Head in the sand
Luis Castillo isn’t too familiar with the exclusive company he has joined by hitting in 31 consecutive games.
Until recently, he didn’t know that Joe DiMaggio held the big-league record with a 56-game streak. He never heard of Rogers Hornsby, the only second baseman with a longer streak than his.
And to the amusement of his Florida Marlins teammates, Castillo isn’t too good with their names, either.
“He doesn’t know anyone’s name in this clubhouse, much less the pitchers on the other teams,” said outfielder Kevin Millar. “He doesn’t think about it. That’s going to help him down the stretch.”
Castillo is the 25th player to hit in 31 games in a row, joining a list that includes 13 Hall of Famers. But he believes he plays best when his brain is blank.
“I don’t want to think about it,” he said. “I want to hit the ball. I want to have my mind relaxed.”
Say what?
`[It’s] right up there with getting married and having children.’
–A female fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on getting coach Jon Gruden’s autograph
