I'm not going to lie to you, this one makes me sad. (And isn't that part of what makes this game- OOTP, that is- great. A digital representation of a completely fictional baseball player is forced to retire prematurely due to an injury and I have an honest to goodness emotional reaction to the news.)
Jose Casillas was on the way to one of the finest seasons in his already strong career last season when he suffers a season ending injury on August 20th and requires elbow ligament reconstruction surgery. And now, about 8 months later, we learn that his recovery is not going well and he's stepping away from the game, at least as a player.
Casillas finishes his big league career with an impressive record of 211-152 with a career ERA of 3.83 and a WAR of 62.2. Although he never won a Harris/Lee award (formerly known as the Pitcher of the Year award) he did lead the league twice in strikeouts, three times in games started, and once in wins (when he went 18-8 in 1975). He had a 4-season stretch where he won 19, 18, 18, and 19 games respectively and had 9 WPK seasons where he collected at least 15 wins. He ends his career tied for 2nd All-Time in wins (with Hall of Famer Jake Harris), first in strikeouts with 2,300, sixth in games started with 451, ninth in complete games at 126, and tenth in WAR.
Casillas was a fan favorite, renowned for both his team loyalty and his great work ethic. But he often flew under the radar, being more consistent than flashy, and was named to an All-Star squad just twice. He does at least leave the game having been part of two WPK championship teams, having been part of the Washington Night Train's 1971 championship club as well as a member of the 1980 San Antonio Keys. He got to finish his career where he started, pitching parts of two seasons back in Washington. where he is beloved by the fans, who are in a sort of mourning today.
It would appear that Casillas will ultimately fall short of Hall of Fame induction, but he won't soon be forgotten. And many speculate that before too long another path in the game will open up for him, perhaps as a pitching coach.