Into his 10th professional season in 1998, all in the minors or overseas, Kevin Castleberry explained to The Oklahoman that July why he continued.
"I'm 30 years old, and I'm still playing baseball," Castleberry told The Oklahoman. "I don't have anybody I have to take care of except myself. I can't think of an easier way to do it."
For Castleberry, that season included 23 games spent with the Cubs at AAA Iowa. That season also proved his last. He topped out at AAA.
Castleberry's career began in 1989, taken by the Braves in the third round of the draft out of the University of Oklahoma.
Castleberry started with the Braves at single-A Burlington. He hit .246 in 64 games. He moved to single-A Durham for 1990. He hit .242 in 119 games.
That April in 1990, he spoke to The Durham Sun about how he got used to pro ball, referencing a story from Burlington where the team was losing 11-1.
"It was pretty depressing," Castleberry told The Sun. "But then I smelled smoke and looked over and somebody had set somebody's shoelaces on fire. That really loosened up the dugout."
Castleberry moved to the White Sox system for 1991 and made AA Birmingham for most of 1992. He played 1993 and 1994 with the Brewers at AA El Paso and 1995 and 1995 with the Expos at AAA Ottawa.
He played 1997 between AAA Oklahoma City with the Rangers and Sinon in Taiwan. He returned stateside with the Cubs in 1998 at AA West Tennessee and AAA Iowa.
That August in 1998, Castleberry took a bases-loaded walk to help Iowa to a win.
"You're just looking for a pitch you can drive to the big part of the field, try to keep it off the ground and go up the middle," Castleberry told The Des Moines Register. "He threw me some two-seamers away so I never got the opportunity. He didn't get it up in the zone and we were fortunate enough that I laid off them."
Castleberry also saw three games at independent New Jersey that year. Overall, he saw 67 games and hit .295 to end his career.
- Durham Sun, April 9, 1990: Bulls' Castleberry gets used to pro ball
- The Oklahoman, July 5, 1998: Castleberry content in minors
- Des Moines Register, Aug. 6, 1998: Walk halts I-Cubs' skid, 2-0
Made the Majors:1,375-32.9%
Never Made Majors:2,799-67.1%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:558
10+ Seasons in the Minors:343-X
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