a car with two other baseball players, Luis Valbuena and Carlos Rivero. They were in Yaracuy, Venezuela, returning from a game. Sadly, their car was involved in a serious accident. The car overturned, and both José Castillo and Luis Valbuena tragically died. Four people were later arrested in connection with the incident. José, Luis, and Carlos were all teammates on the Venezuelan winter team Cardenales de Lara.
See also
In Spanish: José Castillo (beisbolista) para niños
- List of Major League Baseball players from Venezuela
