Alberto Castillo Betancourt (born July 5, 1975) is a

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

n former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

for the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

and

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...

Amateur career

Castillo played for Cuba in the 1993 World Junior Championships in Windsor, Ontario, at which time he defected. After relocating to the United States, he enrolled in

Miami Dade College Miami Dade College (Miami Dade, MDC or Dade) is a public college in Miami, Florida. Founded in 1959, it has a total of eight campuses and twenty-one outreach centers throughout Miami-Dade County. It is the largest college in the Florida College ...

where he played amateur baseball at the junior college level.

Professional career

Giants and Yankees

After being selected by the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

in the third round (88th overall) of the

1994 MLB draft First round selections The following are the first round picks in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft. Compensation picks Compensation Picks Other notable players *Troy Glaus, 2nd round, 37th overall by the San Diego Padres, but did not ...

, Castillo began his career in the Giants organization as a

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

, although he did pitch a few times that season for the

Everett Giants The Everett Giants were a minor league baseball team based in Everett, Washington, north of Seattle. The Giants were members of the Class A-Short Season Northwest League from 1984 through 1994 and were an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. H ...

. After playing first base exclusively in 1995, he was converted to a full-time pitcher the following year but would briefly return to hitting a few years later and spend a few seasons as a two-way player and even spent another full season as a first baseman. He spent two more seasons in the Giants system, playing for the

Bellingham Giants The Bellingham Giants were a Minor League Baseball team in the Class A-Short Season Northwest League, based in Bellingham, Washington, for two seasons (1995, 1996), and were an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. After years of struggling atte ...

in 1996 and the

San Jose Giants The San Jose Giants are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Located in San Jose, California, the Giants play their home games at Excite Ballpark. Games San Jose Giants ga ...

in 1997. That offseason, he was traded by the Giants to the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

in November 1997 as part of a package for

Charlie Hayes Charles Dewayne Hayes (born May 29, 1965) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and former coach for the FCL Phillies. Hayes played in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yank ...

. Castillo spent just one season, 1998, in the Yankees' farm system, splitting the season between the

Greensboro Bats Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...

and

Tampa Yankees Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

. He appeared in 17 games, all as a pitcher, but walked 39 batters in 21 innings for a 9.00 ERA.

Northern League

The Yankees released Castillo in January 1999, and he was signed by the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

. The White Sox released Castillo during

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

, and he spent the 1999 season with the

Schaumburg Flyers The Schaumburg Flyers were a professional baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois, in the United States. The Flyers were to be charter members of the North American League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, but the team fol ...

of the independent Northern League. In 1999, Castillo would pick up the bat again and came to the plate 26 times (mostly as a pinch hitter but did play five games at first base) hitting .348/.407/.739. In 2000, Castillo was brought to spring training by the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

, but they, too, released him, and Castillo returned to the Flyers where he continued to pitch and hit. In 2000, he hit .329/.407/.453, and posted a 4.59 ERA over 17 games started.

Atlantic League

After the 2000 season, Castillo was signed by the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...

as a hitter and spent the season with the Single-A

Bakersfield Blaze The Bakersfield Blaze were a minor league baseball team in Bakersfield, California. They played in the Class A – Advanced California League. They played their home games at Sam Lynn Ballpark. Opened in 1941, the stadium is well known for facin ...

, hitting .274/.329/.415 with 11 home runs and 54 RBI while appearing in 82 games at first base. He was released before the beginning of the 2002 season. He returned to the independent leagues, signing with the

Newark Bears The Newark Bears were an American minor league professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They were a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and, later, the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball. T ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

again both pitching and hitting. He would only hit .240 with a measly .277 on base percentage spanning 159 plate appearances marking his last time hitting regularly as a professional. In 2003, he was again invited to spring training by an MLB team, this time the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

. Once again, however, he was released before the season began, and he returned to the Bears. In 2004, Castillo found himself without a major league team in the spring for the first time. He started the 2004 season with the

Atlantic City Surf The Atlantic City Surf were a professional minor league baseball team based in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Surf was most recently a member of the Can-Am League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. The Surf played its home games ...

of the Atlantic League, then played for the Tuneros de San Luis Potosí of the

Mexican League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

. After missing 2005 due to elbow surgery, Castillo played for the Atlantic League's

Road Warriors The Road Warriors, also known as the Legion of Doom, were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Road Warrior Hawk (Michael Hegstrand) and Road Warrior Animal (Joseph Laurinaitis).. They performed under the name "The Road Warriors" in t ...

in 2006 and the beginning of 2007. He finished 2007 with the

Camden Riversharks The Camden Riversharks were an American professional baseball team based in Camden, New Jersey, from 2001 to 2015. They were a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which was not at that time affiliat ...

