Johnny Romano

Catcher

Born: August 23, 1934 (age 82)
Hoboken, New Jersey

Batted: Right

Threw: Right

MLB debut

September 12, 1958, for the Chicago White Sox

Last MLB appearance

August 21, 1967, for the St. Louis Cardinals

MLB statistics

.255

129

417

Teams

Career highlights and awards

John Anthony Romano Jr. (born August 23, 1934) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Chicago White Sox (1958–59, 1965–66), Cleveland Indians (1960–64) and St. Louis Cardinals (1967). He threw and batted right-handed. A four-time All-Star, Romano was considered one of the top catchers in the American League during the early 1960s.

Romano was signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent in 1954. In 1955, while playing for the Waterloo White Hawks, Romano hit 9 home runs in nine consecutive games. He accumulated 38 home runs with a .321 batting average and led the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League with 108 runs scored and 124 runs batted in. His 38 home runs in 1955 set a league record. Romano split the 1956 season between the Vancouver Mounties and the Memphis Chickasaws. In 1957, Romano played for the Indianapolis Indians of the American Association. The Indians' manager was former major league All-Star catcher, Walker Cooper, who tutored Romano and helped to greatly improve his catching skills. Romano was called up late in the 1958 season, making his major league debut with the Chicago White Sox on September 12, at the age of 23.