Meeting our favorite players in KC!
Kansas City is home to the Negro League Baseball Museum. KC had a very strong Negro League presence with the Kansas City Monarchs, the longest-running franchise in the Negro Leagues from 1920-1965, who played right down the road from where the museum is currently located at the historic intersection of 18th & Vine in Kansas City. The Negro League Baseball Museum shares a complex with another beautiful gem, the American Jazz Museum.
Before we headed to Kauffman Stadium for the Royals game, the B4B team headed to the Negro League Baseball Museum to learn more about an era in baseball where some of the best players to ever play the game weren’t even allowed to compete against white players in the major leagues. I’ve read about Buck O’Neil telling stories about Negro Leagues players who were the best ever to play the game. Josh Gibson was said to be the only player to ever hit a ball out of old Yankee Stadium. Oscar Charleston was said to be Willie Mays, only even faster and stronger. And Satchel Paige was perhaps the best pitcher to ever play the game. The museum told all of these men’s stories and many others.
We walked into the lobby and immediately saw the man in charge of the museum, Bob Kendrick. We were fortunate enough to be able to chat with Bob for several minutes before we entered the museum, and he is one of the friendliest people you’ll meet. It was such an honor to share stories with him, and he was genuinely interested in our baseball tour. One story he told us was of a group of kids who biked from British Columbia to Kansas City to towns with Negro League barnstorming teams once played. It was an incredible story that we weren’t familiar with, and Bob was excited to tell us about.
After a great welcome from Bob, we explored the museum. There are many interactive exhibits and a great amount of information on a part of history many people know very little about. One thing that I particularly appreciated is a timeline below the displays that puts the time relative to national or world events that occurred at the same time. It was easy to put in perspective that the first Negro Leagues began around the same time as the major league teams shortly after the Civil War. The focal point of the museum is the field of life-size statues of the greatest Negro League players. It’s a treat to stand in the field among these great players.
Our time at the Negro League Museum was coming to an end because we had a very important reason to get to Kauffman Stadium for the Royals game early. Great B4B friend and AP writer David Skretta had left 4 wristbands for us at the stadium to allow us on the field for batting practice.
That’s right! On the field! For batting practice!
After such as great experience at the Negro League Museum, we were excited for a much different type of baseball experience next. We headed out of 18th & Vine and made it to the K in no time flat. We made a b-line to get our wristbands, not really knowing what was in store for us. Our wristbands got us into the elevator to take us to the Clubhouse level in the lower bowel of the stadium under the seating area. An attendant in this section had us check-in and took us to the field entrance. We walked past the “American League Clubhouse,” another reminder that the All Star Game was just here a few nights ago.
We entered the field near the photographer box right past the Royals dugout. We waked along the warning track in front of the dugout filled with media people to our “zone” in the on deck circle. That is where we were told to stay to watch and not call for any players. If you aren’t familiar, the on deck circle is pretty much right next to the entrance from the field to the dugout, and was were all of our favorite Royals players were coming and going from the field. No more than 5 seconds after we found our spot, All Star Billy Butler strolls within feet of us to take the field. If you can imagine, hometown boys Adam and Chase were giddy as schoolgirls. No joke!
David Skretta came over to say hello and introduce us to Royals VP of Communications & Broadcasting Mike Swanson and Director of Media Relations David Holtzman. Mike pretty much served as the guy who went to find players to bring over to introduce us to. It was incredible. First Mike brought over Billy Butler, who we met and congratulated him on being an All Star. Mike must be really tight with the players because he and Billy were trading barbs much like teammates would. Mike was razzing him about the whole Home Run Derby debacle.
Next Mike brought over Chase and Adam’s two favorite Royals players, Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer. David Skretta had quoted Hosmer in the article he had written about us previously, so Hosmer knew about us! It was amazing to meet these two guys. When we said “Its so nice to meet you!” they responded with “No, we’re the ones honored to meet YOU.”
Wow! Alex Gordon was honored to meet us?!?! Even if he was just saying that, it’s so cool to hear that from your favorite player. Mike brought over Royals Manager Ned Yost next. Ned was very nice in our brief interaction. The best of all was Jeff Francouer, who Mike brought over next. Frenchy has the reputation as being very personable and a nice person to meet. We met some fans in Oakland who love him because he has great interactions with them.
He lived up to his reputation! He was very engaging and interested in what we had to say. He looked at Adam’s calves and said he needed to bike more in the offseason to get in shape for next year. He was just a great guy to talk to. After taking a picture with us, he gave us his bat! Wow! Frenchy’s bat! Just FYI, he ended up going 3/7 with a double and a homer in the game. We brought him good luck!