Baltimore Orioles

Castillo finally returned to affiliated baseball when he was signed to a minor league contract by the

for the 2008 season. He began that season with the Baltimore Orioles' Triple-A affiliate, the

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...

, before making his major league debut on April 28, 2008 in the 13th inning against the

, he faced one batter and picked up the win. He spent the rest of the season with the Orioles, posting a 1–0 record and a 3.81 ERA in 28 relief appearances. Castillo split the 2009 season between the Orioles and Norfolk, and began 2010 with the Tides as well. Castillo was recalled to the majors shortly thereafter, but on June 10, Castillo was designated for assignment to make room on the Orioles' roster for

Jake Arrieta Jacob Joseph Arrieta (born March 6, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Diego Padres. Arrieta played college ...

. He was then returned to Norfolk, where he finished the season. He was granted free agency on October 5, 2010. He was re-signed by the Orioles to a minor league contract in December 2010. After starting the season 2–4 with a 1.89 ERA in 20 games for Norfolk, he was granted free agency on June 15, 2011.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On June 18, 2011, the

signed Castillo to a minor league deal. He had his contract purchased on June 28. He appeared in 17 games with a 1–0 record and a 2.31 ERA for the Diamondbacks, and then became a free agent on October 21.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On December 13, 2011, Castillo signed a minor league contract with the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

. On March 18, he was released by the Dodgers.

Piratas de Campeche

On April 13, 2012, Castillo signed with the

Piratas de Campeche The Piratas de Campeche (English: Campeche Pirates) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League (LMB) based in Campeche, Campeche, Mexico. History In 1980, the Alacranes de Durango moved to Campeche, and played their home games at Ven ...

of the

Mexican Baseball League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

. He was released on May 4.

Diablos Rojos del Mexico

On April 4, 2015, Castillo signed with the

Diablos Rojos del Mexico The Diablos Motorcycle Club, or Diablos MC for short, is a " one-percenter" outlaw motorcycle club that has chapters in cities across the United States. John E. Irvin, president of the Diablos' San Fernando Valley chapter, and Thomas E. Pastor, ...

of the

. He was released on April 7. He was resigned on May 8.

Guerreros de Oaxaca

On June 4, 2015, Castillo was traded to the

Guerreros de Oaxaca The Guerreros de Oaxaca (English: Oaxaca Warriors) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. Their home field is Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos. History In October 1995, a group of businessmen, ...

. He was released on July 5.

Joplin Blasters

Castillo signed with the Joplin Blasters of the

American Association of Independent Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...

following his release.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Castillo, Alberto 1975 births Living people Major League Baseball pitchers Baltimore Orioles players Arizona Diamondbacks players Everett Giants players Burlington Bees players Bellingham Giants players San Jose Giants players Tampa Yankees players Schaumburg Flyers players Greensboro Bats players Bakersfield Blaze players Newark Bears players Atlantic City Surf players Tuneros de San Luis Potosí players Pennsylvania Road Warriors players Camden Riversharks players Norfolk Tides players Reno Aces players Miami Dade Sharks baseball players Major League Baseball players from Cuba Cuban expatriate baseball players in the United States Atlantic League Road Warriors players Piratas de Campeche players Joplin Blasters players Defecting Cuban baseball players Cuban expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Estrellas Orientales players Cañeros de Los Mochis players Cuban expatriate baseball players in Mexico Baseball players from Havana

Amateur career

Professional career

Giants and Yankees

Northern League

Atlantic League

Baltimore Orioles

Arizona Diamondbacks

Los Angeles Dodgers

Piratas de Campeche

Diablos Rojos del Mexico

Guerreros de Oaxaca

Joplin Blasters

See also

References

External links