Alexi Casilla
Encyclopedia
Alexi Casilla Lora is a Major League Baseball
second baseman
and shortstop
for the Minnesota Twins
.
by the Los Angeles Angels
in . On December 9, 2005, the Angels traded Casilla to the Minnesota Twins for pitcher
J.C. Romero
. Casilla made his major league debut with the Twins in September of , playing in 9 games.
In , after a brief callup with the Twins, Casilla became the every-day second baseman after Luis Castillo was traded to the New York Mets
. Casilla struggled, producing a .222 batting average
with no home run
s in 189 at-bats.
In , Casilla did not make the Twins opening day roster and instead started for the Twins Triple-A affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings
. After an injury to infielder
Nick Punto
, Casilla was called up in May. On May 19, 2008, Casilla hit a three-run homer, his first career MLB home run against Texas Rangers
. It was also his first hit of the 2008 season. Casilla spent the rest of the 2008 season as the Twins' starting second baseman and second hitter in the lineup.
At the end of the 2008 season, he was batting .281 with 7 home runs and 50 RBI
.
Casilla struggled to begin the 2009 season. After hitting only .167 in his first eighty-four at-bats, he was optioned to Triple-A Rochester. He was recalled and had a .202 AVG, .280 OBP, and a .259 SLG. He had the most at-bats without a home run in the AL.
In 2009, during the 2009 AL Central tie-breaker game featuring the Twins against the Detroit Tigers
, Casilla became the unlikely hero, hitting a game-winning walk-off single to score Carlos Gomez
from second base in the bottom of the 12th inning.
Prior to the 2010 season, Casilla changed his number from 25 to 12, giving number 25 to Jim Thome, who has worn the number his entire 20-year career.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
and shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
for the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
.
Professional career
Casilla was signed as a free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
by the Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
in . On December 9, 2005, the Angels traded Casilla to the Minnesota Twins for pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
J.C. Romero
J.C. Romero
Juan Carlos Romero is a Puerto Rican professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Minnesota Twins , the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim , the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Colorado Rockies....
. Casilla made his major league debut with the Twins in September of , playing in 9 games.
In , after a brief callup with the Twins, Casilla became the every-day second baseman after Luis Castillo was traded to the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. Casilla struggled, producing a .222 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with no home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in 189 at-bats.
In , Casilla did not make the Twins opening day roster and instead started for the Twins Triple-A affiliate, the Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
. After an injury to infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
Nick Punto
Nick Punto
Nicholas Paul Punto is a Major League Baseball utility player. He has played second base, third base, shortstop, and center field. Punto is a switch hitter and throws right-handed....
, Casilla was called up in May. On May 19, 2008, Casilla hit a three-run homer, his first career MLB home run against Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. It was also his first hit of the 2008 season. Casilla spent the rest of the 2008 season as the Twins' starting second baseman and second hitter in the lineup.
At the end of the 2008 season, he was batting .281 with 7 home runs and 50 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
.
Casilla struggled to begin the 2009 season. After hitting only .167 in his first eighty-four at-bats, he was optioned to Triple-A Rochester. He was recalled and had a .202 AVG, .280 OBP, and a .259 SLG. He had the most at-bats without a home run in the AL.
In 2009, during the 2009 AL Central tie-breaker game featuring the Twins against 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...
, Casilla became the unlikely hero, hitting a game-winning walk-off single to score Carlos Gomez
Carlos Gómez
Carlos Argelis Gómez Pena, nicknamed "Go-Go", is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers.-Minor leagues:...
from second base in the bottom of the 12th inning.
Prior to the 2010 season, Casilla changed his number from 25 to 12, giving number 25 to Jim Thome, who has worn the number his entire 20-year career.