FORT MYERS, FLA. – Since the designated hitter was adopted by the American League in 1973, no major leaguer has ever hit a home run for the Twins and also surrendered a home run to them.
Andrew Romine believes he could be the guy. Versatility, after all, is what he's known for.
"If that's what it takes, sure, I'll give it a try," Romine said with a laugh after a workout in Twins camp, where he hopes he's preparing for his 11th major league season. "I'm not really a home run guy. If I tried to hit home runs, I would never have made it this far."
But here he is, at the tail end of a career he says has flown by, hoping to win a job with his fifth team, hoping to play … well, whatever position manager Rocco Baldelli asks. Literally any one. See, he's played them all.
In one day.
On the next-to-last day of the 2017 season at Target Field, with the Tigers eliminated from postseason contention and the Twins having clinched a wild-card berth, Romine was allowed to show off his many-gloves craftsmanship by becoming the fifth major leaguer ever to play all nine positions in one game. He spent three innings touring the outfield positions, the next three moving from left to right around the infield, then putting on the catcher's gear for a couple of harrowing outs (and a passed ball), facing (and retiring) Miguel Sano from the pitcher's rubber, and finishing the day at first base.
Whew.
"Busy day, yeah. I think I got a ball everywhere but maybe one or two spots," Romine said of that 3-2 Tigers victory. "It was a one-run game — I got a hold, too! We didn't expect it to go like that, but it was fun."