Kansas City Royals: Remembering the Greatest Baseball Game Ever
By Mike Norris
Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer (35) Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
As Eric Hosmer stepped to the plate with one out in the bottom of the frame, he hit a baseball basically as high and far as anyone can in that stadium without it leaving the field.
Now, it felt like it was destiny for the Kansas City Royals to win.
The hit was a sort of microcosm of Hosmer himself — brash, bold, entertaining, but just not quite enough.
What looked to be a sure homer, hit the top of the left-center field wall, as Sam Fuld and Jonny Gomes went all Bad News Bears and collided in to each other, leaving Hosmer on third and the crowd in a frenzy that was half excitement, half disbelief.
Now, it felt like it was destiny for the Kansas City Royals to win.
When pinch-hitter Christian Colon knocked home Hosmer with an infield hit of all things, the game was essentially over. There was no way the crowd was going to let the A’s win this game. It felt like the roof had been ripped off of Allen Fieldhouse and 24,000 more fans came pouring in.
When Salvador Perez stepped to the plate, he already had swung at 74 pitches in the dirt — but he didn’t care.
He swung at another from Jason Hammel, and the rest is history.
Next: Conclusion