Highlighted Year: Enrique Romo, 1977

Pitcher, Seattle Mariners

Age:  30 (July 15)

1^st season with Mariners

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 185 

Prior to 1977:

A native of Baja California del Sur in Mexico, Romo played youth baseball in Guaymos, a city in Sonora, to which the family had moved. At 16 he joined the Mexican Navy for three years, after which he signed with Puerto Mexico of the Class A Mexican Southeast League. He switched from the outfield, his original position, to pitching, and in 1966 the 18-year-old appeared in 22 games and posted a 1-2 record and 3.10 ERA over 61 innings. After playing winter ball in the offseason, he returned to Puerto Mexico in 1967 and appeared in 18 games, producing a 4-5 tally with a 3.74 ERA. Following a strong winter league performance, Romo moved up to the Jalisco Charros of the Mexican League in 1968 where he started in 15 of his 23 appearances and posted a 9-9 record and 2.80 ERA with 48 strikeouts over 106 innings. Throwing a broad array of pitches from several different motions, he went 8-9 for Jalisco in 1969 with a 3.52 ERA, 7 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 95 strikeouts over 161 innings. His 1970 performance with Jalisco improved to 10-9 and a 2.79 ERA with 8 complete games, 2 shutouts, and 79 strikeouts over 155 innings. Romo spent one more season with Jalisco in 1971 and produced a 10-9 tally and 3.02 ERA with 89 strikeouts over 149 innings. Moving to the Union Laguna Algodoneros (Cotton Growers) in 1972 he went 11-8 with a 2.03 ERA, 13 complete games, and 104 strikeouts over 186 innings. He pitched for the Mexico City Rojos (Reds) for the next four seasons in which the club won three league titles, and he also appeared in the Caribbean Series. His best records were in 1974 when he went 17-9 with a 3.08 ERA, 11 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 130 strikeouts over 193 innings and 1976, when he added a screwball to his repertoire and compiled a 20-4 record and 1.89 ERA with 19 complete games, 5 shutouts, and 239 strikeouts over 233 innings. In 1977 the expansion Mariners purchased his contract from Mexico City for $25,000 and he began the season as part of the starting rotation.

1977 Season Summary

Appeared in 58 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 58 [10]

Games Started – 3

Games Finished – 39 [8]

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 8

Losses – 10

PCT - .444

Saves – 16 [6]

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 114.1

Hits – 93

Runs – 40

Earned Runs – 36

Home Runs – 8

Bases on Balls – 39

Strikeouts – 105

ERA – 2.83 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 5

Balks – 2 [6, tied with thirteen others]

Wild Pitches – 1 

Midseason Snapshot: G – 33, 5-7, ERA – 1.91, SV – 8, SO - 73 in 75.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 9 (in 7 IP) vs. California 4/7

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 4 (in 7 IP) vs. California 4/7

Fielding

Chances – 25

Put Outs – 5

Assists – 19

Errors – 1

DP – 3

Pct. - .960 

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In their inaugural season, the Mariners went 64-98 to finish sixth in the AL Western Division, 38 games behind the division-winning Kansas City Royals. The pitching staff led the league in runs surrendered (855), home runs surrendered (194), highest ERA (4.83), fewest complete games (18), and fewest shutouts (1). The Mariners were more successful on the road (35-46) than at home (29-52) and, hindered early by injuries to pitchers, avoided finishing in the AL West cellar by winning two of their last three games. They drew 1,338,511 fans to the Kingdome. Romo went on the disabled list after three starts due to a hamstring injury and was moved to the bullpen following his return to action with favorable results.

Aftermath of 1977:

Romo had a lesser season in 1978, relieving in 56 games and posting an 11-7 record and 3.69 ERA with 10 saves and 62 strikeouts over 107.1 innings. In the offseason he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a six-player deal. Romo became a good fit in Pittsburgh’s bullpen in support of closer Kent Tekulve. He appeared in 84 games and produced a 10-5 tally and 5 saves along with a 2.99 ERA and 106 strikeouts over 129.1 innings. The Pirates won the NL East in a tight race with Montreal, took down Cincinnati in the NLCS to win the pennant, and came from behind to beat the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. In the postseason, he appeared in four games (two in each series) and had no decisions or saves while his ERA was 3.60 in 5 innings pitched. A good fielder and hitter, Romo slugged a grand slam in a 1980 game against the New Yok Mets. On the mound he remained a key middle reliever, appearing in 74 games and compiling a 5-5 record and 11 saves with a 3.27 ERA and 82 strikeouts over 123.2 innings. Dogged by inconsistency in 1981 while the club floundered during the strike-shortened season, Romo appeared in 33 games and went 1-3 with 9 saves and a 4.54 ERA. The temperamental Romo was fined by manager Chuck Tanner late in the 1982 season for “breaking training” during a year in which he made 45 appearances and produced a 9-3 tally with one save, a 4.36 ERA, and 58 strikeouts over 86.2 innings. It proved to be the end of the line for the 35-year-old pitcher who failed to report to spring training in 1983 and indicated to the Pirates that he was retiring. He did appear again with an outlaw league that didn’t last long. For his major league career, Romo pitched in 350 games and produced a 44-33 record with 52 saves, a 3.45 ERA, and 436 strikeouts over 603 innings. With the Mariners he appeared in 114 games and posted a 19-17 record with 26 saves, a 3.25 ERA, and 167 strikeouts over 221.2 innings. As a major league batter, he hit .270 with a home run and 5 RBIs. In Mexico, according to available records, he compiled a 109-74 record and 2.67 ERA with 91 complete games, 23 shutouts, and 1047 strikeouts over 1565 innings pitched. In 2003 he was inducted into the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame, where he joined his older brother Vicente, who also pitched in the major leagues from 1968-74 with five different clubs.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.