Sergio Romo to Retire as Member of San Francisco Giants Organization

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Sergio Romo will end his career in Giant(s) fashion…

The San Francisco Giants have signed the 40-year-old Mexican American professional baseball pitcher, a longtime reliever, who will retire as a member of the team at the end of spring training.

Romo signed a minor league contract with an invite to major league spring training. He’ll retire March 27 during the Giants’ final spring training game against the Oakland Athletics.

“The relationship that Giants fans have with their players is unique — few exemplify that bond more than Sergio,” Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said in a statement Saturday. “After all that he accomplished as a Giant from 2008 to 2016, including his huge contributions to the championship teams, it’s a thrill to have him back in a San Francisco uniform.”

Romo won three World Series titles with San Francisco while spending the first nine years of his major league career with the team. He earned his only MLB All-Star appearance in 2013, when he set a career high with 38 saves.

He holds the Giants’ franchise record for postseason appearances by a pitcher with 27. His 515 games pitched with the team rank fifth all-time, while his 84 saves rank seventh.

After leaving the Giants as a free agent, Romo also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2017), Tampa Bay Rays (2017-18), Miami Marlins (2019), Minnesota Twins (2019-20), Oakland Athletics (2021), Seattle Mariners (2022) and Toronto Blue Jays (2022).

Romo has 137 career saves in 15 major league seasons, going 42-36 with a 3.21 ERA in 821 relief appearances and five starts.

Sergio Romo Agrees to One-Year Deal with the Minnesota Twins

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Sergio Romo is Twinning…

The 36-year-old Mexican American professional baseball pitcher has agreed to a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins, according to multiple reports.

The deal includes a club option and $5 million guaranteed with a chance to earn $10 million. MLB.comwas first to report the deal; MLB Networkwas first to report terms.

Romo was 2-1 with 20 saves and 60 strikeouts over 60⅓ innings in 65 relief appearances last season for the Miami Marlins and the Twins — who acquired him, minor league pitcher Chris Vallimontand a player to be named for minor league first baseman Lewin Diazat the July 31 trade deadline.

The veteran right-hander was acquired by Minnesota to serve as a playoff-tested performer to fortify the back end of its bullpen, and the Twins held off the Cleveland Indians to win their first American League Centraltitle since 2010.

Romo spent the first half of the year as the Marlins’ closer, racking up 17 saves to go along with a 3.58 ERA in 37⅔ innings.

Romo won three championships with the San Francisco Giants, closing out the final game of the 2012 World Series in memorable fashion when he froze Miguel Cabrera on a down-the-middle fastball. In 25⅓ career playoff innings, Romo has a 3.55 ERA.

Romo was drafted by the Giants in 2005 and worked his way up the team’s minor league system before landing in the big leagues in 2008.

Miami Marlins Sign Sergio Romo to One-Year Deal

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Bienvenido a Miami, Sergio Romo!

The 35-year-oldMexican-American professional baseball relief pitcher has reached an agreement on a one-year deal with the Miami Marlins, according to ESPN.

The deal, pending a physical, is worth $1.25 million.

Romo, who had been a free agent, saved 25 games for the Tampa Bay Rays last season.

In addition to the Rays, he has played in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giantsand Los Angeles Dodgers.

As a closer for the Giants, he recorded three saves during the 2012 World Series, helping the Giants win the title.

He was an MLB All-Starin 2013.

Romo Finalizes Two-Year, $15-Million Deal with the San Francisco Giants

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Sergio Romo is officially staying put…

The 31-year-old Mexican-American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants has finalized a $15 million, two-year contract with the team, who kept a key component that has been part of three championship runs.

“When it comes to professional baseball, this has been my home,” Romo said. “I’m very thankful for every opportunity that I’ve gotten. This was a place I was able to make a name for myself. This is the only organization I know.”

Romo could earn an additional $500,000 annually in performance bonuses based on games finished as part of the agreement.

The right-hander has spent all seven of his Major League Baseball (MLB) seasons with San Francisco, winning titles in 2010, ’12 and this year. He went 6-4 with a 3.72 ERA with 23 saves in 64 outings this past season as San Francisco earned the wild card and went on to beat Kansas City in a seven-game World Series.

“All in all, I really wanted to stay home. I wanted to stay here,” Romo said. “I don’t really see myself wearing another uniform.”

“He’s meant so much to our success,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “So much is talked about with our bullpen. Whether setting up or closing, I thought it was important for our team, for our bullpen. Sergio knows all of us, we know him, there’s a sense of comfort there. We know what we’re getting, a very good pitcher who’s comfortable pitching late in the ballgame. I can’t say enough about how he carried himself this year. I know we made a switch there. He was all about winning.”

Romo Nearing Two Year, $15M Deal with the San Francisco Giants

Posted on December 18, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Sergio Romo isn’t planning to leave San Francisco…

The 31-year-old Mexican-American professional baseball relief pitcher is reportedly finalizing a two-year, $15 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, according to ESPN.

