D2 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020 LATIMES.COM/SPORTS
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Ja-
son Castro played for the
Houston Astros before they
were mocked and ridiculed
for cheating.
Castro, the Angels’ new-
est catcher, played for the
Astros when they were
mocked and ridiculed for
losing.
The Astros lost 106 or
more games in three con-
secutive seasons. In the last
two of those seasons — in
2012 to 2013, the first years
under now-disgraced gen-
eral manager Jeff Luhnow —
Castro emerged as the
Astros’ primary catcher.
“Those were the forma-
tive years of my big league
career,” Castro said. “I had
an opportunity to work with
a lot of young pitchers and
tried to take advantage of
that.”
Luhnow had an opportu-
nity to tilt his team’s pri-
orities. He played to lose,
stripping the Astros of veter-
ans in the interest of build-
ing the foundation of a win-
ner by stocking up on high
draft picks.
By the time the Astros
emerged as the 2017 World
Series champions, the strat-
egy had a name. It was called
tanking.
“They proved the model,”
Castro said. “But what kind
of gets lost — and what
makes it tough to replicate
— is they hit on their draft
picks, for the most part.”
The Astros landed third
baseman Alex Bregman,
shortstop Carlos Correa,
outfielder George Springer
and World Series Game 7
starting pitcher Lance Mc-
Cullers Jr. in the first round
of the draft. They also
whiffed on the first overall
pick of the draft in 2013
(pitcher Mark Appel) and
2014 (pitcher Brady Aiken).
“I think that’s why that
model can be a little unpre-
dictable,” Castro said, “and
not as easy to replicate as it
may seem.”
The Astros’ champi-
onship in 2017 had been pre-
ceded by the Chicago Cubs’
championship in 2016, also
via tanking, thus spawning a
wave of owners eager to
slash their payrolls and suckup defeats in the hope of win-
ning a few years down the
road.
Of course, only one team
can have the first pick in any
draft, and only one team can
win the World Series in any
year. Major league attend-
ance has fallen for four con-
secutive years, a decline the
players’ union attributes
largely to owners all but an-
nouncing their intention to
field noncompetitive teams.
Also, the last two World Se-
ries winners — the BostonRed Sox in 2018, the Wash-
ington Nationals in 2019 —
did not tank.
The Astros did, proudly.
“It’s one strategy to use,”
Castro said. “It’s not neces-
sarily the easiest to replicate
or most effective. It worked
in their instance, but for the
greater good and health of
baseball in general, I don’t
think it’s the best for every-
body to try and copy.”
It is certainly not the best
for players such as Castro,
now a 32-year-old veteran.Even noncontending teams
used to prize veterans like
him for clubhouse leader-
ship and for a few more wins.
Teams that tank prefer los-
ing 100 games to losing 90,
since neither season is a con-
tending one.
“It’s been a polarizing
thing throughout baseball,”
he said. “I think the players
have been affected by it in
different ways than maybe,
at the outset, we didn’t real-
ize would be coming down
the pipeline.”
In Anaheim, Castro can
provide his trademark pitch
framing skills while adding
some pop to a position that
has long been an offensive
wasteland. The Angels’
catchers have not posted a
.700 OPS since 2014, the last
time the team made the
playoffs.
Castro has a career OPS
of .703. He batted .232 with 13
home runs for the Minne-
sota Twins last season, with
a .767 OPS.
In 2016, his last year with
the Astros, he hit .210, with a
.684 OPS. If the Astros had
started banging on trash
cans a year sooner, Castro
might have had better stat-
istics to take into free
agency. If they had kept Cas-
tro a year longer, he would
have had a World Series ring.
“I had friends that were
like, when they did win back
in ’17, ‘That sucks that you
weren’t there for that, that
you weren’t a part of that
winning team.’
“Now they’re like, ‘Maybe
it wasn’t such a bad thing
you weren’t there for that.’ ”Castro lived through tanking
New Angels catcher
was a part of losing
Astros teams but
missed Series win.
