Ángel Castro (first baseman)

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Ángel Castro

|image = Ángel Castro.jpg

|caption =

|position = First baseman

|birth_date = {{birth date|1917|4|20|df=yes}}

|birth_place = Empalme, Sonora, Mexico

|death_date = {{death date and age|1983|1|10|1917|4|20|df=yes}}

|death_place = Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico

|bats = Left

|throws = Left

|statleague = LMB

|stat1label = Batting average

|stat1value = .306

|stat2label = Hits

|stat2value = 1,914

|stat3label = Home runs

|stat3value = 230

|stat4label = Runs batted in

|stat4value = 1,219

|teams =

|highlights =

Mexican League Rookie of the Year (1938)
Mexican League Triple Crown (1951)

|hofcolor = green

|hoflink = Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame

|hoftype = Mexican Professional

|hofdate = 1964

}}

Ángel Castro Pacheco (20 April 1917 – 10 January 1983) was a Mexican professional baseball first baseman. Castro spent twenty seasons playing in the Mexican League from 1938 to 1957. Castro was inducted into the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 1964. Nicknamed, "el bateador elegante" (the elegant hitter), Castro is considered as one of the first Mexican baseball stars alongside Héctor Espino.{{cite web|first=Juan José|last=González Mejía|title=El cumpleaños del perro {{!}} Un momento con Ángel Castro|url=https://www.elsoldetampico.com.mx/analisis/el-cumpleanos-del-perro-un-momento-con-angel-castro-6778478.html|website=El Sol de Tampico|date=30 May 2021|access-date=5 December 2023|language=es}}{{cite web|first=Héctor|last=Rivera|title=¿Quién fue Ángel Castro? Un parque de Tampico lleva su nombre|url=https://www.elsoldetampico.com.mx/deportes/quien-fue-angel-castro-un-parque-de-tampico-lleva-su-nombre-fotos-10386132.html|website=El Sol de Tampico|date=16 July 2023|access-date=5 December 2023|language=es}}

Career

Castro was born on 20 April 1917 in Empalme, Sonora.{{cite web|title=Un 20 de abril pero de 1917 nace Ángel Castro|url=https://www.salondelafamadelbeisbolmexicano.com/post/un-20-de-abril-pero-de-1917-nace-angel-castro|website=Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Mexicano|date=20 April 2021|access-date=5 December 2023|language=es}} He made his professional debut in the Mexican League in 1938 with the Alijadores de Tampico and won the Rookie of the Year Award.{{cite web|title=Quién es quién 2023|url=https://img.mlbstatic.com/milb-images/image/upload/milb/dwbixhrek2oiuxezdjxz.pdf|p=536|publisher=Liga Mexicana de Beisbol|access-date=5 December 2023}}{{cite news|first=Héctor|last=Rivera|title=Ángel Castro el bateador elegante|url=https://www.pressreader.com/mexico/el-sol-de-tampico/20230716/282359749184814|newspaper=El Sol de Tampico|date=16 July 2023|access-date=11 March 2024|language=es}} In 1939, Castro hit three home runs in a game, becoming the second player to do so in the Mexican League.{{cite web|title=Ángel Castro un sonorense con poder|url=https://www.salondelafamadelbeisbolmexicano.com/post/angel-castro-un-sonorense-con-poder-1|website=Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Mexicano|access-date=22 July 2024|language=es}}

In 1940, Castro was traded to the Azules de Veracruz and in 1941, he returned to Tampico. Castro was part of the Tampico team that won the 1945 and 1946 Mexican League championship, under manager Armando Marsans.

In 1948, Castro was signed again by the Veracruz. 1951 was Castro's best season, he won the triple crown, compiling a batting average of .357, 22 home runs and 79 RBIs.{{cite web|title=Un 10 de enero pero de 1983 muere Ángel Castro|url=https://www.salondelafamadelbeisbolmexicano.com/post/un-10-de-enero-pero-de-1983-muere-angel-castro|website=Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Mexicano|date=10 January 2021|access-date=5 December 2023|language=es}}{{cite web|title=Castro resultó campeón bateador en la Liga Mexicana (1951)|url=https://www.historiadehermosillo.com/htdocs/BASEBALLCOSTA/costa/1951-1952/angelcastro.htm|website=Historia de Hermosillo|access-date=5 December 2023|language=es}}

Castro later played for the Tuneros de San Luis Potosí, Diablos Rojos del México, Sultanes de Monterrey, Tigres de México, Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo and Rojos del Águila de Veracruz. He retired after the 1957 season.{{cite web|title=Inmortales 39-71|url=https://www.salondelafamadelbeisbolmexicano.com/inmortales-39-71|website=Salón de la Fama del Beisbol Mexicano|access-date=5 December 2023|language=es}}

In 1964, Castro was elected to the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame together with Martín Dihigo, Epitacio Torres, Lázaro Salazar, Ramón Bragaña and Genaro Casas.