Former Cubs infielder Starlin Castro said his final goodbye to Chicago in a lengthy entry penned for the Players’ Tribune.
In his letter, entitled “Thank you, Chicago,” Castro reminisces about his big-league debut, in which he recorded an MLB-record six RBI.
“My career started in the best way possible: a home run,” Castro wrote. “But not every at-bat can be a home run. Not every game can. Not even every season can. Baseball, like anything else, is full of ups and downs — and my five years in Chicago had its share of both.”
Castro losing the Cubs’ full-time shortstop job in August was surely among the downs, but as he points out, he batted .426 in September after moving to second base.
An influx of talented position players allowed Chicago to send Castro to the Yankees in exchange right-hander Adam Warren in early December.
The three-time All-Star expressed thanks to both fans and the organization.
“To the Cubs organization: I’d like to thank you — for everything,” Castro wrote. “You gave me an opportunity, you believed in me and you were always honest with me. You didn’t just help me grow as a player; you helped me become an adult.”
Castro, 25, batted .265 last season with 11 home runs and 66 RBI.
He’s expected to be the everyday second baseman in New York.
Click here to read the complete entry.
WATCH: Starlin Castro Cubs tribute
Stats via Baseball-Reference
