Johnny Romano facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Johnny Romano |
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: August 23, 1934 Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Died: February 24, 2019 (aged 84) Naples, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 12, 1958, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| August 21, 1967, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .255 | ||
| Home runs | 129 | ||
| Runs batted in | 417 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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John Anthony Romano Jr. (born August 23, 1934 – died February 24, 2019) was a talented American professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Romano played for the Chicago White Sox (1958–1959, 1965–1966), Cleveland Indians (1960–1964), and St. Louis Cardinals (1967). He was a right-handed batter and thrower.
Romano was chosen for the All-Star team four times. Many people thought he was one of the best catchers in the American League in the early 1960s. Sadly, injuries ended his playing career earlier than expected.
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Early Life and High School Success
Johnny Romano was born and grew up in Hoboken, New Jersey. He went to Demarest High School, which is now called Hoboken High School. In his final year of high school, Romano was an amazing hitter. He hit for a .681 batting average. This broke a school record that his own brother had held before him!
Professional Baseball Career Highlights
Starting Out in the Minor Leagues
The Chicago White Sox signed Romano as a young player in 1954. This meant he was a "free agent" and could sign with any team. In 1955, while playing for a minor league team called the Waterloo White Hawks, Romano showed off his power. He hit 9 home runs in nine games in a row! That season, he hit a total of 38 home runs. He also had a .321 batting average. He led his league, the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League, with 108 runs scored and 124 runs batted in (RBIs). His 38 home runs in 1955 set a new league record.
Romano played for two different minor league teams in 1956. In 1957, he played for the Indianapolis Indians. The manager of that team was Walker Cooper, who used to be a major league All-Star catcher. Cooper taught Romano a lot and helped him become a much better catcher. Romano finally got to play in the major leagues in 1958. He made his first appearance with the Chicago White Sox on September 12, when he was 23 years old.
Playing for the White Sox and Indians
The White Sox manager, Al López, was also a former major league catcher. He also helped Romano improve his catching skills. In 1959, Romano was a backup catcher to Sherm Lollar. He played in 53 games and hit .294 with 5 home runs and 25 RBIs. That year, the White Sox, known as the "Go-Go White Sox" for their fast style of play, won their first American League Pennant in 40 years. Romano got to bat once as a pinch hitter in the 1959 World Series. However, the White Sox lost the series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games.
On December 6, 1959, Romano was traded to the Cleveland Indians. He became their main catcher, taking over from Russ Nixon. In 1960, he hit 16 home runs and had 52 RBIs, with a .272 batting average. He got even better in 1961. By the middle of the season, his batting average was .310. This earned him a spot as the starting catcher for the American League team in the 1961 All-Star Games. (In 1961 and 1962, they played two All-Star games each year!) He finished the season with a career-high .299 batting average, which was the eighth best in the league. He also hit 21 home runs and had 80 RBIs.
Romano had another great year in 1962. He hit 13 home runs by mid-season and was chosen as a backup catcher for the American League in the 1962 All-Star Games. He ended that season with his highest career numbers for home runs (25) and RBIs (81).
Injuries and Later Career
On May 26, 1963, Romano broke his little finger while making a tag at home plate. He tried to play again too soon, and the injury never healed properly. This affected his batting a lot. Romano missed 40 games that year, and his batting average dropped to .216. In 1964, he shared playing time with another catcher, Joe Azcue. He hit .241 with 19 home runs that year.
On January 20, 1965, Romano was traded back to the White Sox. They wanted a catcher who could hit more. Romano had a good season in 1965 with the White Sox. He hit 18 home runs and had a good .355 on-base percentage. He also helped the White Sox pitchers. Their team earned run average (ERA) was second best in the league, and they had many shutouts. The White Sox won 95 games that year, finishing second in the league. In 1966, he continued to help the pitching staff. The White Sox pitchers led the league in ERA and shutouts. Romano hit 15 home runs and had a .344 on-base percentage that year.
On December 14, 1966, the White Sox traded Romano to the St. Louis Cardinals. He played one last season in 1967 as a backup catcher for Tim McCarver. He played in 24 games and had a .121 batting average. The Cardinals won the 1967 World Series that year, but Romano was not on the team's roster for the postseason games. He was released by the Cardinals on October 20, 1967.
Career Statistics and Achievements
Over his ten-year major league career, Johnny Romano played in 905 games. He had 706 hits in 2,767 at bats, giving him a .255 career batting average. He also hit 129 home runs and had 417 RBIs. His on-base percentage was .354.
Romano was also a good defensive player. He finished his career with a .990 fielding percentage. He led American League catchers once in baserunners caught stealing (throwing out runners trying to steal bases). He also led once in assists (throws that help get an out) and once in range factor (how many plays a fielder makes). When he retired, he held three team records for Cleveland Indians catchers: most career home runs (91), most home runs in a single season (25), and most RBIs in a single season (81).
Death
Johnny Romano passed away on February 24, 2019, at the age of 84.
