SAN FRANCISCO – Sergio Romo had simply given up an RBI single to Carlos Pérez and was on the brink of face the following Oakland A’s batter. He then peered into the San Francisco Giants dugout, and virtually couldn’t consider what he was seeing.
It was Hunter Pence, strolling out to the mound.
“My first response to it was, ‘Who's that popping out?’ Then (Pence) busted one in all these ones out, signaling to the bullpen,” Romo stated, tapping his proper arm with two fingers. “And I used to be like, ‘this dude’s taking me out.’ I’m simply barely getting began.”
Romo then gave the ball to Pence, bought a hug from his former Giants teammate, with whom he received two World Sequence titles, then slowly walked off the mound, ending an unlikely 15-year Main League profession.
Romo — as was his customized — didn’t step on the third final analysis as he left. And earlier than he entered the Giants dugout, he eliminated his cap and saluted the adoring crowd of over 30,000 at Oracle Park.
Then, one curtain name, after which one other, as Romo eliminated his cap to yet one more standing ovation.
Romo’s ultimate recreation look in a Giants uniform and in an MLB recreation Monday in opposition to the A’s wasn’t the stuff of legend. He walked Conner Capel, allowed a single to Ryan Noda, and one other single to Perez, earlier than he was eliminated.
However that was hardly the purpose of his look, because the group merely needed to offer Giants followers an opportunity to say goodbye to Romo — and provides him an opportunity to do the identical.
A second that can by no means be forgotten 🧡 pic.twitter.com/fOggzTofLH
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) March 28, 2023
“What an expertise, what an expertise,” Romo stated. “I perceive how particular these alternatives are. That’s why a few weeks in the past after I was sitting on the sofa, they usually introduced me with this chance, it didn’t matter how I felt bodily, and the place I used to be at bodily.
“I knew I couldn’t let this chance move.”
Within the third inning, Romo obtained a standing ovation as he walked from the Giants’ dugout to the bullpen. He began to heat up after the fourth inning, then entered the sport to a thunderous ovation to start out the seventh, with Banda MS’ “El Mechón” blaring over the audio system.
Dealing with Capel, Romo was bitten by baseball’s new time-limit guidelines, twice, and was down 2-0 earlier than he threw a pitch to start the at-bat. Capel walked after three extra pitches.
“I did catch myself on the mound, making an attempt to savor the second a little bit bit and attempt to embrace the second a little bit bit after which (the house plate umpire) actually put up with one finger and I’m like, ‘Oh, OK, yeah, yet one more?'” Romo stated. “Then as soon as (Capel) bought within the field, the (umpire) goes, like, peace signal.
“Certain sufficient, I throw two balls and the man’s operating to first base. I’m like, ‘what the heck occurred?’ I believe it’s a very good time for me to stroll away as a result of I all the time took my time on the mound.”
Greater than something, Romo, 40, was simply grateful for the prospect.
“I wasn’t asking for this chance,” Romo instructed this information group Sunday. “However there’s a company, there’s a fan base that feels that I deserve this, and to me, that’s one of the humbling elements about all of this. I don’t need it to finish however, as they are saying, all issues come to an finish, even the nice ones. So, it’s simply my time.”
The ump actually referred to as a ball as a result of Sergio took an excessive amount of time 🙄🤣 pic.twitter.com/l2djqOYFv3
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) March 28, 2023
A few hours earlier than the primary pitch, because the Giants have been wrapping up batting apply, Romo was within the outfield, speaking with followers via the appropriate area gate. He then walked over to the fence in right-center area and gave autographs to a bunch of followers who have been chanting his title and have been in a position to enter the ballpark a bit early.
He additionally did interviews. Posed for pictures. Gave all people the entire time they wanted.
In different phrases, Romo was soaking all of it in.
“So deserving of the respect of strolling off this area a Large,” Giants supervisor Gabe Kapler stated earlier than the sport. “Such an unbelievable contributor to the historical past of the Giants.”
