10-19-2009, 10:19 AM
I know this is just a Muskrat fluff piece, but still has me a little optimistic. I really hope this kid makes it by 2010 and is around for a long time.
Castro on the fast track to big leagues
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->"I haven't had a player go through the system who has done what he's done," said Cubs player development director Oneri Fleita. "I think we would've been happy if he hit .250 in Daytona. He's certainly surpassed any expectations we've had. To finish at Double-A and get a chance to play in the [Southern League] playoffs -- and he contributed to them winning.
"It seems like it takes some guys a year before we see any gains. We're seeing gains in Castro weekly, monthly, if not daily. Who knows?"
Sitting in the HoHoKam Park dugout prior to a AFL game in Mesa last week, Castro admitted he still needs to work hard. Once the AFL is finished, he'll return home to Monte Cristy in the northern part of the Dominican Republic, and continue to play. His father, a fisherman, is ill, and Castro, the eldest of five children, has taken on the responsibility of being the family's provider.
"He told his father, 'You don't have to work any more. I'll take care of you,'" said Cubs Minor League catcher Welington Castillo of Castro. "To me, that will make him work harder every day. He has a reason to work hard to help his family. He's the man."
That's not uncommon, and not just for the kids from the Dominican, Fleita said.
"You see a lot of these young kids and they have a burden of a lot of things on their shoulders," Fleita said. "[Castro] has shown he can balance a lot of things that have been thrown at him."
Castro said his father made sacrifices to provide his son with shoes and a glove so he could pursue his dream of playing Major League Baseball. Because his father worked so hard, the son is trying to return the favor. Castro has one goal.
"I want to be the best shortstop in the Major Leagues," he said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Castro on the fast track to big leagues
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->"I haven't had a player go through the system who has done what he's done," said Cubs player development director Oneri Fleita. "I think we would've been happy if he hit .250 in Daytona. He's certainly surpassed any expectations we've had. To finish at Double-A and get a chance to play in the [Southern League] playoffs -- and he contributed to them winning.
"It seems like it takes some guys a year before we see any gains. We're seeing gains in Castro weekly, monthly, if not daily. Who knows?"
Sitting in the HoHoKam Park dugout prior to a AFL game in Mesa last week, Castro admitted he still needs to work hard. Once the AFL is finished, he'll return home to Monte Cristy in the northern part of the Dominican Republic, and continue to play. His father, a fisherman, is ill, and Castro, the eldest of five children, has taken on the responsibility of being the family's provider.
"He told his father, 'You don't have to work any more. I'll take care of you,'" said Cubs Minor League catcher Welington Castillo of Castro. "To me, that will make him work harder every day. He has a reason to work hard to help his family. He's the man."
That's not uncommon, and not just for the kids from the Dominican, Fleita said.
"You see a lot of these young kids and they have a burden of a lot of things on their shoulders," Fleita said. "[Castro] has shown he can balance a lot of things that have been thrown at him."
Castro said his father made sacrifices to provide his son with shoes and a glove so he could pursue his dream of playing Major League Baseball. Because his father worked so hard, the son is trying to return the favor. Castro has one goal.
"I want to be the best shortstop in the Major Leagues," he said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->