Óscar Romero (Cuba)

Óscar Dionisio Romero Albert

• Throws Right

• Born November 8, 1947 in Santa Clara, Las Villas Cuba

Biographical Information

Óscar Romero was a star Cuban hurler of the 1960s and 1970s.

He played for Cuba in the 1964 world junior championships. He debuted in the Cuban Serie Nacional in 1965-1966, with the Granjeros. He started 25 games in 1968-1969 to tie Santiago Mederos and Emilio Salgado for the league lead. His 28 games pitched the next year led the circuit. He pitched for Cuba in the 1970 University Games.

In the 1970 Serie 10 Millones, he led the league with 13 wins for Camagüey. In the 1970 Amateur World Series, he was 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA and went 3 for 8 at the plate for the Gold Medal winners. He was 6th in ERA, between Gaspar Legón and Mike Caldwell. He was one win shy of the lead.

Romero was again dominant when Cuba when the 1971 Amateur World Series (2-0, 0.53) though he was a more typical pitcher at the plate this year (0 for 6). He was 9th in ERA, between Antonio Jiménez and Roy Blake. He was 1-0 with Cuba's only 0.00 ERA when they won Gold in the 1971 Pan American Games. He did not lead the event in ERA as Antonio Herradora had more innings.

The right-hander had a 3-0, 1.10 record in the 1972 Amateur World Series and went 2 for 4 for the Gold Medal winners. He was one win shy of co-leaders Braudilio Vinent, Jay Smith and Richard A. Smith. His Ecured lists him as playing in the Haarlem Baseball Week in 1973 but the event was not held in 1973; perhaps it was 1972 or 1974.

In 1973-1974, he tied Orlando Figueredo for the Cuban lead with 25 starts and tied Omar Carrero and Jesús Guerra for the lead with six shutouts. He had a highlight on May 4, 1975, when he no-hit an Industriales lineup that included Rey Vicente Anglada, Ramón Luna, Arturo Linares, Julián Villar, Raúl Reyes, Gerardo Egues, Carlos Cepero and Florentino González.

Óscar was 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA when Cuba took Gold in the 1975 Pan American Games, one win behind tourney leader Bob Owchinko. His last stint with the national team in a major event was the 1976 Amateur World Series; Cuba won Gold but he had a 5.00 ERA, not up to his past standards. He wrapped up his Serie Nacional career in 1983 with Camagüey.

Overall, he had gone 125-114 with 10 saves and a 2.38 ERA in Cuba, over 400 games (256 starts). He pitched 91 complete games. Through 2020, he was 37th in Cuban (post-Revolution) annals in games pitched, 43rd in starts, 45th in complete games, tied for 45th in wins (with Figueredo, Vladimir Baños and Vladimir García), 32nd in losses, 39th in IP, 28th in opponent average (.224), 43rd in ERA, tied for 29th in shutouts (25, even with Juan Pérez and Mario Véliz). His offensive performance in the Amateur World Series aside, he had hit .113/.209/.123. He was 10-0 for Cuba in major international tournaments.

After his playing career ended, Romero became a coach. He coached in Nicaragua in 1985 and 1987 and for the Nicaraguan national team in the 1987 Intercontinental Cup and 1987 Pan American Games. He coached for Caserta in Italy in 1992-1993 and in Colombia in 1995.

He was noted for a wide repertoire featuring a fastball, curveball, change-up, screwball and slider.