Wilkin Castillo’s First MLB Hit In A Decade Shows His Perseverance
The last time that Wilkin Castillo got a hit in MLB prior to Saturday came on June 20, 2009. Castillo was playing for the Cincinnati Reds and was called upon to pinch hit. He did his job, but wasn't rewarded with the kind of career he hoped would follow.
Instead, Castillo was relegated back down to the minor leagues, then the Dominican Winter League, the Mexican League, and various other independent leagues. All-in-all, he played over 800 games in a ten-year span before getting his well-deserved call back to the big show.
Castillo made the most of his incredible opportunity. He started the game for the Miami Marlins on Saturday "in the squat" as their catcher. In the seventh inning, he crushed an RBI double into right field. Two runs scored, and the Marlins took a 4-3 lead over the Phillies. They would go on to win the game 6-4.
Speaking through an interpreter after the game, Wilkin Castillo said, "It was something indescribable... It was something out-of-body, just being there and seeing the whole scenario.."
Even more incredible is the record the long-awaited RBI gave Castillo. At 35-years-old, he became the first player in the history of the game to have a consecutive RBI streak last over ten years. His last hit, on that fateful day in 2009, also resulted in an RBI.
