Marty Castillo

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Martin Horace Castillo (born January 16, 1957, in Long Beach, California) was a Major League Baseball third baseman and catcher. He is an alumnus of Chapman University in Orange, California.

Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 5th round of the 1978 MLB amateur draft, Castillo made his Major League Baseball debut with the Detroit Tigers on August 19, 1981. Castillo played in only 7 games in the 1981 and 1982 seasons, but saw more frequent action in 1983, playing in 67 games.

Castillo had his best season as a member of the Detroit Tigers team that defeated the San Diego Padres in the 1984 World Series. Castillo played 33 games at third base and 36 at catcher for the 1984 Tigers. He had career highs in 1984, including a .234 batting average, 33 hits 11 extra base hits, and 17 RBIs. On August 26, 1984, Castillo went 3-for-4 and scored 3 runs in a victory over the Angels. On September 23, 1984, Catillo went 2-for-3, including a home run, and 2 RBIs, to help the Tigers win their 100th game of the season -- a 4-1 victory over the New York Yankees.

Castillo played exceptionally well in the post-season. He had 2 RBIs in the 1984 American League Championship Series, including the game-winning, pennant clinching RBI in Game 3, knocking in Chet Lemon for a 1-0 victory, sending the Tigers to the World Series. Castillo also caught the ball at third base for the final out of the pennant-clinching game in 1984. An article in The Detroit News several years ago questioned whether Castillo still had the ball. (Reunion of '84: Tigers is chance to catch up with some old friends, The Detroit News, July 22, 1999)

Castillo continued his hot hitting in the 1984 World Series, batting .333 with a .455 on base percentage and a .667 slugging percentage. He had 9 at bats in the World Series and made the most of them, with 3 hits, 2 runs scored, 2 walks, 2 RBIs, and a home run. The highlight of his career came in Game 3 of the World Series, when he hit a game-winning two-run home run. Castillo's homer came with Chet Lemon aboard on a 1-2 fastball, and it landed in the upper deck in left. "I wanted to do a couple of cartwheels, a backflip and a roundoff," said Castillo. [1] Castillo was also on base in Game 5 (the final game) when Kirk Gibson hit his 3-run home run in the bottom of the 8th inning off Goose Gossage.

He may be best remembered among Detroit-area fans from his appearance in a series of Little Caesars Pizza commercials promoting commemorative drinking glasses -- the joke being that on a team with so many great players, Castillo was angered that he didn't get respect in the field and also didn't get his face on one of the glasses.

In a 1984 Sports Illustrated article, Castillo was described as "an outgoing practical joker" and "one of the more popular Tigers." The article noted that Castillo ws "so nice that Tom Monaghan, owner of the club and Domino's Pizza, doesn't object to Castillo's endorsing Little Caesars Pizza." When asked by Sports Illustrated if his World Series home run might open the door to more commercial opportunities, Castillo said, 'I'm not going to worry about it. But my new phone number is ...'" [2]

When asked about his toughest moment in the big leagues, Castillo once recalled: "It happened in Kansas City. The players threw grasshoppers all over me." (Talkative Tigers from days gone by remind us there is humor in baseball, The Detroit News, September 21, 2001)

Castillo became a favorite in Detroit after his role in the 1984 "Bless You Boys" season, but hit .119 in 84 at bats in 1985. Castillo played his last major league game with the Tigers on October 5, 1985.

Recent articles in The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press have been published tracking the whereabouts of members of the 1984 Tigers team. In August 2006, the Detroit Free Press reported the following on Castillo: "Marty Castillo, 49, whereabouts unknown: Teammates are trying to find him. A few years ago, he owned the Homeplate Restaurant in Cape Coral, Fla." (Renewing the Roar: '84 Tigers: Where Are They Now?, Detroit Free Press, August 13, 2006) The Detroit News had no better luck locating Castillo, reporting in October 2006 as follows: "Marty Castillo: Whereabouts unknown." (The roar of '84; Members of the last Series team proud of this squad's sudden rise) The Detroit News, October 19, 2006).

It was previously reported in this article (and has subsequently reported elsewhere with citation to wikipedia) that Castillo had been located in Malaysia where he was the manager of a local baseball team - Tioman Tsunamis - in Tioman Island. However, no sources were cited for the assertion, and a search of the Internet turns up no information on a "Tioman Tsunamis" baseball team or Castillo's association with such a team. In fact, Tioman Island is a small volcanic island in the South China Sea with a predominantly Moslem population. It is unknown whether the posting relating to Castillo's coaching a local baseball team on Tioman Island was factual or a hoax.

[edit] See also

• 1984 Detroit Tigers season

[edit] Sources

• Page at Baseball Reference
• "Bless You Boys: Diary of the Detroit Tigers 1984 Season," by Sparky Anderson