Off Topic
Alberto “Slippery Pete” Romero first made news when at some youthful age the Yellow Springs Nine paid some $50M for him in the International Free Agent market. He promptly disappeared in a cloud of youthful exuberance, and fans assumed it was a case of bad cash out the window. Par for the course. This is Yellow Springs, after all. Development gods giveth, development gods taketh away.
A funny thing happened on the way to the Penthouse, though.
Romero threw a series of unimpressive innings in several unimpressive stops in the Nine system, but then dropped a 2.97 ERA in 22 AAA starts to begin last season—and when the team found itself suddenly in need of an emergency start or two, the front office said “why the hell not,” and gave him a try. He debuted in Nashville and promptly got torched for eight earned runs in three innings, walking four and allowing seven hits. His next outing saw him give up three walks and a hit while getting only two outs before behind shipped back to Indy.
Sigh.
Another injury, though, and the kid was up again in early August.
Here are the numbers from that point forward:
4-1, 8 Appearances, 5 Starts
40.2 IP, 14 ER (3.09 ERA)
42 K, 30 BB
In other words, the kind of performance that put fans and manager alike into comas, but helped carry the team to its seventy-gabillionth Heartland title and another last season dumping.
With the top of the Nine rotation still convalescing, an important question on every fan’s lips is centered on the not-so-young-anymore kid (Romero is 24), and whether he can get the ball over the plate often enough to keep a job in the big leagues.
It’s happened before.
But serious doubts have to be raised.