Oct. 23, 2008

Story courtesy of Tommy Hicks, Press-Register

Tucked away in a box in his Fairhope home, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher J.C. Romero has a 2007 World Series ring, courtesy of the Boston Red Sox.

The Sox released him at mid-season, but sent him the keepsake anyway.

"It's a good piece of jewelry," Romero, the former University of Mobile standout told MLB.com. "It's nice hardware. I was thankful they gave it to me, but it's not really mine. If I win this one, this will be the one I will call mine."

This one is the ring he hopes to slip on his finger with the Philadelphia Phillies, who open the World Series tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays.

"You go through a lot during a season, trials and tribulations. We did that, then it all started to come together for us," Romero, a Puerto Rico native told the Press-

Register in a telephone interview this week.

"We are a very resilient team. We don't give up. We know what we have. We had struggles, but we're playing our best baseball."

Left-hander Romero, 32, has played a critical role for the Phillies. Appearing in 81 games, he produced a 4-4 record and one save with an earned run average of 2.75 as a reliever. In 59 innings, he recorded 52 strikeouts.

During the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he appeared in three games, pitching 2 innings. He struck out three and didn't allow a run.

"I'm very blessed," Romero said of his World Series opportunity. "A year ago, I was sitting in my house in Fairhope, watching the World Series on TV."

Romero had begun the season pitching strongly for the Red Sox, then struggled a bit. On June 18, the Sox released him, a move that stings him even now.

"For no reason, they cut me loose," he said. "Even today, I don't know why they cut me loose. But I really believe that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and I'm stronger today."

After five trips to the playoffs, this World Series will be Romero's first.

"Every baseball player's goal is to be able to play in the playoffs, and once you get to the first or second round of the playoffs, once you get a taste of that experience, you get greedy and you want to play in the World Series," he said. "It's something that doesn't happen to everyone who plays, so you understand what it means to be in this situation."

Romero found his way to Mobile in the mid-1990s thanks to Mike Jacobs, the University of Mobile baseball coach.

Jacobs, who had enjoyed some success scouting and recruiting players out of Puerto Rico, heard of Romero and persuaded him to give the Mobile college a try.

Romero, also an outfielder and hitter back then, put together a solid career at UM, but injured his left ankle during his junior year. While doctors said he could play other positions, he couldn't pitch because of the pressure created when pushing off the mound with his left foot.

"After his junior year, he was drafted in the 21st round by the Minnesota Twins and he said he wanted to come back (to college), to try and improve where he was picked," Jacobs said. "I told him he needed to go. I told him that once they found out how well he could pitch, it wouldn't matter what round he was picked in."

Jacobs was dead on in his assessment: Once the Twins got a closer look, Romero spent only two seasons in the minors before making his Major League debut in 1999.

"It's a really neat experience to sit in my great room at home and see a guy who played in my program for three years do what he does best," Jacobs said of Romero.

Romero, in this week's interview, couldn't hide his excitement.

"It's a great feeling to be here because I've come a long way from Puerto Rico, a long way from the University of Mobile and from Fairhope," said Romero, who is married to former University of Mobile basketball standout Erin Hostrander. "I've always wanted to be on the big stage, and here I am. God has really answered my prayers. It feels like now I'm ready to be here, ready to be on the big stage. I feel I'm more mature now and I'm ready for it."