By Bill ShaikinJASON CASTRO is mobbed by Astros teammates after hitting a home run
against the Angels. Castro, now an Angel, played for Houston from 2010 to 2016.Scott HalleranGetty ImagesAngels 11, Cleveland 7
AT THE PLATE:Michael Hermosillo homered, singled,
scored twice and drove in four runs. Hermosillo, who could
make the team as a backup outfielder, has seven hits in 14
at-bats this spring.... Hermosillo also notched his second
stolen base. The Angels have eight stolen bases in 11 games.ON THE MOUND:Andrew Heaney pitched three innings and
gave up two runs, both on a wind-blown home run hit by
Franmil Reyes. Manager Joe Maddon said he would
announce the Angels’ opening day starter this week, with
Heaney a prime candidate. “If it was me, that’d be
awesome,” Heaney said. “I’m working really hard just to get
out of spring training healthy. If I make the first start of the
year or the fifth start of the year, to me, that’s a win.” Heaney
has the same number of career starts in April as he does
injured list stints in April: four.EXTRA BASES:Catcher Jason Castro hit a batting practice
home run that cleared the fence — and the protective
netting above the fence — and dented Maddon’s RV. “As long
as the [satellite] dish is OK,” Maddon said.... The Goodyear
Ballpark sells this glorious concession item: a grilled cheese
sandwich, on top of a bacon cheeseburger, on top of another
grilled cheese sandwich. And, by ballpark standards, it’s a
bargain at $10.50.UP NEXT:The Angels face the Seattle Mariners on
Wednesday at noon PST at Tempe Diablo Stadium. TV: Fox
Sports West. Radio: 830.
— Bill ShaikinPRO CALENDAR
WED THU FRI SAT SUN
4 5 6 7 8LAKERSMIL.
7:30
ESPN,
SpecSNat Clippers
12:30
Ch. 7CLIPPERSat Houston
5
TNT, PrimeLAKERS
12:30
Ch. 7CKINGSTORONTO
7:30
FSWMINNESOTA
1
FSWDUCKSat Colorado
6:30
NBCSNTORONTO
7
PrimeMINNESOTA
6
PrimeGALAXYVAN.
7
SpecSNLAFCPHILA.
7:30
FS1Shade denotes home game
TIME EVENT ON THE AIR
BASEBALL EXHIBITIONS
10 a.m. St. Louis vs. N.Y. Mets at Port St. Lucie, Fla. TV:ESPN
Noon Seattle vs. Angels at Tempe, Ariz. TV:FSW R: 830
1 p.m. Cleveland vs. Arizona at Scottsdale, Ariz. TV:MLB Network
5 p.m. San Francisco vs. Dodgers at Phoenix TV:SNLA, MLB
Network R: 570
BASKETBALL
4 p.m. Indiana at Milwaukee TV:ESPN
6:30 p.m. New Orleans at Dallas TV:ESPN
7 p.m. G League, Stockton at South Bay Lakers TV:SpecSN
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
8 a.m. Women, SEC tournament, first round,
Auburn vs. VanderbiltTV:SEC10 a.m. Women, ACC tournament, first round,
North Carolina vs. Wake ForestTV:Prime10:30 a.m. Women, SEC tournament, first round,
Mississippi vs. MissouriTV:SEC11 a.m. Women, Big Ten tournament, first round,
Illinois vs. WisconsinTV:Big Ten12:30 p.m. Women, ACC tournament, first round,
Notre Dame vs. PittsburghTV:Prime1:30 p.m. Women, Big Ten tournament, first round,
Penn State vs. MinnesotaTV:Big Ten3:30 p.m. Xavier at Providence TV:FS1
3:30 p.m. Women, ACC tournament, first round,
Miami vs. ClemsonTV:Prime4 p.m. Texas A&M at Auburn TV:ESPN2
4 p.m. St. John’s at Butler TV:CBSSN
4 p.m. Clemson at Virginia Tech TV:ACC
4 p.m. Florida at Georgia TV:ESPNU, SEC
4 p.m. Minnesota at Indiana TV:Big Ten
5 p.m. Georgetown at Creighton TV:FSW
5:30 p.m. Villanova at Seton Hall TV:FS1
6 p.m. Florida State at Notre Dame TV:ESPN2
6 p.m. Pittsburgh at Georgia Tech TV:Prime
6 p.m. Dayton at Rhode Island TV:CBSSN
6 p.m. Virginia at Miami TV:ACC
6 p.m. Kansas State at Oklahoma State TV:ESPNU
6 p.m. Northwestern at Wisconsin TV:Big Ten
6 p.m. Missouri at Mississippi TV:SEC
8 p.m. Women, Mountain West tournament, final TV:CBSSN
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Noon Coastal Carolina at North Carolina State TV:ACC
HOCKEY
4 p.m. Philadelphia at Washington TV:NBCSN
6:30 p.m. Ducks at Colorado TV:NBCSN R: 830
GOLF
11:30 p.m. Qatar Masters, first round TV:Golf
SOCCER
8 a.m. Women, Tournament of France,
France vs. CanadaTV:bein19:30 a.m. German Cup, Bayer Leverkusen vs. Union Berlin TV:ESPND
10 a.m. Women, Tournament of France,
Netherlands vs. BrazilTV:bein111:30 a.m. German Cup, Frankfurt vs. Werder Bremen TV:ESPND, ESPNU
11:30 a.m. Holland Cup, Utrecht vs. Ajax TV:GOLTV
Noon French Cup, Lyon vs. Paris Saint-Germain TV:bein1, beinES
2 p.m. South American Cup, Tigre vs. Palmeiras TV:bein1
2 p.m. South American Cup, Wilstermann vs. Colo-Colo TV:beinES
4:30 p.m. South American Cup, Atletico Junior vs.
