| Tony Castillo | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1963-03-01)March 1, 1963 (age 62) Quíbor, Lara,Venezuela | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 14, 1988, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 19, 1998, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 28–23 |
| Earned run average | 3.93 |
| Strikeouts | 333 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Antonio José Castillo Jiménez (born March 1, 1963) is aVenezuelan formerrelief pitcher inMajor League Baseball (MLB), who played for theToronto Blue Jays,Atlanta Braves,New York Mets andChicago White Sox. Listed at 5' 10"[1.78 m.], 177 lb.[80 k.], he batted and threw left-handed.
Castillo played in ten MLB seasons spanning 1988–1998, pitching in 403 games, 218 of them with the Blue Jays. Castillo posted an overall record of 28–23 with a 3.93 ERA and 22 saves,striking out 333 batters whilewalking 179 in526+2⁄3innings of work. Castillo played in four career playoff games, all with Toronto in 1993, posting a 1–0 record with a 5.06 ERA, and helping the Jays win the1993 World Series.
Castillo signed with theToronto Blue Jays as an amateur free agent on February 16, 1983, and worked his way through the Blue Jays farm system before making hisMajor League Baseball debut with the club on August 14, 1988, where he pitched a scoreless inning out of the bullpen in a 6–0 loss to theKansas City Royals. He earned his first career strikeout against Royals shortstopKurt Stillwell. On September 3, Castillo earned his first career victory, pitching2+1⁄3 innings, allowing no hits and walking two batters, while striking out one in a 7–4 win over theTexas Rangers. Castillo played in 14 games with Toronto, going 1–0 with a 3.00 ERA in 15 innings pitched.
Castillo began the 1989 season with the Blue Jays, however, he struggled with the team, going 1–1 with a 6.11 ERA in 17 games. He did earn his first career save on April 16 against the Kansas City Royals, pitching4+2⁄3 innings of scoreless baseball out of the bullpen in a 15–8 win. On August 24, the Blue Jays traded Castillo andFrancisco Cabrera to theAtlanta Braves forJim Acker.
Castillo finished the 1989 season with theAtlanta Braves, getting into getting into 12 games with the club, going 0–1 with a 4.82 ERA in9+2⁄3 innings pitched.
In 1990, Castillo made his first career start on July 24 in the second game of a doubleheader against theHouston Astros, and allowed two runs in4+1⁄3 innings pitched, as he had a no-decision in a 9–8 victory. He played in 52 games with Atlanta, starting three of them, as Castillo had a 5–1 record with a 4.23 ERA in76+2⁄3 innings pitched.
Castillo began the 1991 season in the Braves bullpen, where he went 1–1 with a 7.27 ERA in seven games before being traded withJoe Roa to theNew York Mets forAlejandro Peña on August 28.
Castillo finished the 1991 season strong with theNew York Mets, playing in 10 games, starting three of them, as he went 1–0 with a 1.90 ERA in23+2⁄3 innings pitched. On January 22, 1992, the Mets traded Castillo andMark Carreon to theDetroit Tigers in exchange forPaul Gibson and minor leaguer Randy Marshall.
Castillo ran into injury problems in the 1992 season, and did not play in any games with the Tigers. He then spent some time with theirTriple-A affiliate, theToledo Mud Hens of theInternational League, where he was primarily used as a starting pitcher. On October 15, Castillo was granted free agency.
On January 11, 1993, Castillo rejoined his original team, the Blue Jays. Castillo made 51 appearances as part of the bullpen, going 3–2 record with a 3.38 ERA in50+2⁄3innings pitched en route to the 1993American League East title. In the championship series, he pitched two scoreless innings in two games, as the Blue Jays defeated theChicago White Sox and advanced to the1993 World Series to face thePhiladelphia Phillies. Castillo earned the victory in the fourth game of the series, as Toronto won the game 15–14. Overall, Castillo was 1–0 with an ERA of 8.10, allowing three runs in3+1⁄3 innings, while Toronto won the World Series championship in six games.
Castillo had a very strong 1994 season, going 5–2 with a 2.51 ERA in 68 innings pitched, before the season ended early due to the1994 strike.
Castillo had another solid season in 1995, despite posting a 1–5 record in 55 games, collecting an ERA of 3.22 in72+2⁄3 innings and leading the Blue Jays with 13 saves.
In 1996, Castillo had a record 2–3 with a 4.23 ERA in 40 games out of the bullpen. In August, he was traded by Toronto alongDomingo Cedeño to the Chicago White Sox forLuis Andújar and minor leaguer Allen Halley.
Castillo finished the 1996 season with the White Sox strong, going 3–1 with a 1.50 ERA in 15 games pitched.
In 1997, Castillo pitched in a career-high 64 games, going 4–4 with a 4.91 ERA and four saves. But he struggled in 1998, as he was 1–1 with an 8.10 ERA in 25 appearances. He was released in June of that year.