Romac, who joined the SK Wyverns (now SSG) in 2017, played for five seasons in Korea until this season. In 626 KBO league games, he had a batting average of 2.7 percent, 155 home runs, and 409 RBIs. In all five seasons, he hit 20 homers and united his team as a veteran. In the 2019 All-Star Game held at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, he wore the costume of General MacArthur, the protagonist of the Incheon Landing Operation, and went to the plate to give fans joy. He is a player who has been loved both inside and outside the stadium by actively conducting donation activities for the underprivileged in the Incheon area.
Before leaving Korea, Romack met with reporters at Landersfield on the 3rd and greeted them, saying, “I am always very grateful to have come to Korea.”
-How do you feel about being seated in a uniform after going to an interview in a uniform?
▶ Ever since I became an adult, I have been living as a baseball player. Taking off the uniform and putting on a shirt seems to have a great symbolic meaning to returning to the public after finishing baseball.
– The reason behind the decision to retire.
▶Last year, being away from my family, I had a lot of mental difficulties. I had a big thought that I had to have my second child and be separated for 8 months. It was emotionally difficult to leave the two sons to my wife. When I started this season, I thought it would be the last.
-Would you like to do baseball-related work in Canada? Preparing for a second life.
▶ I am thinking about the part where I travel less than I did during my career as an athlete. First of all, I am faithful to the role of a husband who takes care of children.
-I played for the same team for 5 years, what would you like to say to your teammates? Especially if there are any memorable players.
▶ Rather than pick just one, thank all the players. He made me understand that I value not only my career, but also my colleagues. Veteran groups such as Park Jung-kwon, Na Joo-hwan, and Kim Kang-min helped a lot with adaptation. It reminds me a lot of veteran groups.
– What is the most memorable day of your life in Korea?
▶ The moment of winning the Korean Series is the most memorable. I was standing at first base at the end of the ninth, leading by one point, and I was very surprised and horrified when Kim Kwang-hyun jumped out of the bullpen. It was difficult to concentrate at that time. I thought I’d better stop it. I remember working very hard for a long season for 10 months. It was a very special team.
– The 2019 All-Star Game, when you dressed as General MacArthur, will be memorable.
▶It was also one of the special moments. Thank you so much for all-star voting. My family also came to Changwon, so it was memorable. The video and photos are still there. That’s when I realized that ‘this is fan service’. General MacArthur’s costume was also very interesting. At that time, the PR and marketing team forced me to do it, so I was worried about how the fans would take it, but thank you for watching.
-The KBO league played for 5 seasons.
▶I am always very grateful that I came to Korea. This is the place that opened my eyes to another baseball game. In the United States, there are not many opportunities to express individuality through tacit rules. The atmosphere at the stadium in Korea was also very enjoyable. The KBO League received a lot of attention in the United States during the Corona 19, so I think it was an opportunity to express individuality to American players. Now, American baseball is also being positively influenced by the KBO League.
– In order for the KBO league to go in a better direction.
▶ It seems that the skills of Korean pitchers have really improved. It will continue to develop in the future. If there is a part of the foot that needs to be improved, I think it is not mental. You also need to focus on the process rather than the result. The reason for the success of director Trey Hillman is ‘I take responsibility for the results. Because the process is important.” He also advised his colleagues to ‘focus on the process, but let go of the results that you can’t control’.
-What meaning will the 5 years you spent in Incheon have on your life in the future?
▶The five years I spent here were the best moments of my career. I am so grateful not only for baseball but also for the friendship I built in Incheon. I seem to keep saying thank you a lot. Thank you for the opportunity. It was a life-changing moment.
-If there is a pitcher and hitter that impressed you the most in the remaining 9 clubs.
▶Dustin Nippert was impressive. He was a player who had already accomplished a lot when he first came to Korea. Lee Seung-yeop is also memorable. historical player. I think Kia’s Choi Hyung-woo is also a great hitter. If I had to pick one more person, it was Baekho Kang in 2019. After graduating from high school, I was very surprised to see him play on the first team stage. It was impressive to see Kang Baek-ho running confidently and naively without stress and loving baseball. I think he will continue to show his good skills.
– Did you achieve all the goals you set when you came to Korea? Do you have any regrets about the record that you did not achieve?
▶When I came to Korea, I thought, ‘If I settle down, I can succeed.’ In five seasons, he appeared three times in the postseason. I always wanted to be a winner. Third, I wanted to become a player who left a good influence. I achieved all these goals and I have no regrets. I also think that it would have been better if he had been in good health and broke the record for most home runs by a foreigner. But due to personal goals, I couldn’t come back next year. It is also an honor to have the third most home runs after Tyrone Woods.
-Thinking about a leader or sports administrator.
▶I wonder if I will eventually go there. It’s still time to catch your breath. I think it’s too early to make a decision. Baseball was my life, and that passion still remains. I want to be an influencer on the next generation of baseball.
– If you were to pick one of the most memorable home runs.
▶The most memorable moment was hitting a 3-point home run against Brigham in Game 5 of the 2018 playoffs against the Heroes. With the team behind by three points, my plate came back due to a mistake. That home run tied the score. I think it was the most important home run in my career. I have fond memories of how the game developed after that.
– What advice would you give to a new foreign player?
▶I don’t know where to start, but having gratitude and sincerity is the most important thing. If you are grateful for the opportunity, I think you will be able to adapt well to Korean culture, respect the team members, and adapt well to your earnestness. If you have those two, the rest will follow.
– If you were to pick the three most difficult pitchers to play against in Korea.
▶ I would like to pick Yang Hyun-jong first. After coming to Korea, I played well for about a year and a half, but I haven’t been able to attack well after that. He’s a really good pitcher. He was always attacked by a course that was high in the body. I have almost no memory of hitting it in 19 or 20 years. I was happy to hear that I was leaving for the major leagues (laughs). I also want to mention my ancestors. As a pitcher who throws a powerful fastball of 150 to 155km, he was aiming for a fastball, but he kept throwing the slider and it didn’t work well. Now, I wonder why I only aimed for direct balls. I liked the fastball so much that I thought that if that part was not dealt with, it would not be possible to attack. Lastly, Woo-Ram Jung. Throwing 85 mph feels like 100 (laughs). I also felt that the referees were holding the body more. There were many times when I came in with a bat and didn’t do anything. If you aim for the body, you will be hit by an outside changeup. He was always one step ahead of me, and I don’t think he ever played well.
– It is known that he liked the sauna.
▶(If I leave Korea) I will miss you a lot. Humans are creatures of habit, and that habit will probably disappear. I don’t think I have time to shower or sauna because babies change diapers (laughs).
-If there is a player in SSG you can look forward to next year.
▶ Pitchers suffered a lot of injuries this year. If it weren’t for injuries, it was a team worth trying to win. If Park Jong-hoon and Moon Seung-won return, they will do well. Han Yu-seom returned from injury and achieved great results this year, and I think he is a player who can show a good image next year.
– If there is one last thing you want to say.
▶Thanks to the fans who left an impressive memory in Korea. Thank you for all the uniforms hanging at the stadium, gifts for children from fans, and letters. Thank you so much I don’t know what to say. I will cherish this gratitude for the rest of my life. When I first came to Songdo, there were a lot of people asking for photos and autographs for a year or two. After that, most of them just said ‘Hello Romack’ and passed by. At some point, I felt that I had melted into the community. Incheon has become my second hometown.
Incheon = Reporter Park Sang-kyung ppark@sportschosun.com
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