José Castro (baseball)
| José Castro | |
|---|---|
 Castro with the Braves in 2016 | |
| Atlanta Braves – No. 59 | |
| Infielder / Coach | |
| Born: May 5, 1958 Havana, Cuba | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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José Castro (born May 5, 1958) is a Cuban professional baseball coach in Major League Baseball (MLB) who spent 2018 as the assistant hitting coach with the Atlanta Braves. He was previously the hitting coach of the Seattle Mariners for part of the 2008 season and later the quality assurance coach with the 2014 Chicago Cubs.
Career[]
A former minor league infielder who played for 14 seasons (1977–1990) without ever reaching the majors, Castro also spent part of the 2010 season as the manager of the Tacoma Rainiers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Mariners.
Castro also has served as the hitting coach with the San Diego Padres Triple-A affiliate Portland Beavers from 2005–2006, and the Montreal Expos now-defunct Triple-A affiliate Edmonton Trappers in 2003. He was announced as the roving minor league hitting instructor for the entire Seattle Mariners organization in December 2007.[1]
Following Seattle Mariners manager John McLaren's firing on June 19, 2008, bench coach Jim Riggleman was promoted to the top spot, Lee Elia was moved from hitting coach to bench coach, and Castro became the new hitting coach for the team. On January 13, 2009, he was named the Mariners' minor league hitting coordinator.[2]
Castro went to Miami Jackson Senior High school where they retired his number, "9". Signed out of high school in 1977, Castro played minor league ball for 14 years, with 10 of these being at the Triple-A level, however, he never played in the majors, and instead went right into coaching, which he has done ever since.
Castro defected from Cuba with his family at the young age of seven in 1965.
On August 9, 2010, Castro was promoted from hitting coach to interim manager of the Tacoma Rainiers, replacing Daren Brown. The Mariners had named Brown their manager after firing Don Wakamatsu earlier that day.
References[]
- ^ Mariners announce 2008 Minor League Coaching and Player Development staff | Mariners.com: Official Info
- ^ Jim Street (2009-01-12). "Mariners announce Minors coaches". MLB.com. Retrieved 2009-01-14.
External links[]
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- Coach's page from Retrosheet
- KOMO radio interview on June 17, 2008
- USA Today article November 29, 2008
- Venezuelan Winter League
- 1958 births
- Living people
- Atlanta Braves coaches
- Auburn Phillies players
- Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
- Chicago Cubs coaches
- Cuban baseball coaches
- Cuban baseball players
- Cuban emigrants to the United States
- Denver Bears players
- Denver Zephyrs players
- Edmonton Trappers players
- Indianapolis Indians players
- Major League Baseball hitting coaches
- Minor league baseball managers
- Navegantes del Magallanes players
- Cuban expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
- Oklahoma City 89ers players
- Omaha Royals players
- Peninsula Pilots players
- Reading Phillies players
- Seattle Mariners coaches
- Spartanburg Phillies players
- Sportspeople from Havana
- Sports coaches from Miami
- Baseball players from Miami
- Syracuse Chiefs players
- Miami Jackson Senior High School alumni