For those who were fortunate enough to see recently-acquired Dodger reliever Sergio Romo at Camelback Ranch this spring, they know first-hand that the exuberance he showed – both on the field and off – was not some kind of an act or a put-on. The joy and perpetual smile on the face of the 34-year-old Brawley, California native was the real deal and as genuine and sincere as it could be. After all, Romo, his father and his grandfather were lifelong Dodger fans and often made the three and a half hour drive to Dodger Stadium to watch their beloved team; this in spite of the fact that the 5′-11″/185-pound right-hander and three-time World Series champion had been held hostage by the Hated Ones for nine seasons.

Romo became an immediate fan-favorite at Camelback Ranch on the very first day of spring training when he signed autographs and shared his excitement with fans for over an hour.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka

So when the Dodgers bullpen gate swung open on Wednesday evening to the song El Mechon – Romo’s longtime entrance song – he was genuinely and sincerely stoked.

“It was good, exciting. You gotta be ready for anything, right?” Romo said, after his first scoreless inning as a Dodger. “Tell me to be ready by the sixth and there I was pitching in the sixth. It was fun you know, getting in the box score. I’m officially a Dodger! It was exciting to hear my song being played and to see the crowd reaction to it when they announced my name there. Yeah, I’m happy with it.”

Romo’s first pitch as a Dodger was a slider for a strike. Go figure.
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

But Romo’s 11-pitch / nine-strike sixth inning wasn’t without it’s anxious moments for Dodger fans. On his very first pitch to Padres first baseman Wil Myers, Romo grooved a fastball right over the heart of the plate that Myers launched into the left field corner for a ground rule double – this after Padres center fielder Manuel Margot had hit a very long fly out to Dodgers left fielder Andrew Toles. This was immediately followed by a (very) deep drive to center field that Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson caught on the warning track. Fortunately, Romo got Padres right fielder Hunter Renfroe – who had homered earlier in the game – to ground out to Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner to end the threat.

“Just too good of a pitch, the sinker didn’t sink, just too hitable,” Romo said of his pitch to Myers. “I make a better pitch than that.”

Just to further support Romo’s excitement at wearing Dodger Blue – if that were even necessary – it’s what he said to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts after his scoreless inning that should remove any doubts of his love for the Dodgers.

“Sergio thanked me for the inning when he came out, which is nice,” said Roberts after his team’s 3-1 victory. “We talked about this earlier, we don’t know when he’s going to take the ball, but I know that he’s on-board whenever he’s called upon. The first-pitch fastball to Myers, but outside of that, he was lights out.”

If there are Dodger fans out there who still resent the fact that Romo used to be a Giant, there is only one thing that can be said: Get over it. Sergio Romo is – bar none – the proudest Dodger on the team.