Romero accepts dismissal from Phillies with class

J.C. Romero's immediate reaction was anger. Told he was being designated for assignment - baseballese for "Adios and thanks for the memories" - Romero admitted to a flash of temper before acceptance set in.

"I'm going to be professional about it," Romero said. "That's who I am."

And he couldn't have been more professional. As reporters trickled into the clubhouse after Thursday's clinical, 3-0 Phillies win over the Florida Marlins, Romero was embracing Vance Worley, the young pitcher whose promotion necessitated the roster move. And when asked about Antonio Bastardo, the young lefthander who took over his role in the bullpen, Romero responded with real pride.

"The student is better than the teacher," he said.

The announcement was shocking. Not so much because of the move itself. The truth is that Romero has been caught in an awful cycle all season. He hasn't been used enough to get sharp. When he has been called on, he hasn't pitched well. Meanwhile, Bastardo, Michael Stutes, and David Herndon - all 25 and under - have earned the confidence of general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., manager Charlie Manuel, and pitching coach Rich Dubee.

"Those young guys have stepped up," Manuel said. "You have to keep those guys."

Romero is 35. He said he saw this day coming when the Phillies declined the option year in his contract after last season. They re-signed him to a lower salary later.

No, the real shock came when you looked around the clubhouse as Ryan Howard and others swung by Romero's empty locker for farewell hugs. With this latest departure, there are just eight players from the 2008 World Series team on the 25-man roster. Even when you add Brad Lidge and Joe Blanton, who are on the disabled list, you get just 10 players remaining from that championship club.

Pat Burrell, Pedro Feliz, Jayson Werth from the everyday lineup. Jamie Moyer and Brett Myers from the starting rotation. Greg Dobbs, Eric Bruntlett, Geoff Jenkins, So Taguchi, Matt Stairs, Chris Coste from the bench. Scott Eyre, Chad Durbin, Clay Condrey, J.A. Happ, and now Romero from the bullpen.

All gone.

That seems like an awful lot of turnover in less than three years, especially since the Phillies have remained among the best teams in baseball. This is no Florida Marlins-style win-and-shed-payroll situation. With 60 percent of the roster changed, these Phillies have a better record after 70 games (44-26) than the '08 team (41-29).

"This is a business," Romero said, because that's what players say in these situations. "It is what it is. This is part of the business. It doesn't surprise me. I wish these guys the best of luck. It was fun. The ride stops here."

It was some ride. The Phillies claimed Romero off waivers from the Boston Red Sox and he became part of a nearly automatic bullpen sequence. Romero to Ryan Madson to Lidge.

Cole Hamels rightly won the MVP award for the 2008 World Series, but Romero was the pitcher of record for two of the four wins over Tampa Bay. He retired all four batters he faced to earn the win in Game 3, which ended with Carlos Ruiz's ninth-inning RBI. Romero pitched the ninth inning of Game 4 and earned the win in the decisive Game 5.

Not many players did more to win that series. Romero's performance earned an unwelcome asterisk over that winter, when he was suspended by Major League Baseball for using a dietary supplement with a banned ingredient. MLB acknowledged that the product, purchased in a GNC store in New Jersey, was not properly labeled.

Whether Romero was an innocent victim or was working the corners of the drug policy, only he knows for sure. He served his suspension and hasn't tested positive since.

Ultimately, his role in winning that World Series with the Phillies will be his legacy. He and his teammates earned a permanent place in the scarred heart of the Philadelphia sports fan.

Fans get to be sentimental. Smart teams do not.

"This is a tough decision," Amaro said. "This is a guy that's been with us for five years. We got two National League championships with him and one World Series with him. There are times we have to make difficult decisions, and this was one of them."

The Phillies started making those difficult decisions before the championship parade was over. They are a very different baseball team. But they are also a first-place baseball team, built to win in the regular season and especially in the postseason.

The ballpark is sold out every game. Fans have come to expect excellence and to cheer for whoever happens to be in red pinstripes. And that's fine. That's as it should be. Maybe this group will make indelible October memories.

The men of 2008 already did. They are champions, and they are down another man today.