ARLINGTON, TEXAS – There was a full Twins duffel bag sitting in front of Willi Castro’s locker after he played in Tuesday’s All-Star Game, stuffed with memorabilia from all the festivities at Globe Life Field.
Twins’ Willi Castro collects a duffel bag full of memories from his first All-Star Game
Along with an assortment of placards and other memorabilia, Willi Castro also takes away personal connections made before, during and after Tuesday’s game in Arlington, Texas.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
July 17, 2024 at 4:33AM
Castro kept the “Willi Castro” placard that hung above him at the All-Star media day event. He had his eyes on his name card above his locker. After he pinch hit in the eighth inning, grounding out to third base in his lone at-bat, he made sure he kept his wrist band and arm sleeve.
“I took everything that I could get,” said Castro after playing in his first career Midsummer Classic. “It’s something that you don’t see a lot. I know there are a lot of guys that want to go to this event. It’s just something that you’re going to take whatever you see. I took a lot of stuff, I know that.”
Castro was told he would receive an at-bat during the game, so he didn’t worry about his long wait. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning during the American League’s 5-3 victory, it was finally his turn. The National League countered with a pitching change, bringing in Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jeff Hoffman, which gave Castro a little extra time to look in the crowd and peek at Hoffman’s delivery on an iPad.
“I was a little nervous at first,” Castro said, “but when I was coming up to the plate, everything went away.”
Castro saw four pitches, all on the outside corner. He was looking for a fastball over the plate, but in a two-strike count, he bounced a splitter toward third base for the final out in the eighth inning.
Ironically, Mr. Versatility for the Twins — starting at least 10 games at five different positions this year — didn’t have an opportunity to play defense. He entered as a designated hitter when he pinch hit for Cleveland’s David Fry.
“It’s OK,” Castro said. “I participated, so that’s the good thing. The good thing is I went up to hit. I know everybody wants to go up to hit. I really enjoyed every moment from today.”
There were many memorable moments for Castro. He enjoyed the opportunity to chat with Aaron Judge and Boston’s Jarren Duran, the All-Star MVP, over the past couple of days. He walked the red carpet alongside his parents, his wife and two daughters.
The team introductions along the first-base line, he said, gave him goose bumps.
“Special stuff like this, I really enjoy having my family here,” he said. “This event is something I can’t really explain how proud I’ve been since I got named to come here. I’m just proud of myself, proud of everything.”
There were small moments Castro appreciated, too. The locker next to him inside the AL clubhouse was Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene, his teammate in 2022. When he was taking a few practice swings in the on-deck circle during the NL’s pitching change, he chatted with another former teammate, Isaac Paredes.
“Willi is a great dude, great player,” Greene said. “It’s good to see good people get here. Being able to play with him back in Detroit was awesome.”
Castro planned to take all his All-Star gear and memorabilia to the game room at his house. He’ll find a place for it all beside the baseballs from his first hit and first homer.
“Obviously, everything I wore, I’m going to save it, so I can have something as a memory,” Castro said.
As players hurried to leave the clubhouse, beginning their own All-Star breaks, Castro didn’t look like he was in a rush as he sat back in his chair.
“This is something that I’m never going to forget,” he said. “I really enjoyed every second.”
Only 34 years old, Jeremy Zoll has worked his way up the organizational ranks since coming to the Twins in 2018.
