"The waiting is the hardest part."
- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Wait no more, ye of Blue Jay fandom. Ricky Romero finally arrives a week from Thursday.
Though most have never seen him pitch, the average Jay supporter can tell you Romero was the 6th choice in the 2005 draft, a tidbit etched in memory thanks chiefly to the success of the 7th selection (Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki, it should be noted, has enjoyed one good year).
If not for the rise of Tulowitzki, most wouldn't notice that Romero's ascension is right on cue. It will have taken four full years of minor league apprenticeship to crack a big league roster. That's a little more than Roy Halladay needed and a little less than Chris Carpenter (granted, both were selected out of high school at a younger age). Or perhaps David Purcey is a better comparison. Taken in the 16th spot one year earlier, Purcey (like Romero) came from the NCAA. And he was a year-and-a-half older than Romero at draft time. But because Purcey wasn't taken directly ahead of a cornerstone shortstop, few grew impatient with his development.
Romero seized a spot Sunday with an impressive spring outing against Houston, one that saw him wiggle out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam and drew the praise of Ivan Rodriguez.
With the assistance of pitching coach Brad Arnsberg, Romero has corrected some mechanical issues, namely a straighter path to home plate and an ability to repeat his delivery. The rest, it seems, is upstairs. As Arnsberg told me in early March, "If he believed in his stuff as much as I do, he could write his own ticket."
As of Monday, he'll get his chance. Romero told Don Landry and Gord Stellick on the Fan 590 morning show that he'll come north as the fourth starter. This bodes well for Scott Richmond, in the running for the fifth spot. As much as the Jays intend to play the kids this year, Richmond's previous big league experience should earn him the starting assignment at Cleveland's home opener on April 10. It would be hard to see two raw rookies make the club. Two left-handers at that.
Still, this much is certain: Romero doesn't make this rotation if Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan are right. But Lou Gehrig isn't the Iron Horse if Miller Huggins doesn't bench Wally Pipp.
So here's your opportunity kid. Make the best of it.
Your opinion on this development is greatly appreciated.
