2009 preview – Ricky Romero

球路: fastball around 90-92 mph, above average change-up, big overhand curve

他跟 Purcey 一直是國外藍鳥迷用來批評 Ricciardi 選秀風格的主要材料，尤其是 Romero 這個選秀，當時藍鳥跳過 Troy Tulowitzki 選他， 05’ 選秀在打線方面之整齊，真是沒有話說，現在已經發光的 Ryan Zimmerman、Ryan Braun、Troy Tulowitzki、Jacoby Ellsbury，還有仍然被看好的 Cameron Maybin、Andrew McCutchen、Jay Bruce、Justin Upton、Colby Rasmus，至於 Alex Gordon 與 Jeff Clement 應該還有機會，後面的輪次還有不錯的打者。儘管如此 Romero 今年還是上來了，結果怎樣還不知道，現在來論斷還太早，我不想太早放棄他。

現在要提供我自己的意見，老實說有困難，我還沒有看過 Romero 投球，在此只能提供我所收集的球探報告之類的免費資源，我花了 2 年的時間追蹤他的資料如下:

2007:
2007 Toronto Blue Jays Prospects
Top 30 Prospects- #10-#1 by Batter’s Box 2007
An Interview with Brian Jeroloman by Batter’s Box

2007的發展情況簡單整理如下:
Romero 的條件很好，也許是因為第1輪選秀的身分，有些壓力，在發展的狀況不理想的狀況之下，想要做的太多 ( try to do too much ) ，速球的 movement 有，change-up 很棒，big overhand curve 需要再加強，基本 stuff 有，可是 command 一直無法改善，也許是 mind-set 出問題，大家一直都無法在這方面幫他走出來。

2008:
Toronto Blue Jays Prospect Discussion
Toronto Blue Jays Top 20 Prospects for 2009
Top 30 Prospects- #10-#1 by Batter’s Box 2008

2008的發展情況簡單整理如下:
Romero 的 curve 已經進步到 plus ，也就是說他的副球種 curve 與 change-up 都已經是 plus ，問題應該在於速球的 command 能不能夠找出來。在此我還是跟 Batter’s Box 一樣的採用 Brian Jeroloman 的看法:
Ricky is so talented and Ricky is a guy we love to have on the bump every day. He wants to win more than anyone else on the field, he will do whatever he can to win the game. Catching him is very easy, it is easy to get on the same page as him, he doesn't realize how good he is, I wish he could face himself and that could make him understand how tough it is to hit against him. He has such dynamite pitches that sometimes he tries to do too much, sometimes he gets in his own way. I love catching him, he is a bulldog, catchers love that....Once he realizes how good he is, that's when things are going to start falling for him.


Romero pitches back into contention
這一次春訓， Arnsberg 幫助 Romero 調整他的 mechanics
"It's just mainly been mechanics -- just staying in a straight line," Romero explained. "I have a tendency to sometimes throw across my body, and we've been working hard at it every day. ... They've been keeping an eye on me, which is good. I'm just trying right now to stay on a straight line -- a good line to home plate -- and make quality pitches."
這一條線是怎樣，讓我們開季時來注意看看，結果似乎很成功，讓我們來分享他獲得 SP 一席的喜悅吧
Romero wins place in Jays rotation

關於 Scott Richmond 的部份，由於我還找不到他的球探報告，我將跳過。他的 09’ review 我就放在 SP 的整體 review 一起寫吧。