Mike Swanson also saw that Fox 4 was doing a story on what was found in the lost and found after the All Star game. After he talked to them, they decided to scrap that story and talk to us! We also spoke with Fox Sports KC in-game reporter Joel Goldberg and scheduled an in-game interview. David Skretta also came down with KC Star reporter Tod Palmer and photographer John Sleezer for a story for the paper.
What a whirlwind of activity! We didn’t really watch much of batting practice. The Royals players dispersed back to the clubhouse and so did the media. We stayed to catch a bit of the White Sox batting practice and kind of decompress from what had just happened to us. For Adam and Chase, it was so special to be on the field in this situation after going to hundreds of games as a spectator in their lives. After a small bit of perspective, they headed back through the tunnel and up the elevator to exit the stadium.
Outside of the stadium, they had a few dozen friends and family waiting for them in the parking lot. Frenchy’s bat in hand, we recounted the story of the previous 45 minutes to all of our friends at the tailgate while enjoying a celebratory cold one. A bit more socializing with everyone for the last time precluded us hustling into the stadium to see first pitch. But, we made it! 15 for 15 with first pitches!
We sat with a good group from the Big Brothers Big Sisters of KC at the game. Little Dorian was especially excited to be at the game! He was even more excited when it came time for B4B to be interviewed by Joel Goldberg during the game. The kids were right in front of the four of us during the interview, so they got some good TV time. We did too, because during our interview the White Sox coach pitching took a visit to the mound so Joel continued to ask questions. Great! Here’s the video.
The game itself was actually very good from an excitement standpoint, although it didn’t end the way we wanted it to. The Royals scored 2 runs on an Alcides Escobar triple in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a 1 run lead before closer Jonathon Broxton blew the save. The game went into extra innings before the teams traded runs in the 12th and Youkilis hit the game-winning sac fly in the 14th. The Royals used 9 total pitchers in 5 ½ hour game. Well, if there was any game to last longer than a normal game, at least it was at Chase and Adam’s home park.
We moved from the upper deck to the third row for the extra innings, but there were still A LOT of fans that stayed the whole game. Some of the fans might have stayed because there were fireworks after the game, but many of them stayed because they love their Royals.
Gm 1– 4/13 @ Safeco Field – Oakland A’s @ Seattle Mariners
Oakland wins 4-0 (WP – Colon, LP – Hernandez)
Gm 2 – 4/24 @ O.Co Stadium – Chicago White Sox @ Oakland A’s
Oakland wins 2-0 (WP – Milone, LP – Floyd, SV – Balfour)
Gm 3 – 4/27 @ AT&T Park – San Diego Padres @ San Francisco Giants
San Diego wins 5-3 (WP – Luebke, LP – Hacker, SV – Street)
Gm 4 – 5/3 @ Angels Stadium – Toronto Blue Jays @ LA Angels of Anaheim
Toronto wins 5-0 (WP – Morrow, LP – Haren)
Gm 5 – 5/7 @ Dodger Stadium – SF Giants @ Los Angeles Dodgers
Dodgers win 9-1 (WP – Lilly, LP – Zito)
Gm 6 – 5/8 @ Petco Park – Colorado Rockies @ San Diego Padres
Padres win 3-1 (WP – Suppan, LP – White, SV – Thayer)
Gm 7 – 5/12 @ Chase Field – San Francisco Giants @ Arizona Diamondbacks
Giants win 5-2 (WP – Cain, LP – Cahill, SV – Casilla)
Gm 8 – 5/20 @ Coors Field –Seattle Mariners @ Colorado Rockies
Mariners win 6-4 (WP – Beavan, LP – Guthrie)
Gm 9 – 5/30 @ The Ballpark in Arlington – Seattle Mariners @ Texas Rangers
Mariners win 21-8 (WP – Beavan, LP – Holland)
Gm 10 – 6/3 @ Minute Maid Park – Cincinnati Reds @ Houston Astros
Astros win 5-3 (WP Lyles, LP – Arroyo, SV – Myers)
Gm 11 – 6/15 @ Tropicana Field – Miami Marlins @ Tampa Bay Rays
Rays win 11-0 (WP – Moore, LP – Zambrano)
Gm 12 – 6/22 @ Marlins Park – Toronto Blue Jays @ Miami Marlins
Blue Jays win 12-5 (WP – Romero, LP – Sanchez)
Gm 13 – 6/30 @ Turner Field – Washington Nationals @ Atlanta Braves
Braves win 7-5 (WP – Minor, LP – Strasburg, SV – Kimbrel)
Gm 14 – 7/6 @ Busch Stadium – Miami Marlins @ St. Louis Cardinals
Marlins win 3-2 (WP – Nolasco, LP – Westbrook, SV – Bell)
Gm 15 – 7/13 @ Kauffman Stadium – Chicago White Sox @ Kansas City Royals
White Sox win 9-8 (WP – Alexrod, LP – Teaford)