Tigers utility man was drug tested right after hitting first career grand slam
Detroit Tigers utility man Andrew Romine had an afternoon to remember on Wednesday.
On the field, the 31-year-old veteran was the hero in Detroit’s 5-3 win against the Minnesota Twins after launching his first career grand slam in the fourth inning.
[Sign up for Yahoo Fantasy Baseball: It’s not too late to get in the game]
However, he didn’t have much time to relish in that moment following the game. According to reporters on the scene at Comerica Park, Romine was summoned for a drug test shortly after the game concluded, which delayed his meeting with the media.
Andrew Romine confirms that he was in fact selected for a random drug test immediately after the game. He gave blood, then did interviews.
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) April 12, 2017
Major League Baseball’s drug testing is in fact random, so Romine’s selection was purely coincidental. But that doesn’t make the timing any less awkward or perhaps even amusing. Especially considering how rare it is for Romine to display any type of power at the plate.
Romine entered Wednesday’s game with six home runs over 390 career games in MLB. His career high in a season is two, which he’s done each of the last three seasons.
Adding to the awkwardness was that Romine was also slated to meet with the fan who caught his grand slam immediately after the game. He was able to squeeze that meeting in quick, reclaiming his milestone home run ball in exchange for some photos and autographs. Then he was off to give blood during one of the several random drug tests he’ll be subjected to during the season.
On top of all this, there was also a lot of talk about Romine’s perceived bat flip following the slam. Some found it charming, others perhaps out of place given his lack of a home run history. As for Romine, he didn’t even realize it happened.
Andrew Romine said he didn't intend to flip bat after grand slam, nor does he have any recollection of doing so. Heard about it from others.
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) April 12, 2017
Spoken like a true light-hitting utility man who was admittedly overwhelmed by the moment and light-headed after giving blood.
More from Yahoo Sports:
• Dan Wetzel: Heartbreaking scene at Hernandez double-murder trial
• NBA Playoffs: Full schedule for every first-round matchup
• Cubs’ World Series rings have 108 diamonds, 1 goat
– – – – – – –
Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
