Well, maybe that old adage that you can’t go home again or the biblical passage about a prophet in his native town aren’t always true.
Friday night I was among thousands of witnesses, from a birds-eye view in the second story of the home-side press box no less, that you can indeed be welcomed home as Brawley native Sergio Romo literally landed at Warne Field aboard a helicopter at the Bell Game.
And I watched as Brawley’s mayor give him the first known key to the city … and I wondered if this might be a little over-the-top.
Absolutely not.
Sergio earned the honor and I hope the city continues to honor people of his stature with a key.
You see, I’ve known and written about Brawley Union High graduates, most natives, for a long time now, but none to this point quite like Romo.
I’ve written about many who have played or are playing college football … one who’s still last I looked with an NFL team and one who was the center for MIT’s football team, both outstanding accomplishments.
But none of them has made the cover of Sports Illustrated.
I’ve covered the careers of major league players who have World Series rings, appeared in All Star games and other awesome achievements.
Yet Sergio has two World Series rings at the age of 29 and was the closing pitcher in the National League playoffs, the NLCS and the World Series.
And few if any people in general from Brawley have ever been interviewed on national television as Romo was Thursday by Jay Leno.
And as I looked at the ceremony at mid-field I recognized a lot of local photographers, but more than are usually at a Bell Game or were there when Sergio tossed the coin before the 2010 game.
Lots of freelance and I’m sure syndicate photographers.
And I noticed of course some of the photographers I work with here at the Press, Joselito Villero.
It was fitting that the Imperial Valley Press was there as this paper has always been among those who Sergio thanked when he said “I just want to say thank you for never doubting me and my ability to be somebody.”
We’ve covered Sergio since Little League and of course at Brawley Union High. We wrote about him when he transferred from Orange Coast to Arizona Western College in Yuma.
We chronicled how he was a standout at Arizona Western College and how that got him a scholarship to the University of North Alabama (2004) and when he then transferred to Mesa State College (2005).
We reported when he was named First-Team All-Gulf South Conference in 2004 at North Alabama and was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year at Mesa.
We covered his draft date, told of when he was assigned and pitched in Oregon, was a Class A All Star reliever for the San Jose Giants and when he closed a championship game for them … a precursor to his exploits to the past month or so.
We reported when he pitched in the Giants’ last preseason game in 2009 and when he was called up to the big leagues and made his debut in July of that year.
Yes, the IV Press has been there and will continue to be there to report what we believe, and thanks to your calls, letters, emails, etc., know that it’s important to you.
That’s what we do, we write about Valley athletes who are doing well both locally, collegiately and professionally.
Hopefully we do it well enough to keep you reading the IV Press … and if you made it this far I’ve done my job for today.
But tomorrow will bring more opportunities, more people for you to be proud of, and we’ll be there then too.
Friday night I was among thousands of witnesses, from a birds-eye view in the second story of the home-side press box no less, that you can indeed be welcomed home as Brawley native Sergio Romo literally landed at Warne Field aboard a helicopter at the Bell Game.
And I watched as Brawley’s mayor give him the first known key to the city … and I wondered if this might be a little over-the-top.
Absolutely not.
Sergio earned the honor and I hope the city continues to honor people of his stature with a key.
You see, I’ve known and written about Brawley Union High graduates, most natives, for a long time now, but none to this point quite like Romo.
I’ve written about many who have played or are playing college football … one who’s still last I looked with an NFL team and one who was the center for MIT’s football team, both outstanding accomplishments.
But none of them has made the cover of Sports Illustrated.
I’ve covered the careers of major league players who have World Series rings, appeared in All Star games and other awesome achievements.
Yet Sergio has two World Series rings at the age of 29 and was the closing pitcher in the National League playoffs, the NLCS and the World Series.
And few if any people in general from Brawley have ever been interviewed on national television as Romo was Thursday by Jay Leno.
And as I looked at the ceremony at mid-field I recognized a lot of local photographers, but more than are usually at a Bell Game or were there when Sergio tossed the coin before the 2010 game.
Lots of freelance and I’m sure syndicate photographers.
And I noticed of course some of the photographers I work with here at the Press, Joselito Villero.
It was fitting that the Imperial Valley Press was there as this paper has always been among those who Sergio thanked when he said “I just want to say thank you for never doubting me and my ability to be somebody.”
We’ve covered Sergio since Little League and of course at Brawley Union High. We wrote about him when he transferred from Orange Coast to Arizona Western College in Yuma.
We chronicled how he was a standout at Arizona Western College and how that got him a scholarship to the University of North Alabama (2004) and when he then transferred to Mesa State College (2005).
We reported when he was named First-Team All-Gulf South Conference in 2004 at North Alabama and was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year at Mesa.
We covered his draft date, told of when he was assigned and pitched in Oregon, was a Class A All Star reliever for the San Jose Giants and when he closed a championship game for them … a precursor to his exploits to the past month or so.
We reported when he pitched in the Giants’ last preseason game in 2009 and when he was called up to the big leagues and made his debut in July of that year.
Yes, the IV Press has been there and will continue to be there to report what we believe, and thanks to your calls, letters, emails, etc., know that it’s important to you.
That’s what we do, we write about Valley athletes who are doing well both locally, collegiately and professionally.
Hopefully we do it well enough to keep you reading the IV Press … and if you made it this far I’ve done my job for today.
But tomorrow will bring more opportunities, more people for you to be proud of, and we’ll be there then too.
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