RUNS IN THE FAMILY
Yanks favorite carries on hard-nosed father’s legacy
TAMPA — On a sunny Wednesday morning last July at Yankee Stadium, Reds bench coach Jim Riggleman sat in the visitors’ dugout and pointed to Austin Romine on the field.
“I managed his dad in winter ball,” Riggleman said. “Worked really hard. “I never saw him smile.” Austin Romine, informed of Riggleman’s memory of Kevin Romine, flashed a rare smile himself.
“Like father, like son,” he said.
Actually, “I think ‘never smiled’ is a bit of an overstatement,” Riggleman said of Kevin Romine this past week in a telephone interview, and the same goes for the Yankees’ backup catcher. Yet Austin Romine, the younger of two major league sons of a former major leaguer — older brother Andrew is a utility man for the Mariners — has established a foothold on this deep Yankees roster thanks to a seriousness and perseverance that have earned him respect up and down the organization. Those qualities helped endear him to the Yankees’ fan base, as did his participation in a high-profile, benchclearing brawl last season.
That toughness, Romine said, comes largely from his father.
“He definitely shaped me to where I respect the game and play it hard,” he said. “Just keep grinding.”
Jody Reed, the Yankees’ field coordinator, played on the Red Sox with Kevin Romine and replied,rep “Oh, yeah,” when asked if he sees similarities between father and son. “The intensity. The fire. Even the dry humor,” Reed said. “They’re very serious and take a lot of pride in their profession and their work. You can tell he gets that from daddy right there. No doubt about it.” Kevin Romine signed with the Sawx in 1982 after getting selected in the second round of the amateur draft. He served as a backup outfielder from 1985 through 1991, so Austin, born in 1988, has no memories of seeing his dad play in the big leagues. That meant Austin grew up with his dad at home in Southern California. Kevin, who owned a garage after retiring and later joined the Los Angeles Police Department, introduced baseball to both Austin and Andrew (born in 1985) at young ages and coached them until high school. “At the time, I didn’t look at it as raising big leaguers,” Kevin Romine said in a telephone interview. “They both showed an aptitude for the sport. It kept them busy. And if you’re going to play the game, play the game properly.” “I was brought up to respect the game and respect people that played before it,” Austin Romine said. “Wear your hat the right way. Treat your uniform properly. Just all of the old stuff.” “He benched me,” Austin added. Kevin, asked for the specifics behind that benching, said:s “Probably just a little aattitude adjustment.” Those lessons all came in handy for Austin as the Yankees drafted him in the second round, just like his dad, of the 2007 draft. He eexperienced some early susuccess, winning minor leleague player of the year hhonors in 2009 and 2011, only to hit a wall in 2015, when the Yankees designnated him for assignment anda found no takers. Only in 2016, when Gary SanchezS bombed his spring trainingtr audition to be Brian McCann’sM backup, did Rominein steer his career back in the rightri direction. He has proven to be a nice defensive comple- ment to Sanchez, who has struggled with his glove while providing immense offensive value. He also brings some institutional knowledge, as only Brett Gardner (drafted in 2005) and Dellin Betances (2006) have longer continuous service in the organization.
“I think I just grew up,” Romine said. “Just focus on things I could control rather than things I couldn’t. Stop making excuses and take care of the job at hand. Your job is backup catcher. That day you’re playing, better get it done.”
“You give him an obstacle, he sees it as something to overcome,” Kevin Romine said. “That’s in the Romine nature to not give up. … He knows his place, knows his role. He’s good with pitchers.”
Last Aug. 24 at Comerica Park, Austin found himself in an unfamiliar place: the spotlight. He squared off at home plate with Tigers icon Miguel Cabrera in the first of many skirmishes on the day. The episode drew him a one-game suspension and a new level of appreciation by fans — and a “thumbs-up” text from Kevin Romine.
“We taught our children, ‘ You never start a fight, but don’t walk away,’ ” Kevin Romine said. “He stood his ground, and when Miggy threw one, it’s on.”
“That happens. It’s baseball,” Austin Romine said. “It is what it is. You move on.”
Veteran CC Sabathia and youngster Jordan Montgomery both praised Romine for his game-calling skills. Players with his profile can last a long time in the big leagues.
“In my line of work, if you catch, it’s good,” Romine said. “If you hit, it’s going to be even better. If I can do enough with the bat to hold my weight, it should be a good career.”
And if it’s as good a 2018 season as the Yankees hope, they might generate a long-lasting smile from the entire Romine family.