Who says you can’t go home again? Sioux Falls Canaries hitting coach Benny Castillo was born in the Dominican Republic, grew up in New York City, and has played baseball in just about every city in North America. But this spring, the personable Castillo returns to his adopted home of Sioux Falls to help the Canaries build a winner. Castillo spent parts of four seasons in the mid-‘90s as a hard-hitting outfielder for the Birds. Always a fan favorite, Castillo grew to love the city. He attended Augustana College and earned his degree in Social Work, met his wife Julie here, and has gone on to earn his Masters in Teaching from the University of Sioux Falls. But despite his exploits in the classroom, Castillo was still a hot baseball commodity. After his playing career ended, Castillo moved to the bench where he had successful managerial stints in the Northern League with Duluth and Sioux City and last year skippered the Detroit Tigers Rookie League team in the Gulf Coast League. Success has followed Castillo at every level, but the lure of home and family has brought him back to Sioux Falls.

PRIME: As a coach, you made it to where everybody in this league wants to go – affiliated baseball. Why come back to Sioux Falls and independent baseball?

BENNY CASTILLO: I’ve had a taste of both independent and affiliated baseball as player and a coach and I’ve enjoyed both, but I like new challenges. If you look at my record, I’ve taken on something new about every two years. Plus, this is my home. My family is here and I’m really looking forward to having more time with them. Sometimes, affiliated baseball comes with pressures and negativity that takes away from enjoying the game. Being here with (manager) Steve Shirley is great, because it’s all about baseball and having fun. I can bring my passion to the game and hopefully help these guys succeed.

P: Is coaching an adequate replacement for playing in scratching your baseball itch?

BC: It is. I always tell these young guys to make sure they play until they are done playing. You don’t want to be that bitter guy at the bar, telling stories about how you could have done this, or should have done that. I never wanted to be that guy and I don’t think I am. I played and had a great time and got all that out of my system. Now I’m a coach and I have no regrets. Every now and then I joke around and tell the young guys how good I was, and I get away with it because I know they won’t go back and check (laughs).

P: Of all the places you’ve played and managed, why did you decide to make Sioux Falls your home?

BC: My wife is from northwest Iowa and we met while I was playing. A lot of good things have happened to me in Sioux Falls. People do kid me about living on the tundra and all that, but I went to school here and I’m as proud of getting my degrees as anything I’ve ever accomplished in baseball. Sioux Falls is my home and it’s good to be back.

P: Ted Williams said the most difficult thing to do in sports is to hit a round ball with a cylindrical bat. Would you agree?

BC: If you think of the physics of it, hitting will drive a man crazy, but as a player you can’t think of it like that. As a player you have to keep it simple and react, but when you consider all the factors and variables: the pitcher, the crowd, guys on base, it can overwhelm you. Now as a coach, I watch guys hit and think, ‘how did he miss that?’ but then I remember how I used to miss pitches too.

P: Do you have a philosophy on hitting or do you try to teach every hitter differently?

BC: A lot of the veteran guys here who have played A or AA ball don’t need or want a lot of mechanical instruction. I’ll talk more about the mental part of hitting with them and be there for them if they need me. For the younger guys, I will spend more time on mechanics, but mostly I want them to observe the veterans and learn how to be a professional. I’ll sit them down by me when one of the veterans is hitting and say, ‘watch how he works this at bat.’ I want my guys to have a plan when they hit.

P: You may be the only hitting coach in baseball with a Masters degree in teaching. How does your training in the classroom translate to teaching hitting?

BC: Actually, my undergraduate was in Social Work and that’s been much more helpful to me. 95% of what I do is social work. You’re the parent, counselor, babysitter, and coach all rolled up in one. A lot of these guys coming from affiliated baseball are bruised by baseball; bruised by the experiences they’ve had. So when they come here, you don’t want to drive them. You want to help them heal, build their confidence, and teach them to enjoy the game again.

P: What’s the best way to break out of a slump?

BC: I think it helps to inject some humor into the situation. Many times over the years, I’ve told guys to close their eyes and swing hard in case they hit it. Some guys get so down you need them to lighten up. Mechanically, my biggest point is to tell players to trust their hands and not get bogged down in what their legs, shoulders, and everything else is doing. The biggest thing is to relax. One time a coach of mine told me, ‘Benny, they’re not shooting bullets at you.’ It’s a game and you play best when you are relaxed.

P: Do you think steroid use is disappearing from the game?

BC: I think so. If a guy is doing it now, he’s got to be the dumbest guy in the world. When I was playing, it was definitely out there and it was no big deal. The pressure and desire to make it to the big leagues made it attractive for a lot of players. I had my opportunities to do it, and I didn’t. It wasn’t some moral issue for me, though. I don’t judge guys who did it. I chose not to because I was scared to death it would kill me.

P: One final thing, how come a big galoot like Joe Mauer can’t hit home runs?

BC: I know he’s a great hitter, but honestly I don’t watch a lot of major league baseball because we’re playing all the time. When I was playing I was a big guy too, but I never hit a ton of home runs either. What’s he hitting?

P: About .330

BC: Hmm, I guess if I was Joe’s coach, I would tell him that he’d doing a great job.