MLB
Major League Baseball and USA Baseball launched the "Play Ball" initiative this past summer to encourage widespread participation in all forms of baseball and softball activities among all age groups, especially youth. Yesterday, Kansas City held a mini-clinic at Satchel Paige Memorial Stadium and local children showed up to learn tips from former Kansas City Royals players George Brett and Willie Wilson. It was a good 'ol time and Royals' mascot Sluggerrr even showed up for some fun.
The Kansas City Royals are World Series bound next week after a 2-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles. They've yet to lose a game in this postseason, and with the way they're playing and announcement that South Korean superfan SungWoo Lee will be in attendance for Game 1 of the Fall Classic, you have to wonder if they ever will.
I also gave gif-making a try for the first time:
© 2014 Major League Baseball Photos/Amy Stroth
Last night (after a delay due to Monday's rainout), the Kansas City Royals defeated the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 and are now potentially one game and eight hours away from clinching a World Series berth. What?!
© 2014 Major League Baseball Photos/Amy Stroth
If you had told me one week ago that as of today, the Kansas City Royals would have won four-straight postseason games (three of which in extra innings, three of which against the team with the best record in baseball), I would have laughed. Last night I had the opportunity to head back to the K and photograph the boys in blue as they swept the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Despite a first inning blast by Mike Trout, the Royals pushed on and defeated the Halos 3-8. Up next: Baltimore Orioles.
© 2014 Major League Baseball Photos/Amy Stroth
Some Mondays suck, other Mondays the MLB calls you and asks you to shoot one of your favorite baseball teams as they duke it out in a winner-take-all wildcard game against the Oakland Athletics. This past Monday was the latter.
As someone that has only been a Royals fan for the last three years, I don't quite understand what it's like to have gone through the 29 years of anguish the die-hard fans here in KC have. I do however, understand what a historical moment it was for Kansas City sports for the Royals to have made it to the postseason. Experts said they couldn't win, but in twelve glorious, nail-biting innings, they pulled it off. If you want to read a really fantastic piece on the game, I suggest THIS ONE, by Rany Jazayerli at Grantland.
Those 10+ hours at the ballpark (and getting bathed in champagne in the Royals' clubhouse by outfielder Lorenzo Cain) are something that will stick with me throughout my career. Huge, HUGE thanks to MLB Photos editor Jessica Foster for giving me a shot despite my very short track record shooting professional baseball. Here's a "few" photos from the unforgettable night. WARNING: there are a lot.
© 2014 Major League Baseball Photos/Amy Stroth
