Romualdo Blanco

Romualdo Blanco (Romo)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 160 lb.

• Born February 7, 1954 in Curiepe, Miranda (as per BR Minors) or La Sabina, Vargas (as per purapelota and the Venezuelan League website) Venezuela

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Romualdo Blanco peaked at AA.

Blanco was 1-5 with a 7.60 ERA for the Covington Astros in his pro debut in 1971, walking 45 in 45 innings. He tied for 7th in the Appalachian League in losses and was second to Myrl Smith in walks. In the winter, he walked 3 in 3 innings and allowed no earned runs for the Tiburones de La Guaira). He split 1972 between the Cocoa Astros (0-1, 7.11 in 3 G) and Florida East Coast League Astros (3-3, 1.41, 52 K in 51 IP). He was 4th in the Florida East Coast League in whiffs. With the Tiburones, he struck out 11 in 6 1/3 IP in 1972-1973 and allowed one earned runs but gave up 10 hits and 3 walks.

Romo had a strong campaign for the 1973 Cedar Rapids Astros at 9-9, 3.32 with 158 strikeouts (87 walks, too) in 133 innings. The right-hander was second in the Midwest League in walks, but second in strikeouts (10 behind Gerald Tyler) and 6th in ERA (between Eleno Cuen and Thomas Schmidt). Among Houston Astros farmhands, he was second in Ks (66 shy of Doug Konieczny) and second in walks (two back of Larry Yount). The promising hurler had a save and a 2.57 ERA (with no decisions) for the 1973-1974 Tiburones and won Venezuelan League Rookie of the Year.

Blanco split the summer of 1974 between Cedar Rapids (0-3, 3.86, 19 BB, 31 K in 28 IP) and the Columbus Astros (1-5, 4.22, 28 BB, 32 K in 32 IP). The wild hurler saw little action with La Guaira in 1974-1975 (0-1, 7.71, 12 H in 7 IP). He was 2-1 with a 3.50 ERA for the 1975 Dubuque Packers with 14 walks in 18 innings. He moved to the Cardenales de Lara that winter and was 0-1 with a 3.65 ERA, walking 14 in 12 1/3 IP. In 1976-1977, he returned to La Guaira but walked 9 and gave up 6 earned runs in six innings. He got one more try in the US, with the San Diego Padres's Reno Silver Sox but things did not improve (0-2, 14.40, 23 BB, 31 H in 20 IP). He was 0-1 with 22 hits and 19 walks to 2 K in 14 IP for the 1977-1978 Tiburones, posting a 2.21 ERA. He tossed five innings without an earned run for Lara in 1978-1979. He tried a comeback with the Tiburones in 1984-1985 but had not regained his 1973 form (10 BB, 5 ER in 4 1/3 IP).

Overall, Romualdo had gone 16-29 with a 4.58 ERA in 72 minor league games (56 starts). He struck out 345 in 346 innings but walked 259 and threw 45 wild pitches. While he had won a Rookie of the Year in Venezuela, he never won a game there (0-3, Sv, 5.47 in 39 G - 6 starts; 75 BB, 44 K in 79 IP).

Sources include 1974 Baseball Guide, Purapelota