Andrew Romine has announced his retirement from baseball with a post on Instagram.
Romine was a fifth round pick out of Arizona State University by the Angels back in 2007. The 34-year-old infielder played 11 years in the Majors, appearing in 609 big league games for the Angels, Tigers, Mariners, Rangers, and Cubs. His most prolific period came in Detroit, where he was a regular from 2014 to 2017.
Romine wasn’t exactly a thunderbolt at the plate, but he was a capable defender and a plus on the base paths. Defensively, Romine can claim the rare distinction of having literally done it all. He appeared in at least one game at all nine defensive positions, though he was primarily an infielder. He took the mound eight times, and for one third of an inning back in 2017, he even suited up behind the plate for the Tigers.
This past season, Andrew appeared in 26 games, slashing .183/.234/.267 in 64 plate appearances with the Cubs. Never known as a slugger, Romine put his stamp on the season back on August 6th, hitting a 3-run, game-tying home run off Craig Kimbrel in the bottom of the ninth inning. Though the Cubs ultimately lost that game, it was just Kimbrel’s third appearance on the south side and the beginning of a difficult half season with the White Sox. It was just Romine’s 11th career home run across a total 1,391 career plate appearances.
For Romine, the blast was a thrilling moment in an eventful final season in the bigs. Romine got to play alongside his younger brother, Austin Romine, in Chicago. The brothers played alongside one another for the first time in their professional lives.
The MLBTR staff would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to Andrew for a successful pro career and wish him the best of luck in whatever comes next.
Easily one of the best pinch hitters in baseball history. Farewell chap.
Matt Stairs would like a word.
And Rusty Staub.
Manny Mota
Jerry Lynch
Today marks the Anniversary of the Mets trading of 73 WS Legend Rusty Staub to Detroit for none other than Mickey Lolich in 1975.
Funny story I was living and studying in Chicago at a residence on 60th Street at the Time and there was a Laundry Room there in the Basement with Interesting Graffiti. So there was this old rusted out Dryer there and someone scribbled Rusty on it. Someone then added Staub after Rusty. Finally after this trade someone crossed out Rusty Staub and scribbled in Mickey Lolich underneath. So Funny!
He said “one of”
Lenny Harris was my all time fav pinch hitter
“No better feeling than getting your ass hammered by guys.” -Matt Stairs
My favorite baseball quote
Thad Bosley
.287/.372/.401/.783 with 52 RBI’s and a 127 OPS+ in 306 AB’s
I loved both Rusty Staub and Manny Mota but I have to give props to the original Met and WS Great Ed Kranepool.
From 1974 through 1978, Kranepool hit .396 as a pinch hitter, batting .486 (17-for-35) in the role in 1974, still the major league single-season pinch hit batting average record.
Full disclosure he came along with Yankee Great Roy White to my Little League Banquet and was Great!
Best pinch hitter? Gotta consider Gates Brown. Holds MLB record for pinch-hit ABs and AL record for pinch hits. In 1968 he had 39 pinch-hit ABs and hit .450 with 3 HRs and only one strikeout. He hit .611 in the 8th inning and .412 in the 9th. Also once was called on to pinch hit while eating hot dogs in the dugout. Stuffed them in his shirt and went to the plate. Slid head-first into second trying for a double and smeared meat and mustard all over his shirt. Colorful as well as one of the best pinch hitters ever.
Gates was an absolute beast. Figure the numbers he put up in ’68 when the entire league batted around .235.
.370 BA and 1.127 OPS in ‘68 for the career PH and once-in-a-great-while OF.
Lenny Harris was a good PH too
I never understood Jim Leyland’s affinity for Andrew Romine when he wasn’t even close to the best player he had at his disposal. The Tigers were stacked and Leyland used Romine like a super-sun.
☉
Like a champagne supernova…
Career WAR of +0.6 while his brother’s career WAR is -0.5. Net positive for the second Romine generation after Dad Kevin was -1.4 WAR. A few more generations needed for the Hall of Fame. Still, it’s totally cool they got to play together. Great baseball family. Maybe a future manager?
Leyland wasn’t the manager when Romine played for the Tigers. Ausmus was the manager.
Maybe that’s why it was hard to understand.
The Swiss army knife utility man. It was great seeing him reunite with his brother in Chicago.
I meant Detroit Manager Brad Ausmus, not Leyland.
Ausmus-Future Mets Manager
Nothing against MLBTR. But he played 11 years and averaged 1 HR a year. Trout has that on opening day every year.
They never said he was good. Just saying he retired. They are reporting news in a slow time. Let them live and while andrew wasn’t a good mlb player he did make way more money than we will ever see and got to live out his dreams.
When Trout retires, they’ll probably do a piece about him too.
I hope so
This isn’t about Trout and you don’t have to make it be that way.
I just used Trout as a example relax
Trout was a very bad example……he has THREE home runs on Opening Day….NOT EVEN close to the average of one you claimed in your backhanded shot at Romine and MLBTR.
