Benigno Enrique "Benny" Castillo (born on July 15, 1966 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a former professional baseball player and manager

Manager (baseball)

In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...

.

Early life

Raised in the Bronx, New York, Castillo attended Park West High School, where he was coached by Paul Gordon, who was a mentor and father figure to both Castillo and future MLB player Devon White. Castillo played American Legion Baseball

American Legion Baseball

American Legion Baseball is a variety of amateur baseball played by teenage boys in 50 states in the USA. More than five thousand teams participate each year. The American Legion Department of South Dakota established the program in 1925 at Milbank, South Dakota...

 with the Youth Service program out of the Parade Grounds in Brooklyn run by Mel Zitter.

College

As a freshman, Castillo attended and played at Central State University

Central State University

Central State University, commonly referred to as "C-State", is a historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio, United States. It is the only public HBCU in Ohio.-History:...

 in Ohio. As a sophomore he transferred to The Community College of Baltimore, where he was drafted in the 4th round of the 1986 MLB draft

1986 Major League Baseball Draft

The 1986 Major League Baseball Draft was the 22nd MLB draft that took place in 1986. During this draft, five all-stars were drafted in five different teams.-First round selections:...

 by the Cleveland Indians

Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...

. Opting to pass up pro ball at the time, Castillo enrolled at Oklahoma State University (OSU) where he was coached by the legendary Hall of Fame coach Gary Ward

Gary Ward (baseball coach)

Gary Ward is a former baseball coach in the United States. He was the head baseball coach at Oklahoma State University from 1978 to 1996, compiling a record of 953–313–1. Ward won 17 Big Eight Conference championships at OSU, including 16 in a row from 1980 to 1996. He led his team...

. While Castillo was a junior in 1987, OSU reached the championship game in the College World Series

College World Series

The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...

 against Stanford University

Stanford University

The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...

, losing 9 to 5 to future MLB pitcher Jack McDowell

Jack McDowell

Jack Burns McDowell is a former Major League Baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, McDowell won the American League Cy Young Award in 1993. He was nicknamed "Black Jack."...

.

Minor leagues

Castillo was drafted again in the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft

1988 Major League Baseball Draft

-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1988 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental First Round Selections:-External links:*...

 by the Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...

 organization, beginning his career there that season. A well-traveled player, he played for such teams as the Appalachian League

Appalachian League

The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...

's Bristol Tigers (1988), the South Atlantic League

South Atlantic League

The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...

's Fayetteville Generals

Fayetteville Generals

The Fayetteville Generals were a minor league baseball team located in Fayetteville, North Carolina.They were part of the South Atlantic League between 1987 and 1996. They were affiliated with the Detroit Tigers throughout their entire existence. Prior to the 1997 season, the Generals were renamed...

 (1988-89), the Pioneer League's Salt Lake City Trappers

Salt Lake City Trappers

The Salt Lake City Trappers were an independent Pioneer League minor league baseball team, based in Salt Lake City from 1985 to 1992. The Trappers played their home games at Derks Field, located at the present-day site of Spring Mobile Ballpark. The team is best known for winning 29 consecutive...

 (1991), the Florida State League

Florida State League

The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...

's Charlotte Rangers

Charlotte Rangers

The Charlotte Rangers, based in Port Charlotte, Florida, were an American minor league baseball team that existed from 1987 through 2002. The team played at Charlotte County Stadium as a Class A Florida State League affiliate of the Texas Rangers, who at the time made their spring training base in...

 (1992), the Texas League

Texas League

The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...

's Tulsa Drillers

Tulsa Drillers

The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies major-league club.-Stadium:...

 (1993), and the Eastern League

Eastern League

Eastern League may refer to:*Eastern League , a professional baseball minor league in the United States*International League, a baseball minor league known as the Eastern League from 1884 to 1912...

's Canton-Akron Indians

Canton-Akron Indians

The Canton-Akron Indians are a defunct minor league baseball team. They played in the Eastern League at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium in Canton, Ohio from 1989 to 1996...

 (1995). He later played several seasons in the Northern League.

Managerial career

Castillo began his managerial career with the Duluth-Superior Dukes in the Northern League in 2000, where he took the team from the league's worst record in 1999 to the Central Division Championship. For that feat he was named Independent Baseball Manager of the Year by Baseball America

Baseball America

Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...

. He would later manage the Sioux City Explorers

Sioux City Explorers

The Sioux City Explorers are a professional baseball team based in Sioux City, Iowa, in the United States. The Explorers are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball.They were originally to be...

 (2001-02), the Florida Marlins

Florida Marlins

The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...

 short-season Jamestown Jammers

Jamestown Jammers

The Jamestown Jammers are a minor league baseball team in Jamestown, New York, United States. The team is the Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Miami Marlins and plays in the New York - Penn League...

 (2003-04), the Golden Baseball League

Golden Baseball League

The Golden Baseball League, based in San Ramon, California, was an independent baseball league. It later merged with the Northern League and the United Baseball League to form the North American League in the western United States, western Canada and Mexico....

’s Yuma Scorpions

Yuma Scorpions

The Yuma Scorpions are a professional baseball team based in Yuma, Arizona, in the United States. The Scorpions are a member of the Western Division of the independent North American League. From the 2005 season to the present, the Scorpions have played their home games at Desert Sun Stadium at the...

 (2005-06), the Arizona Winter League

Arizona Winter League

The Arizona Winter League is the short-season instructional independent winter professional baseball league affiliated with the independent North American League...

's Sonora Pilots

Sonora Pilots

The Sonora Pilots are a professional independent baseball team based in Yuma, Arizona and represent Sonora, Mexico. They play in the International Division of the developmental Arizona Winter League, a short-season instructional winter league sanctioned by the North American League and they play...

 and the Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...

’ rookie team in the Gulf Coast League

Gulf Coast League

The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...

 (2007).

In his time as a manager with both the Marlins and Tigers, he also served as their respective Extended Spring Training Coordinator where he was in charge of working with both drafted players and international players. In 2003 as a member of the Player Development department of the Florida Marlins, he was granted a championship ring after the Marlins defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series.

Personal life

Castillo received a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work from Augustana College

Augustana College (South Dakota)

Augustana College is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The campus makes the school the largest private university in South Dakota...

 and a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Sioux Falls

University of Sioux Falls

The University of Sioux Falls is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. It is also commonly called USF.-History:...

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External links