Andrew Romine, The Tigers' 'Unheralded Hero'
By Will Burchfield @Burchie_kid
DETROIT (CBS DETROIT) - Andrew Romine doesn't play everyday – but he just about plays everywhere.
The ultra utility-man made his 19th start of the season for the Tigers last night and his first at third base. He has now played every position other than leftfield and catcher in 2016, demonstrating his comprehensive skill set along the way.
Though he is often overlooked on a team chalk full of stars, Romine is held in high regard within the Tigers' clubhouse.
"Romie's kind of a team favorite, they're all pulling for Romine," said Brad Ausmus. "He's kind of an unheralded hero."
Part of that is due to his selfless approach. The seven-year veteran embraces any role to which he's assigned, whether it's in the field, at the plate or on the base paths. He even pitched for an inning back in June, bailing out the Tigers' bullpen in a blowout loss. (Turned out, Mr. Utility had a pretty good knuckleball.)
"He's a guy that can play everywhere on the field, he does anything we need," said Ian Kinsler. "He can play any of the infield positions, any of the outfield positions, and there aren't many guys in the big leagues that can do that."
That's high praise coming from Kinsler, a player who takes pride in being a multi-talented threat. And it debunks the notion that Romine is an interchangeable asset, a label that sells his versatility short. Though he might not wow you with a singular talent, his across-the-board ability is undeniably impressive.
"And the good thing about him is he understands his role and he does it to a really high degree. Whenever you have a guy like that on your team, you always respect it and pull for a guy like that," Kinsler said.
But Romine is admired for more than his novelty and team-first attitude. Through a long, grinding season, one that takes its toll as the games pile up, the Tigers are well aware that Romine's on-call dependability allows key players to stay fresh.
It's a reputation that Romine works tirelessly to uphold.
"He's a guy that comes in here every day and works his butt off, prepares at every position, makes sure he's ready. And when he gets the opportunity he fills in great. You gotta have those guys on your team and he's definitely one of the favorites around here," said Justin Upton.
One of those opportunities came Tuesday night, when Ausmus wanted to give third baseman Nick Castellanos an extra day off. So the manager stuck Romine at the hot corner, batting eighth, and then watched him key the Tigers six-run fifth inning rally with a leadoff triple.
Romine was thrilled to deliver for the team, something he's quietly become accustomed to doing when given the chance. In his past five starts – which have been split between centerfield, shortstop and third base – he is 6/17 (.353) with four runs.
But Romine, a go-about-your-business kind of guy, isn't concerned with the results.
"I would love to do something spectacular every time I get in there, but if I'm focusing on a result when I'm in there then I'm really not focusing on the process, and that's usually the way you're supposed to do it. I can't control what's going to happen, I can just control my preparation," Romine said.
When Romine plays, and plays well, it seems to energize those around him. They see a guy maximizing the moment, undaunted by the fact another one might not arrive for a while. And they pull for him because he represents everything a teammate should be.
"When he does get a start, I think 24 other guys and the coaching staff really want him to do well because he doesn't get the opportunity often," Ausmus explained.
Romine, in typically selfless fashion, resisted the idea that his teammates have a personal stake in his success.
"I don't think that's where the focus is," he said. "I think the focus is on winning. I don't think anybody really cares about the individual performances, but I do think that each player is puling for their other teammates."
Upton agreed.
"He's a Major Leaguer, he's been a Major League for years now. So obviously as a teammate you pull for him, but we're not going to treat him like anybody else," Upton smiled. "We expect him to get the job done when he goes in there."
And Romine expects the same of himself.
