FATHER'S SPIRIT ON FIELD FOR PLAYER, 5.Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
There are plenty of stories about unruly parents and win-at-all-cost coaches who are ruining youth sports. Then there's the flip side Flip side In the context of general equities, opposite side to a proposition or position (buy, if sell is the proposition and vice versa). : the story of Alex Romero Alexander Rafael Romero (born September 9, 1983 in Maracaibo, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Romero was signed by the Minnesota Twins on July 2, 2002 as an undrafted free agent. and the Mets. A few Sundays ago, all the parents in the stands and coaches on the field choked back tears as they watched 5-year-old Alex run out to his position at second base in a game against the Giants. The youngest player on the Mets, playing in the Shetland Division of the West Hills Fall Baseball League, wasn't supposed to be there. His grandmother had called Mets manager Mike Petrullo the night before to say that Alex's dad, Robert Romero, had died on Saturday morning. The 44-year-old father of two, who had battled diabetes since his early 30s, had been feeling ill for a few days. A friend was coming over to pick him up and take him to the emergency room. ``When his friend arrived, he found Mr. Romero dead on the bathroom floor with his two young sons, Alex and Nicholas, 3, standing over his body,'' Petrullo said he was told. The boys' mom, Leann Peteque -- a nurse at Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care organization, based in Oakland, California, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney R. Garfield. Medical Center in Woodland Hills -- was at work, picking up some extra hours giving flu shots. She rushed home to be with her sons and to mourn mourn v. mourned, mourn·ing, mourns v.intr. 1. To feel or express grief or sorrow. See Synonyms at grieve. 2. for their father -- the man she had loved and lived with for eight years and was engaged to marry. ``They were Daddy's boys "Daddy's Boy" is the fifth episode of the second season of House, which premiered on the FOX network on November 8, 2005. A father and his son, Carnell, a student at Princeton University, are celebrating the son’s graduation and they have a father/son moment. ,'' Leann said. ``Robert loved them so much. We asked Alex if he wanted to play his game, and he said Daddy would have wanted him to. ``We told him that Daddy would be watching and cheering for him, even if he wasn't there. He nodded his head. He knew.'' When the Mets took the field that Sunday morning Sunday Morning may refer to:
The boys on both teams went over to give him hugs, and then everyone stood for a moment of silence in memory of Robert. Both teams signed a game ball for Alex and dedicated the game to him. Win or lose, it didn't matter. What mattered is that Alex was exactly where his dad would have wanted him to be that day. Where Robert Romero would have been. Cheering, not yelling. ``It all hit home,'' Petrullo said. ``Every dad looked at that little boy out there with the broken heart and saw their own son. ``All the games of catch we played with them, all the days rushing to get them dressed and ready, and driving them to the fields for games and practice. ``We all take a lot of stuff for granted that we shouldn't. Yeah, it really hit home.'' For the record, the Mets beat the Giants 9-8 in a comeback victory, but the win was secondary to what happened next. Petrullo hasn't been able to go to the West Hills baseball facility since that game two Sundays ago without a parent or a coach from one of the league's 40 teams handing him a check for Robert Romero's boys. For their future education and for the family bills Leann will now have to pay with only one paycheck. ``I found out this hard-working family had no life insurance, and it is very likely Mr. Romero was uninsurable uninsurable Health insurance A high-risk person without health care coverage through private insurance who falls outside the parameters of risks of standard health underwriting practices. See Underwriting. ,'' Petrullo said in a letter he sent to the West Hills baseball community. Almost $6,000 has been raised so far, and a custodial account Custodial Account 1. An account created at a bank, brokerage firm or mutual fund company that is managed by an adult for a minor that is under the age of 18 to 21 (depending on state legislation). 2. A retirement account managed for eligible employees by a custodian. -- No. 29820-40797 -- has been set up in the names of Alex and Nicholas Romero at any Bank of America
Bank of America (NYSE: BAC TYO: 8648 ) is the largest commercial bank in the United States in terms of deposits, and the largest company of its kind in the world. branch. It would have been Robert Romero's 45th birthday the day after the Mets played the Giants. Alex woke up that Monday morning and told his mom he wanted to go to school. ``His teacher told me he raised his hand in class and said he had an announcement to make,'' Leann said. ``His daddy wasn't here anymore. He was in heaven.'' All the kids in his kindergarten class at Our Lady of the Valley in Canoga Park sang ``Happy Birthday'' to Alex's dad. Then they walked over to his desk and gave him hugs. Teamwork. dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3749 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Kindergartner kin·der·gart·ner also kin·der·gar·ten·er n. 1. A child who attends kindergarten. 2. A teacher in a kindergarten. Alex Romero, whose dad recently died, and his brother, held by their mother in the background, take comfort from Alex's baseball team. Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer |
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