Roy Castleton | |||
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Pitcher | |||
Born: Salt Lake City, Utah |
July 26, 1885|||
Died: June 24, 1967 Los Angeles |
(aged 81)|||
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MLB debut | |||
April 16, 1907, for the New York Highlanders | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
May 29, 1910, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Win–loss record | 3–4 | ||
Strikeouts | 13 | ||
Earned run average | 2.68 | ||
Teams | |||
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Royal Eugene Castleton (July 26, 1885 – June 24, 1967) was a relief pitcher for the New York Highlanders and Cincinnati Reds. The first native of the state of Utah and the first Mormon to play in the major leagues, Castleton made his debut with the Highlanders on April 16, 1907, and played his final game with the Reds on May 29, 1910.
Castleton's potential as a player was undermined by chronic health problems that ultimately forced him to retire. He is most often remembered for pitching a perfect game while playing for a team in the Ohio–Pennsylvania League.
Castleton was born in Salt Lake City, to parents who were born in England. After arriving in the United States, his grandfather, James Castleton, worked as a gardener for Brigham Young, eventually saving enough money to establish his own business. His father, Charles Castleton, was a successful carpenter, and young Roy enjoyed the amenities of a middle-class upbringing. A strong student who excelled at mathematics, Castleton gravitated toward a career in sports shortly after graduating from high school.
In 1904, Castleton signed on with the Salt Lake City ball club, which played in the Class B Pacific National League. In the 1904–1905 season, he pitched for another team based in Ogden, Utah, that was also poised to enter the league. Still a teenager, he nevertheless distinguished himself with a 16-inning loss.
In 1906, Castleton moved east and joined the minor league Youngstown Ohio Works, a team based in the steel-production center of Youngstown, Ohio. The youngest player on a club of seasoned veterans, Castleton gained national exposure with a perfect game against rival Akron, shutting them out at 4–0. The local media compared the feat to Cy Young's perfect game a year earlier, and Castleton quickly received offers from major league managers, including Clark Griffith of the New York Highlanders. Drafted by the Highlanders, Castleton played out the remainder of the season in Youngstown, ending with a 22–12 record and striking out 156 batters in 278 innings.
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