Bobby Castillo

[William Malone]

Robert Ernie Castillo Jr. was born on April 18, 1955 in Los Angeles, California.

The Kansas City Royals took him in round six of the 1974 MLB Draft. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash in 1977, and made his Major League debut later that year as a September call-up. Castillo spent five seasons in the Dodgers bullpen, going 13-14 with 18 saves and a 3.42 ERA. He made two relief appearances during the 1981 postseason, helping Los Angeles win the World Series.

Castillo was traded to the Minnesota Twins shortly after the World Series. His time in Minnesota didn't start off well, allowing five runs in an Opening Day relief appearance. He also allowed four runs in another outing just six days later. Things settled down after that, and the Twins moved him to the rotation in late May with several starters either struggling or injured. Castillo finished the year with a 13-11 record and a 3.66 ERA, pitching 218.2 innings across 25 starts and 15 relief appearances. He hurled six complete games, including a four hit shutout against the Kansas City Royals on September 10th. This success made him a rare bright spot for the 102 loss Twins.

He went 8-12 with a 4.77 ERA in 1983, making 25 starts and two relief appearances. Various injuries limited him to 25.1 innings over ten appearances in 1984, but he was 2-1 with a 1.78 ERA when on the mound. Castillo went back to the Dodgers as a free agent that winter, but was very ineffective out of their bullpen in 1985. This was his final season in the Majors, but he continued to pitch professionally through 1987.

Castillo passed away from cancer in 2014.

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