After Saturday’s 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers, the entire Kansas City Royals dugout poured onto the field.
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And they moved with a purpose.
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It was a sea of Royal Blue as the club all joined beloved catcher Salvador Perez as he spoke with Royals.TV reporter Joel Goldberg after the game.
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Perez basked in the spotlight after setting the franchise mark with his 318th career home run. He passed Hall of Famer George Brett with a solo home run in the seventh inning off Tigers reliever Kyle Finnegan.
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As Perez spoke glowingly about Kansas City, the Royals contingent listened in a celebratory mood. This was their captain and his moment. It was only right that everyone wanted to be a part of his historic accomplishment.
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“It’s incredible seeing him do that in that situation, too,” Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said after the game. “I thought it was really cool that the Tigers gave him a second to (celebrate). So yeah, that was pretty special. Home plate umpire (Erich Bacchus) did a great job of just kind of letting the moment breathe. Yeah, (Perez) is just fantastic, right.”
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Perez has chased Brett’s record all season. He began in striking distance and quickly charted his course towards history. In recent weeks, Perez has heated up at the plate and started to showcase the raw power he is known for.
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On Saturday, Perez rounded the bases in style. As he stepped on home plate, he celebrated with Pasquantino and longtime Royals coach Miguel Garcia — who he has a 20-year relationship with through baseball.
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And inside the clubhouse, Perez gave a speech to his teammates. He thanked them for their support, the organization’s support and the entire city as well.
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“It was a super special moment seeing that,” Royals infielder Nick Loftin said. “Just so happy that I was able to be a small part of it, along with his journey. You know, he deserves every bit of this moment. And you know, so happy for him and his family. And glad we were able to get a win with it too.”
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Perez is now the sixth player to hold the Royals’ home run record. He overtook Brett, who held the title for over four decades. Brett initially passed fellow Royals Hall of Famer Amos Otis with his 194th home run on April 9, 1986.
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After Saturday’s game, Brett called to congratulate Perez. Brett also shared a special pre-recorded message that was posted on the club’s social media accounts.
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Perez was all smiles in the clubhouse. He never wants to take attention away from the team, but he was ecstatic to do his job in a major way.
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“It’s pretty good,” Perez said. “You know, I always say it’s better when we win the game. You feel better, and it’s super exciting. And I’ve said, I didn’t think I’d make it that far in my career. A lot of sacrifice and a lot of hard work. Thank God for the opportunity. My mom, my family and all the people in my career that helped me make it that far.”
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For multiple Royals, they grew up watching all of Perez’s career. Carter Jensen and Alex Lange are Kansas City natives. And others, such as Daniel Lynch IV, have only ever known Perez as their primary catcher.
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So the moment was extra special to see their longtime leader bask in the spotlight on the biggest stage.
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“He’s treated me and everyone around here the exact same ever since I’ve been here,” Lynch said. “It’s always been positive, and he’s always been willing to help. (Just) wanting to learn, wanting to get better and just wanting to pick guys up and be their teammate. So I couldn’t be happier for him. I think the team couldn’t be happier for him. So just an awesome accomplishment and awesome day.”
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Perez is likely ticketed for the Hall of Fame after he finishes playing. The Royals are grateful that he continues to lead the way in his 15th season. And now, he has a chance to further extend the all-time home run record as his career moves forward.
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“You could see that it was something special for him,” Royals starter Michael Wacha said. “And we were all very excited for him and glad we were able to get the win today as well. You know, a lot of smiles and high fives going around.”
Jaylon Thompson cubre a los Reales para The Kansas City Star. Anteriormente cubrió la Serie Mundial de 2021 y los Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 2016 en Río de Janeiro, Brasil. Jaylon es un orgulloso alumno de la Universidad de Georgia.
‘ Este Articulo puede contener información publicada por terceros, algunos detalles de este articulo fueron extraídos de la siguiente fuente: www.kansascity.com ’