FlamengoTV:bein14:30 p.m. South American Cup, Quito vs. River Plate TV:beinES
6:30 p.m. Mexican Cup, Juarez vs. Monterrey TV:TUDN, ESPND
TENNIS
9 a.m. Lyon and Monterrey tournaments, early rounds TV:Tennis
1 p.m. Monterrey Open, early-round play TV:Tennis
5 p.m. Monterrey Open, early-round play TV:TennisTODAY ON THE AIR
College basketball
Favorite Line Underdog
at Providence 5 Xavier
at Butler 9 St. John’s
St. Louis 11 ⁄ 2 at George Mason
at La Salle 3 Massachusetts
at Virginia Tech 2 Clemson
at Indiana 3 Minnesota
at St. Bonaventure 12 St. Joseph’s
at George Washington 6 Fordham
at Auburn 13 Texas A&M
at Arkansas 2 Louisiana State
Florida 21 ⁄ 2 at Georgia
at Rider 71 ⁄ 2 Manhattan
at Monmouth 8 Fairfield
at Iona (^51) ⁄ 2 Quinnipiac
at Siena 111 ⁄ 2 Niagara
Canisius 1 at Marist
at Temple 21 ⁄ 2 Tulsa
Southern Methodist 1 at Central Florida
at Creighton 10 Georgetown
at Kansas 171 ⁄ 2 Texas Christian
at Seton Hall 41 ⁄ 2 Villanova
at Oklahoma State 61 ⁄ 2 Kansas State
Florida State 2 at Notre Dame
Virginia 11 ⁄ 2 at Miami
at Georgia Tech 6 Pittsburgh
at Wisconsin 131 ⁄ 2 Northwestern
Dayton 4 at Rhode Island
at Mississippi 41 ⁄ 2 Missouri
at UC Irvine 121 ⁄ 2 Cal State Northridge
North Texas 3 at Charlotte
at Old Dominion 6 Texas San Antonio
at Marshall 61 ⁄ 2 Florida Atlantic
at Louisiana Tech 10 Florida International
Texas El Paso 3 at Middle Tennessee
at Southern Mississippi PK Rice
Fresno State 4 Air Force
New Mexico 71 ⁄ 2 San Jose State
Colorado State 11 Wyoming
Tennessee State 21 ⁄ 2 Morehead State
Eastern Illinois 21 ⁄ 2 Jacksonville State
NHL
Favorite Underdog
at Colorado OFF DUCKS OFF
at Washington -147 Philadelphia +137
at Calgary -166 Columbus +156
at Vancouver -125 Arizona +115
ODDS
Orland Park, Ill., Reks
enrolled at the Air Force
Academy, where he hit .210
with no home runs and eight
RBIs in 37 games as a fresh-
man in 2013. When Reks
failed a qualifying exam to
become a jet pilot and waf-
fled about a required five-
year commitment to the Air
Force after graduation, he
transferred to Kentucky in
2014.
Reks failed to make the
team at Kentucky as a walk-
on that fall. He gave up base-
ball to concentrate on his
pursuit of a mechanical en-
gineering degree, at one
point taking a $33-an-hour
job as a production engineer
for Toyota Manufacturing in
Lexington, Ky.
One day in the summer of
2015, Reks was riding
through campus on the back
of a moped scooter driven by
Bo Wilson, a friend and for-
mer teammate who had also
transferred to Kentucky
from Air Force.
The pair whizzed past
Kentucky assistant coach
Rick Eckstein on their way
to the baseball field, where
Reks and Wilson, a pitcher,
planned to play catch.
As the scooter came to a
stop, “I jumped off and did
like a 180-degree hop,” Reks
said. “I was shirtless.”
Eckstein did a double-
take. It was not because of
Reks’ wardrobe choice.
