All in the Family
Andrew Romine is a smooth hitting and fielding infielder for the Bees. Andrew's younger brother Austin is a power-bat and catcher in the New York Yankees organization. Their father Kevin roamed the outfield in front of the green monster at Fenway Park for the Boston Red Sox for seven seasons in the late 80s and early 90s.
"I grew up in Florida during spring training and Boston during the season," said Andrew. "I was able to hang out in the clubhouse and hide in lockers of guys like Wade Boggs and Rodger Clemens. I was so young, I really had no idea how cool that was until I got into junior high and high school and found out what Major League Baseball is all about."
As kids Andrew and Austin pushed and fought each other every step of the way. They battled over who was better in everything from board games to backyard baseball games.
"I took advantage of it as long as I could, until he got to the point where he wasn't my little brother anymore, and he was definitely bigger than me," Andrew laughed. "He pushed me too when he got old enough."
That competitive edge combined with the expert teaching from a major league father made them great baseball players at a young age. Kevin Romine recognized his sons' individual talents and strengths early, and placed them at their current positions from the very beginning.
"I heard everything you could hear about baseball as a kid before I even became a teenager," Andrew said about the advantages of having a dad who's played in the big leagues. "He was teaching me stuff that kids don't learn until they are 15, 16, or 17 years old and I was out in the backyard at age nine doing those things. It's a different world when you have a father who was a big leaguer and knows what the game is all about."
Now, the Romines push each other in different ways. They encourage and support each other with a phone call or a text when time permits in the busy schedule of a baseball player.
"We talk every few days," said Andrew. "I get a text or a phone call from my dad it seems like every day. I talk to my brother every once in a while. I try not to bug him much; I know he's busy because he's doing the same things I'm doing."
The subject matter of the phone call varies. The brothers share advice on situations they have gone through that the other has yet to face. More often than not though it is a call to touch base and check in on off-the-field matters.
"Most of the time we try to keep it brother to brother," said Andrew. "Not so much baseball. Just finding out what is going on, how he's feeling? How's his girlfriend? What's his living situation like? We try to keep it so we still remember we have a life, and its not just baseball everyday."
With the Romines though, the baseball competitiveness never gets too far away. During the fall league last year, Andrew and Austin faced off for the first time as professional baseball players. It was just like playing in the backyard again."
"We were living together at the time and I told him, 'As soon as we play I'm stealing on you,' and he said 'bring it on,'" said Andrew. "I'll give him credit because the pitcher was a little slow, but I still got a bag on him. Actually, I stole two on him, so I was all over him when I got home. I remind him of that all the time."
Using that matchup as evidence to support his case, Andrew insists that he is the best ball player in the family. In true brotherly fashion he can't wait for the day that both he and Austin are playing in the big leagues, so he can swipe another base from him. A skill undoubtedly taught to him by his dad.