Romo could earn an additional $1 million in bonuses for games finished, a source tells ESPN.

His pending deal with the reigning World Series champions was reported earlier Wednesday by Fox Sports.

Romo is 31-21 with a 2.58 ERA over seven seasons with the Giants. He recorded 38 saves in 2013 and saved 23 games last season. After Romo blew three saves in five opportunities in late June, Santiago Casilla replaced him in the closer role.

The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly had expressed interest in Romo as a free agent this offseason.

Romo pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in the World Series for the Giants and is 3-1 with a 2.11 ERA and four saves in 25 career postseason appearances, helping San Francisco win three World Series championships.

San Francisco Giants’ Romo Declares: ‘I Just Look Illegal’

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

He’s already garnered acclaim for his pitch perfect play in this year’s World Series… But now Sergio Romo is getting attention for his political attire.

During the San Francisco Giants‘ victory parade on Wednesday, the team’s 29-year-old Mexican American relief pitcher – the closer last seen striking out Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers on Sunday to end the World Series – donned a t-shirt that read, “I just look illegal.”

Romo, the son of Mexican immigrants, just miles from the Mexican border, set the social media world on fire in response to the provocative message he sported while parading through the streets of San Francisco.

“Giant hero indeed: Sergio Romo’s t-shirt at World Series parade proclaims ‘I JUST LOOK ILLEGAL,’” tweeted one fan.

“@SergioRomo54 Props to the shirt you wore! Big ups to you for blasting a solid message!!!!” tweeted another.

Immigrant activists around the country interpreted it as a satirical message about a term that many say dehumanizes immigrants in the country illegally — as well as American-born Latinos like Romo.

“You cannot tell who looks ‘illegal,'” tweeted Bay Area activist and journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, who thanked Romo for taking a stand. “No human being is illegal.”

Romo, who was raised in the small Southern California city of Brawley, said nothing publicly Wednesday about the shirt and partially concealed its message with a zip-up hoodie when he held the World Series trophy behind crooner Tony Bennett.   He did, however, thank fans in a speech celebrating the Bay Area’s diversity and its “different folks with different strokes” and “different faces from different places,” then flashed the message on his way back from the stand.

Scutaro’s Single Gives the Giants a World Series Sweep

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Marco Scutaro will be returning to San Francisco to a hero’s welcome…

The 36-year-old Venezuelan baseball star singled home the tiebreaking run in the 10th inning on Sunday night to lift the San Francisco Giants to a 4-3 victory and four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers to win the 2012 World Series.

Ryan Theriot, inserted into the Giants’ lineup as the designated hitter for Game 4, opened the 10th with a single off reliever Phil Coke. After going to second on a sacrifice, Theriot got a late jump on Scutaro’s soft line drive in the rain to center, beating Austin Jackson’s throw to the plate.

Sergio Romo struck out the side in the bottom of the 10th for his third save of the series.

It’s the second World Series title in the last three years for the Giants, who beat the Texas Rangers in 2010.

Giants’ star Pablo Sandoval, who made history by hitting three home runs in Game 1, was named this year’s series MVP.

Blanco’s Bunt Helps Propel the Giants to Victory

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Gregor Blanco‘s small bat skills have helped lead his San Francisco Giants to a 2-0 lead against the Detroit Tigers in the World Series…

Unlike his teammate Pablo Sandoval’s hard-hitting performance in Game 1, the 28-year-old Venezuelan baseball star’s bunt stayed in bounds to eke out the go-ahead run in a 2-0 win Thursday night against the Tigers.

Blanco’s single trickled to a stop just inches fair on the infield dirt, setting up Brandon Crawford‘s run-scoring double-play grounder in the seventh. Hunter Pence added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

“I was joking with (coach) Roberto Kelly when I got to first base, ‘We practiced that today,'” said Blanco about his single that rolled 45 feet, if that. “That was a perfect bunt. I wasn’t really trying to do that. I think it was just meant to be and I’m thankful that I did it.”

Madison Bumgarner shut down the Tigers for seven innings, then Santiago Casilla pitched a perfect eighth and Sergio Romo worked the ninth for a save in the combined two-hitter, leaving Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and his team in a huge hole heading back to Comerica Park.

Game 3 will be played Saturday night in Detroit, and for once, the Giants aren’t playing from behind. They overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat Cincinnati Reds in the best-of-five National League Division Series and escaped a 3-1 hole against the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Championship Series.

Anibal Sanchez will start for the Tigers against Ryan Vogelsong in Detroit.

Of the 52 teams to take a 2-0 lead in the World Series, 41 have gone on to win the title. That includes 14 of the last 15 teams with that advantage.

“I’m not sure, and I haven’t done any studies on it,” said Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt, “but statisically it’s always better to be 2-0 than 1-1 or 0-2. I’m just guessing.”

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