London, ON., native Jamie Romak spent almost 11 years in the minor leagues, playing more than 1,000 games, before he finally earned his first career major league call-up earlier this week with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He got into his first big league game as a pinch hitter Wednesday night and grounded out on the first pitch he saw. He joined Tim Micallef on Tim and Sid Friday afternoon to talk about the experience.
On the few days since he was called up…
The last day and a half has been a whirlwind. From the second I heard the phone ring in my hotel room, to getting out of the car and walking into Dodger Stadium, to the first time seeing my big league jersey, to walking from the on-deck circle to the plate for my first at-bat — it was just unbelievable. It was so surreal and everything that you hoped it would be.
On having a different perspective on the journey to get to the majors…
It’s been so long coming that I’ve played it over in my head a million times. I knew it would happen and I think that’s the biggest key. I always believed that I could play here; that the chance would come. And if I did play well enough that eventually you couldn’t be denied forever. I’m certainly grateful for the opportunity. After I grounded out, as I was running back to the dugout, I kind of looked up and let it soak in for a little bit. But I don’t want to go back. I want to be here as long as I can. I don’t want to take this as ‘well, I’m here and I’ve done it and it’s over with.’ I want to keep my foot on the gas pedal and do everything I can to stay here.
On if any of his family was able to make it to L.A. to share the moment with him…
They all got here yesterday, so they missed my first at-bat. Being on east coast time, by the time they found out and trying to get flights and scrambling and all that stuff — they got on the first flight out the following day. So my wife’s here with me. Her dad. My mom. My step-dad. My brother. My sister. My sister’s fiancé is coming out today. It’s nuts. It wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t have everybody here because this moment is bigger than just me. It’s all the people that have been there beside me this whole time and making the sacrifices that they made alongside me. It’s cliché but its just special to have everyone here. It makes the moment complete.
On if he heard what Vin Scully said about him on the Dodgers broadcast…
I was actually down in the tunnel getting ready in the sixth inning, just taking some swings and getting loose. And we had the game playing so we can keep track of what’s going on and he started talking about me and I was like ‘man, this is awkward. I’m trying to get ready, but I kind of want to hear what he has to say.’ But I heard clips of it. He’s just a legendary guy and [Dodger Stadium is] such a historical stadium and [the Dodgers are] a team with so much tradition. It really is surreal, the whole situation.
One if he ever thought about retiring…
There was one time. This was a long time ago. I think it was 2006. My first three years I battled injuries. I hardly played at all. I finally started to play and I got off to a slow start and I got sent down and I reached a spot on the highway in Georgia — it was I-75. If you take I-75 north it takes you home. And if you take it south it takes you where they wanted to assign me. I kind of hit that crossroad and I said ‘you know what, I’m too young and I love baseball too much. It’s not going my way right now but I’m not done with this game.’ I went down, it only lasted a week, I played well enough, got back up, got back on track and everything kind of took care of itself after that. That was really the only time. After you’ve felt some success in this game, you look around the field and you kind of gauge yourself against he players that are out there against you. You get a good feel of ‘hey, either I can do this or I can’t’ and I truly always believed I could.
On where his motivation to persevere came from…
So many different places. I’ve spent so much time away form home. Away from my wife and family and friends. I’ve missed weddings. We’ve sadly lost people in the family and I couldn’t even get home for their funeral. I played winter ball for years at a time and really reduced my off-season time with the people that are close to me. If I’m going to do that and they’re going to make that sacrifice, I owe it to myself and I owe it to them to see it through. And everyday I put on the uniform to do the very best I can and to make them proud and to reach the ultimate goal of becoming a big league baseball player.
