McGehee Claimed; Castillo Indicted

INF Casey McGehee was claimed off waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. McGehee, 26, spent most of 2008 at Class AAA Iowa, where he batted .296 with a career-high 12 home runs and 92 RBIs in 133 games.

McGehee was recalled by Chicago on Sept. 1 for his major league debut and batted .167 (4-for-24) with five RBIs in nine games. He’d previously batted .405 (15-for-37) in 21 games with the Cubs this past spring in the Cactus League.

It was a big year for McGehee, he said.

“Getting a chance to come up to Chicago … it was a huge year,” said McGehee. “The first time I went to hit [at a major league park] it was a little overwhelming. There are 40,000 people there screaming your name. At some point you realize there are a lot more people watching you now, and a lot more people that care about the outcome.”

McGehee said that he had hoped to catch Cubs manager Lou Piniella’s eye during his brief stay with the major league club in September.

“All you can do is go and try to do your job when you’re called upon, and do it to the best of your ability, and if they decide you bring something to the table … that’s what they’re going to do,” he said.

Through 11 games in the Mexican Pacific League this fall, McGehee was batting .294 with one home run and eight RBIs. Chicago drafted McGehee from Fresno State in the 10th round in 2003.

“ANIMAL” INDICTED

RHP Julio Castillo (PHOTO/CHICAGO CUBS)

Cubs minor league pitcher Julio Castillo, known by many teammates simply as “Animal,” was indicted by an Ohio grand jury Wednesday on two counts of felonious assault.

Castillo, 21, is accused of throwing a baseball that struck a fan in the head during a July 24 game between the Peoria Chiefs and Dayton Dragons at Fifth Third Field – setting off a benches-clearing brawl that led to multiple ejections and fines. Video of the incident clearly shows Castillo throwing the ball, but does not clearly show where it lands.

Castillo is still employed in the Cubs’ organization.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.