J.C. Romero
Philadelphia Phillies — No. 16
Relief pitcher
Born: June 4, 1976 (1976-06-04) (age 33) Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
Bats: Switch	Throws: Left
MLB debut
September 15, 1999 for the Minnesota Twins
Career statistics (through 28, 2009)
Win-Loss	32-28
Earned run average	4.11
Strikeouts	473
Teams
Minnesota Twins (1999-2005) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2006) Boston Red Sox (2007) Philadelphia Phillies (2007-present)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (2008)

Juan Carlos Romero (born June 4, 1976 in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico) is a Major League Baseball left-handed specialist for the Philadelphia Phillies. He has also played for the Minnesota Twins (1999-2005), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2006), and Boston Red Sox (2007).

[edit] Playing career

Romero played college baseball at the University of Mobile.

Romero was traded by the Twins to the Angels on December 9, 2005, for infielder Alexi Casilla.

Romero was one of the Puerto Rican players to agree to play for Puerto Rico in the 2006 MLB World Baseball Classic.

On October 6, 2006, the Angels declined his contract option for 2007, making him a free agent. On December 15, he signed a 1-year deal with the Boston Red Sox.^[1] However on June 9, 2007, he was designated for assignment,^[2] and then released on June 19, 2007.

[edit] Philadelphia Phillies (2007–present)

On June 23, 2007, Romero signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. During that season, Romero's ERA fell to just over 1.00. Romero improved a weak Phillies' bullpen plagued by inconsistency and injuries, which posted a 3.17 ERA in the final stretch of September. He also played a crucial role in the Phillies' triumph on the last day of the season, when in a 6-1 victory over the Nationals that capped the team's comeback against the New York Mets, Romero pitched one inning and struck out the side. Romero has been named the Phillies' top reliever for the post-season. On November 10, 2007, Romero agreed to a multi-year deal to remain with the Phillies.

On October 29, 2008, Romero was the winning pitcher in Game 5 of the World Series, which clinched the first major championship in the city of Philadelphia in 25 years. Along with his win in Game 3, he became the first Puerto Rican pitcher to win two games in one World Series.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Drug suspension

Prior to the 2009 season, Romero was suspended 50 games for testing positive for androstenedione, a performance-enhancing drug banned by MLB. Romero said that he bought a supplement named 6-OXO Extreme from a GNC store at the Cherry Hill Mall in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and that he was cleared to take it by two nutritionists. Romero actually tested positive on August 26, 2008, but he took the case to arbitration, allowing him to pitch in the postseason and World Series; after he stopped taking the supplement, he tested negative before the playoffs. Due to the suspension, Romero lost $1.25 million,^[3] so he is suing the makers of the supplement, Ergopharm Inc., along with The Vitamin Shoppe and GNC for his lost salary and punitive damages.^[4] Following the 50-game suspension, Romero returned to the Phillies' AAA affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in May 2009. Romero returned to the Phillies on June 3, 2009.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• Minor League Splits and Situational Stats