Karman Romero was in second grade the last time the Royals made the playoffs back in 1985. And now that the Royals are returning to post-season play, she wanted her kids to experience the excitement.
So on Monday morning, she picked up her 9-year-old twin daughters and 6-year-old son from school and took them to Kauffman Stadium along with her toddler son. About 5,000 other fans also showed up, the Royals said.
Romero called the decision to pull her children out of class for Monday's pre-wild card rally "a no brainer."
"So when I went and picked them up, they said, 'Are they sick?' I said, 'No, we're going to see the Royals.' And they said, 'Oh, OK, family personal day.' Yep," says Romero, who lives in Kearney, Mo.
Kansas City, Kan., resident Steve Minear, a lifelong Royals fan, also was at the stadium on Monday. He's confident Kansas City can beat the Oakland Athletics at home Tuesday.
"Twenty-nine years ago, I didn't have any grey hair," Minear jokes.
The stakes are high for Tuesday's game – if the Royals don't win, they don't advance – but Manager Ned Yost told reporters Monday it's the same game the team's been playing all season.
"I know people are excited, and you can see it on their faces, and I'm glad," says Yost. "That's why home field advantage was so important to us, to bring this game back home for our fans.
"I've lived the ups and downs with the fans. I've taken piles of abuse over the years because they want a playoff-caliber team. So to be able to play a home field advantage playoff game for them means as much to me as making the playoffs."
