Biography’s Vinny Castilla
Vinny Castilla is a Mexico-born former Major League Baseball third baseman who played his best years with the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves. Previously, he played with the Atlanta Braves (1991–1992, 2002–2003), Colorado Rockies (1993–1999, 2004, 2006), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2000–2001), Houston Astros (2001), Washington Nationals (2005), and San Diego Padres (2006). He currently serves as a special assistant to the Rockies GM Jeff Bridich.
Baseball Career (1991-2006)
The Atlanta Braves purchased Castilla’s contract from the Saltillo club out of the Mexican League in 1990. Vinny Castilla made his MLB debut as a shortstop for the Braves on September 9, 1991. For the 1992 season, he only appeared in 8 games.
Colorado Rockies (1993-1999)
In November 1992 he was selected by the Rockies in the expansion draft. For the 1993 season, Vinny Castilla played regularly hitting 9 home runs and 9 triples (8th in the league) and 30 RBIs in 105 games as a shortstop. In 1994 his playing time was reduced mainly due to the acquisition of shortstop Walt Weiss and the 1994-95 Major League Baseball strike. Castilla only saw action in 52 games, hitting .311 with 11 doubles, playing all four positions in the infield.
After the departure of starting third baseman Charlie Hayes, Castilla was the leading candidate to man third base for the 1995 season. This, along with the help of manager Don Baylor, was the turning point in Castlla’s career, hitting .319 with 17 home runs and 48 runs batted in by the All-Star break, earning him a backup spot in the All-Star team. Vinny Castilla was later named the starting third baseman for the NL after Matt Williams was out with an injury.
He finished the season with a .309 batting average, 32 home runs, and 90 RBIs, earning his first Silver Slugger Award. In the NLDS against Atlanta, he hit .467 with 3 home runs. Many considered Castilla’s numbers to be a fluke, mainly because of playing at the friendly confines of a thin-air Denver stadium, a stigma that would follow Vinny for most of his Colorado career. His performance earned him votes for the NL MVP award, finishing 18th on the ballot.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2000-2001)
Prior to the 2000 season, Castilla was sent to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, a team that featured veteran sluggers Jose Canseco, Greg Vaughn, and Fred McGriff. However, he played only in 85 games, hitting for a .221 BA and 6 home runs. The following year, Vinny Castilla played only 24 games for Tampa Bay before being traded to the Houston Astros.
Houston Astros (2001)
After playing only 24 games for Tampa Bay at the beginning of the 2001 season, Castilla went to play for the Houston Astros where he re-discovered his power at the plate. Vinny Castilla played in 122 games, hitting 23 home runs (including three in one game against the Pirates on July 28) and 82 RBIs, making it to the postseason with the Astros, where he hit .273 with a solo home run in the NLDS.
Return to the Atlanta Braves (2002-2003)
He was signed as a free agent by the Braves in 2002. Although his offensive numbers declined (.232/12/61), he established himself as a premier defender at third base, leading the league in fielding average with .982. In the postseason he hit a solid .320 with a home run and 4 RBIs. Vinny Castilla played another season with the Braves in 2003, finishing the year with 22 homers and 76 runs batted in.
Post-playing Career
He decided to retire after the Caribbean Series on February 7, 2007, becoming a special assistant to Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd. In 2007, he was named manager of the Mexico baseball team for the Pan American Games, and also served as a manager in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. In 2008, he was a player-manager for the Naranjeros de Hermosillo in the Mexican Pacific League. Castilla and his wife, Samantha, have 3 sons, Vinicio Jr., Daulton, and Cristian.
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Reference: Net Worth of Vinny Castilla