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John Romano, Indians all-star catcher, passes away at age 84

Four-time Cleveland Indians all-star catcher John Romano has passed away. He was 84.
Credit: Cleveland Indians
Four-time Cleveland Indians all-star catcher John Romano has passed away. He was 84.

CLEVELAND — Former Cleveland Indians all-star catcher John Romano has passed away. He was 84 years old.

The Indians confirmed Romano’s passing on Twitter Monday afternoon.

A native of Hoboken, New Jersey, Romano spent half of his 10-year career in Major League Baseball with the Indians, calling Cleveland Municipal Stadium home from 1960 to 1964. Additionally, Romano played for the Chicago White Sox (1958-1959, 1965-1966) and St. Louis Cardinals (1967).

Voted one of the Top 100 Indians Players, Romano had double-digit home run totals in each of his five years in Cleveland, including a career-best 24 over 135 games during the 1962 season, which followed up a 21-home run campaign in 1961.

Romano ranks second all-time for home runs by an Indians catcher, as he belted 91 round-trippers in 580 games.

Along with the home runs, Romano scored 261 runs, drove in 294 runs, drew 260 walks against 306 strikeouts and twice finished with more walks than strikeouts in a season with the Indians (1961-1962). Romano collected 498 hits, including 83 doubles, nine triples and the 91 home runs, in an Indians uniform.

Defensively, Romano made only 26 errors in 543 games with the Indians. Romano was credited with 3,187 putouts, as well as 37 assists and helped turn 28 double plays in his five years with Cleveland. Romano finished his Indians career with a .992 fielding percentage.

Overall, Romano played in 905 games in his MLB career. He registered 706 hits, including 112 doubles, 10 triples and 129 home runs, with 417 RBI and 355 runs scored. Romano drew 414 walks against 485 strikeouts with 13 sacrifice hits and 33 sacrifice flies, and had a .255 batting average.

There were two All-Star Games played in 1961 and 1962, and Romano was a part of all four of those exhibitions.

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