DAYTON, Ohio -- A judge has convicted a Minor League pitcher of injuring a fan when he threw a baseball during an on-field melee in Dayton last year.
Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Connie Price found Julio Castillo guilty Tuesday of felonious assault causing serious physical injury. He was acquitted on a second charge of felonious assault with a deadly weapon.
Twenty-two-year-old Castillo, of the Dominican Republic, was pitching for the Peoria Chiefs, a Chicago Cubs Class A affiliate, against the Dayton Dragons when the bench-clearing brawl broke out. Castillo threw a ball that gave a fan a concussion.
During last month's trial, Castillo testified that he threw the ball downward toward a dugout to try to keep opposing players from rushing the field. He says he was not aiming at anyone.
Castillo is on the roster of the Boise Hawks, another Class A affiliate of the Cubs, but was not allowed to play. The Cubs were awaiting the outcome of the trial to determine whether his status will change.
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