1987: Cubs draft Eastwood’s Frank Castillo

06/03/1987

By Rick Cantu
El Paso Times

Chicago’s Cubs picked Eastwood pitcher Frank Castillo in major league baseball’s free agent amateur draft Tuesday.

The Trooper senior didn’t know on which round he went. He said he expects to sign a contract Friday and be sent to one of the Cub’s rookie league teams.

Castillo didn’t know details of the contract.

Another Eastwood pitcher, Butch Henry, went undrafted. Henry, who has signed a letter of intent to pitch for the University of Texas, likely will pitch for the Longhorns next season, his father, Floyd Henry said.

Castillo signed a letter of intent with the University of Arizona. That, however, does not prevent him from signing with a major league team.

“This is a dream come true,” Castillo said of the draft. “I’m really looking forward to pitching with the Cubs.”

Butch Henry, who was the El Paso Times Most Valuable Player this season, may have been a victim of a misunderstanding, Floyd Henry said.

Floyd Henry said several major league scouts had projected his son to be a high draft choice, possibly in the second round. But the Cincinnati Reds, who had shown much interest in the Trooper senior, may have been told that Henry wanted to play college baseball next year, not in the major leagues.

Floyd Henry said he was told the Reds had “been burned” in the past by first and second round draft choices who opted to play college baseball instead.

The Reds were prepared to take Henry in the fifth round, but their contract offer was much lower than the minimum $60,000 he had hoped for, Floyd Henry said.