An example of what? Seriously, what point were you trying to make?
Romine has one fewer at bat in the playoffs than Trout and he hit .182 vs Trout’s .083. So what’s your point, other than a snide remark about a guy who actually had a career in the big leagues?
May be the dumbest comment on this site so far and that’s saying a lot with Mets22 being on here
Thank you so much for your educated and highly sought after opinion on the retirement of Andrew Romine.
If it’s nothing against MLBTR, then your point was … ?
as a Rangers fan I am very surprised to see he played for the Rangers…. obviously not very long but I follow them quite close.
Congratulations to an individual who was able to live out their childhood dream! Enjoy retirement, Andrew!
Congrats! And also thanks for playing the game as it’s to be played!
Andrew may have not been the best player, but how many people can say they made the majors? Good luck Andrew and thanks for the memories!
Hats off to him for having the ability to play all nine positions.
Enjoy retirement Andrew! Dude made over 5 million in his career, lived out most of our dreams and is tied for first on a major league record. Congrats on a fun career!
I enjoyed watching Andrew Romine play since he arrived with the Angels as a solid utility IF.
I still remember watching him on the backend of a double steal with Jean Segura back on Feb. 27th, 2011 in a ST Game vs. the Dodgers. Outstanding!
He went to the same HS as my nephews cousin.
My brother saw artie Lange eat a sandwich at Katz deli once
My Father RIP used to do lunch at Katz Deli on the Lower East Side and I remember my Youth there watching the Twin Towers being built. Oh the Good old Days
Sure it wasn’t 3 sandwiches?
Katz deli has a strange payment system. They issue a card and punch it for every item ordered at the counter. They add it up as you exit sort of punching your ticket on the way out.
Only one? That wasn’t Artie Lange
That’s a weird way to describe your son
Maximum points awarded
Good person and player here in detroit,,great for the game.
Austin will now be able to focus on his Lettuce business.
Kinda cool that he and his brother got to play for the same team before he retired.
No Japan or Korea?
MISSED IT BY THAT [ = ] MUCH !!
According to informed sources, The Marlins were in on Andrew Romine right up until he announced his retirement.. The Marlins made a “strong” offer, but not one that matched the appeal of retirement. The Marlins weren’t the only team to be disappointed.
The Minnesota Twins had also been linked to Romine.
There are thousands of guys…THOUSANDS…who would’ve traded their souls to the devil for a career like Andrew Romine’s.
“There are thousands of guys who would’ve traded their souls to the devil for a career like Andrew Romine’s.”
What a sad statement of values. I wouldn’t trade my soul for ANY _________
(fill in the blank. e.g. profession, opportunity, hot babe, car, house, etc ).
Lighten up, Sherlock.
Ever heard of Shoeless Joe of Hannibal Mo.?
That homer off Kimbrel was amazing. I don’t know if it was a top ten career moment for him but for the fans that were there that day it was lasting entertainment and our memory of him.
I guarantee that was the first time Romine’s name was ever used in the same sentence as “prolific,” in an article.
Loved Andrew Romine.. Was a fan favorite when he was here in Detroit. Good luck in your retirement.
Andrew Romine is a class individual. Good luck to him in his future ventures.
His parting gift was the rare feat of playing all nine positions in one game. He was the second Tiger to accomplish that as Shane Halter did it as well. I believe that makes the Tigers the only team to have two players do that in a franchise’s history.
Life lesson from the Romine brothers: if you’re going to be a light-hitting reserve MLB player, be a catcher, not a middle infielder.
Brad Ausmus used him almost every day as a defensive replacement anywhere.
*So did Jim Leyland.*
Cooperstown is next for Andrew.
Cooperstown to Romaine: Lettuce Alone.
Got that pension and now he’s out, grats to him
He totaled just 27 games in his first 3 seasons. To qualify, you have to have 10 years of service – with a minimum of 172 days on the active roster or disabled list as the annual requirement. 172 days is almost 6 months.
I don’t think he qualifies for a full pension. I don’t know about a partial take, but I’m pretty sure he wasn’t fully vested.
We were all hoping the Tigers would sign him. It will be a long year without him.
Lighten up, Sherlock.
Ever heard of Shoeless Joe of Hannibal Mo.?
I will never forget the Tiger-Yankee dust up in 2017 between Miguel Cabrera and Austin Romine…when Andrew played with the Tigers.
abcnews.go.com/Sports/tigers-yanks-brawl-fight-mig…
I think Verlander got into it with Victor Martinez for not joining in the fracas. Bunch of ejections.. I thought it spelled the end for Ausmus as Tiger skipper.
I think it’s pretty cool he did the play an out at every position in a single game thing a while back. I don’t you can do that nowadays anymore without being 7 runs down or ahead.
Still made probably 4 times more dough in 1/5 the time that I’ll make. Enjoy retirement, Andrew.