I was lucky enough to get tickets to Game 2 of the World Series from work. Even luckier was where we were located, LB 126 Row 36 – right behind Sergio Romo’s family.

Sergio’s brother, Andrew, looks almost identical to his brother. I followed my Romo-instincts with a list of detective check-offs to determine if these were indeed the Romos:

  • Beard: check
  • Almost identical facial features: check
  • Special gold wrist band meaning VIP: check
  • Lots of people showing up with encouraging words for the family: check
  • Asking if they were related to Romo (final step): check

What came next shouldn’t have surprised me, but did anyways: Romo’s family was incredibly cool.

Throughout the game they were high-fiving everyone around the section when anything exciting and good happened for the Giants. They shouted and cheered when the scoreboard told the fans to do so. Romo’s brother, Andrew, even offered to buy me a beer after his brother-in-law’s pinky finger almost brushed the top of my Corona during an over-exuberant moment of cheering.

As the game went into the top of the 9th inning, Romo’s walk-up music came on and the stadium exploded in spontaneous dance. Believe it or not, more fans were dancing to Romo’s tune than during the fist-pump song led by that old lady.

The Romo Family was as excited as anyone there – dancing, jumping and singing to what has to be one of the best walk-up songs on the team.

Romo’s dad was nervous. You could tell he was experiencing every pitch as if he was the one on the mound. Just watching him made me cheer even more loudly. Cheering louder seemed to make Sergio pitch even better.

After that final out, Sergio’s dad finally relaxed in a wave of relief, tears in his eyes, pure joy taking over. He continued to high-five us all and even gave me a hug.

I said to him, “Your son is THE closer. He’s done it. Congratulations!”

Romo’s dad, with tears in his eyes, expressed how hard his son has worked and that he has never complained about anything. That he was happy to support Brian Wilson, and proud to pitch alongside him. And that when Santiago Casilla was given the closer role after Wilson got hurt, Sergio didn’t question it, only backed his teammate up, and said that Casilla was talented and the well-deserved closer for the Giants.

You could see the struggle that his family had experienced through Sergio, and that they couldn’t be prouder to see their son and brother in his element and on top of his game.

Romo’s family also brought every bit of luck possible with them from Romo’s hometown of Brawley, CA, located 130 miles East of San Diego at the base of California, a 10-hour drive from San Francisco.

According to Andrew, Sergio’s brother, they made it a point not to attend Game 1. Why? Because they didn’t go to Game 1 in 2010. They watched Game 2 in person in 2010, and we all know how 2010 turned out.

“Baseball is in our blood, we are super superstitious,” Andrew said.

And it worked. And beyond playing to baseball superstitions, you could tell where Sergio gets his incredibly humble and likable personality.

Just seeing his family and how nice they were showed that more than baseball runs in the Romo bloodline. He comes from good people with good intentions.

Sergio Romo has the passion and drive that many players don’t always seem to have. That “fire-in-your-belly” passion. And I feel so proud that he’s a Giant, and that I was able to experience Game 2 with the family of my new favorite Giant.

Romo has more than earned the title of San Francisco Giants closer. And I strongly believe that he’ll maintain that title and that instead of Romo, it’ll be Wilson having to earn that title back in the 2013 season.

But for now, Giants fans can say that one of the coolest, most talented and passionate guys in baseball is on our team, and he earned the save in Game 2 of the World Series.

And that’s what’s up.