Wednesday, April 22, 2009
It’s every little leaguer’s dream to set foot inside a major league stadium and play the game they love.
It’s a dream many Jayhawks have been able to live over the past few seasons, but some younger players will be able to experience it for the first time tonight at 7 when Kansas renews its rivalry with Missouri at Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals.
It’s a game that has more impact than victories and losses. The game, strangely enough, doesn’t count as a Big 12 conference game because it’s played in the middle of the week. Teams are only allowed to play conference games over the weekend. But the game means something more for players such as junior pitcher Shaeffer Hall.
“It’s a lot of fun, and being able to do it against your rival Mizzou makes it that much more special,” Hall said. “I was fortunate to get the opportunity to start last year and make the most out of it.”
Hall, who grew up in the Kansas City area, was only a sophomore midweek starter then, but coach Ritch Price gave him the opportunity to start against the then No. 14 Tigers. It was a dominant performance that saw Hall go seven shutout innings with four strikeouts against a potent Missouri offense.
It was the start that propelled Hall to finish the season strong and become the number one pitcher for Kansas this season.
“It got me over the hump,” Hall said. “I think it gave me a lot of confidence last year as far as finishing the rest of the season on a good note and helping our team get some wins.”
TONIGHT
Kansas vs. Missouri
7 p.m.
Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City, Mo.
Radio: KLWN Radio (1320 AM)
The game is intensified because Kansas is playing Missouri. It’s a rivalry that the players relish, and the big stage at Kauffman highlights the rivalry even more.
“I think it just continues to make the rivalry more intense,” Price said. “Until you’ve actually experienced it, you have no idea what it’s like until you’ve been out on the field. I’ve never been a part of anything like it in the 30 years I’ve been in coaching.”
What makes the game even more fun for Price and his players are the perks of playing in a major league stadium. The Royals really rolled out the red carpet when it came to treating the teams and giving them a major league experience they won’t soon forget.
“The Royals just treated us off the charts,” Price said. “From the groundskeepers that let us take pre-game on the field just like if we were a big league club, to running the video board, to the public address announcer, to the music they play in between innings. They made it a special night for our players.”
Freshman pitcher Lee Ridenhour, a Lenexa native, admitted the Royals weren’t his favorite team growing up, partly because of the team’s losing record in the past. But he still has a lot of memories watching games at Kauffman.
“We’d go out there early and watch the batting practice and I tried to get autographs and stuff,” Ridenhour said. “It was always fun to go out there.”
Now Ridenhour will be able to make a new memory by playing in the stadium.
Another perk for both programs is the recruiting power the game can generate.
Price has invited high school players and potential recruits to come out and enjoy the experience.
“I think we got about 200 high school kids invited to come out and watch, so we’re trying to use it as one of the great recruiting tools in America,” Price said. “It’s a special night and certainly I think every high school kid that’s going to want to watch that game on Wednesday is going to want to be a Jayhawk when the evening is over.”
It’s a tough situation for many of the players. Nerves and pre-game jitters are expected when playing on a stage of such magnitude. But Price has worked a strategy to help buck those nerves.
Price said he took the team to the stadium three hours early last year, and gave them the first hour to have fun, take pictures, and experience the stadium as a fan.
But after that hour it’s back to the business that is baseball.
“I deliberately went in an hour early to try to take the awestruck-ness away,” Price said.
Although Price doesn’t want the team to be awestruck, he hopes the fans leaving the game will be awestruck by Kansas’ performance.
— — Edited by Brandy Entsminger
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