“He was on the back, and
the way he jumped off the
scooter, I was like, ‘My God,
that’s the most athletic
thing I’ve ever seen,’ ” said
Eckstein, now the hitting
coach for the Pittsburgh Pi-
rates.
“It was so athletic the
way he moved. It sounds
weird, but that’s what really
caught my eye. So I went up
to him and said, ‘Hey, have
you ever played baseball?’
And he said, ‘Well, yeah.’ ”
Eckstein, the brother of
former Angels and St. Louis
Cardinals shortstop David
Eckstein, suggested that
Reks, who bats left-handed
and throws right-handed,
try out for the Wildcats in
the fall.
“I wasn’t planning on
playing baseball at all,” Reks
said. “I was working from
6 a.m. to 3 p.m. I’d get home
and work out and then hit
Wiffle Balls with my room-
mates, hoping it would pre-
pare me for tryouts. I’d have
them stand 20 feet away and
chuck it as hard as they
could and I tried to hit it.”
Reks, now 6-foot-2 and
190 pounds, had added
about 20 pounds since he
played at Air Force. He im-
pressed then-Kentucky
coach Gary Henderson —
with an occasional nudge
from a certain assistant —
enough with his athleticism
and bat-to-ball skills to
make the team.
“Rick Eckstein really
stuck his neck out for me a
couple of times,” Reks said.
“He always said to make the
most of it each day. That’s
why I play the game the way I
do.”
The following spring,
Reks came off the bench and
had three hits in Kentucky’s
second game of the season
against George Mason. He
started the next day and re-
mained in the lineup for two
years, batting .331 with seven
homers and 22 RBIs in 53
games in 2016 and .352 with
three homers and 44 RBIs in
65 games in 2017.
“That’s incredible to take
two or three years off, to get
noticed and to make an im-
pact at an SEC school,” Dod-
gers utility player Matt
Beaty said. “It speaks to his
athleticism and feel for the
game.”
The Dodgers drafted
Reks in the 10th round in 2017
and signed him for $5,000, a
fraction of the $131,600 slot
value for his pick. The Chi-
cago White Sox had called
earlier in the draft and asked
whether Reks would sign for
$100,000.
“For some reason, I said
no,” Reks said. “I don’t know
why. I just had a bad feeling
about it. And I had a feeling
the Dodgers would be my
best shot.”
This wasn’t the first leap
of faith for Reks, who took a
jump course at the Air Force
Academy that required him
to pack his own parachute
and make five solo jumps out
of an airplane.
“It was scary,” he said.
“You don’t want to jump at
first.”
Reks hesitated for a mo-
ment, the pensive look on his
face yielding to a wide grin.
“It’s actually pretty awe-
some,” he said.
Reks quickly ascended
from rookie league in 2017 to
double A in 2018. He had a
breakout 2019, hitting 28
home runs, batting .291 with
a .921 on-base-plus-slugging
percentage and driving in 93
runs in 121 games for dou-
ble-A Tulsa and triple-A
Oklahoma City.
“Some little swing
changes allowed me to use
my lower half a little bit more
efficiently and get the ball in
the air a little more often,”
Reks said of his power surge.
“I started figuring out how to
get through the ball a little
more and just trusted my
bat-to-ball skills.”
His 2019 performance
thrust Reks, who can play
the corner outfield spots
and first base in a pinch,
onto the depth chart of a
team that won 106 games
last season and will enter
2020 as a heavy National
League favorite.
With Bellinger, the 2019
NL most valuable player, en-
trenched in center field,
Betts, the 2018 American
League MVP, in right field
and Joc Pederson and A.J.
Pollock platooning in left,
Reks is expected to open the
season at Oklahoma City,
where he will be an injury or
two away from the big
leagues.
“You know there are peo-
ple in front of you and a lot of
talent in the organization,”
Reks said, “but you can only
control what you can con-
trol.”
Reks has made a solid
first impression this spring,
hitting .417 (five for 12) with
one homer and three dou-
bles. He made a diving catch
in left field to rob David Dahl
of an extra-base hit in Sat-
urday’s game against Col-
orado.
Three weeks into his first
big league camp, Reks still
marvels at his surroundings
and how he went from the
back of a scooter to the cusp
of the big leagues. But he
won’t allow himself to dwell
on his improbable journey.
“I don’t even think about
it,” Reks said, “because I’m
not done writing the story.”
One giant leap for outfield prospect
[Reks,from D1]
ZACH REKS,here with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga
in 2018, has risen rapidly in the Dodgers’ farm system.
Donn ParrisAssociated Press