In retrospect, it was one of the low points of the 2011 season, and it took Ricky Romero past the perimeter of his patience.
After losing a 2-0 game in Atlanta last June, Romero said it was about time someone else besides Jose Bautista and Adam Lind did some hitting for the Toronto Blue Jays.
“Everyone’s got to step up or else we’re not going to keep winning ball games, we’re going to keep losing ball games like this,” the team’s top pitcher said in a quiet clubhouse.
Manager John Farrell was sorely displeased. He met privately with Romero the next day. Then Romero addressed his teammates to “clarify” his comments. When media questions persisted two days later, Farrell brusquely refused further comment on the subject.
But on Saturday, during a discussion about Romero’s growth and development, Farrell acknowledged that the episode might have been a significant milestone for the ace of his rotation.
“I don’t know if that was the catalyst. I would say that was one of the points in time that he really began to mature,” Farrell said.
“He vented some frustration, which was a good thing. I think the most important thing was that he began to harness his emotions and channel them in a proper way inside the game.”
Speaking before Romero squared off against Roy Halladay and the Phillies, Farrell recalled Romero unleashing several “outbursts” on the mound when his fortunes turned sour early in the season.
Occasionally, Romero still barks an unprintable word or two into his glove when he pitches, but Farrell said he has seen him mature as a leader and pitcher. So has Halladay, but more on that later.
http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/03/ ... -halladay/