Extra Innings with the K Crew

2010 K Crew Announced

2009-11-16T20:19:07Z

The 2010 K Crew auditions were held at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday. We had more people audition than ever before! Thanks to everyone who auditioned for the 2010 team!

The new team has just been announced! Returning will be myself, Kelly, Kristen, Lauren, Mallary, Megan, Nikki and Tetiana. Our rookies for the 2010 season are Chelsea, Danaya, Ebonee, Katie, Kristina, Samantha, Sandra and Taylor.

Congrats to everyone! I can't wait to see everyone again at our first meeting in a couple weeks!

It's a GREAT day to be a Royals fan...

-Erica

Top Ten Signs I'm in Love with the Royals

2009-11-03T19:25:48Z

Generally when I'm writing these fun blogs, I reference heading to my favorite place in all the world, but today I am going to begin by referencing heading to one of my very LEAST favorite places in all the world...and that would be the dentist.

Yesterday afternoon I had a dentist appointment, and I just hate going there. It's literally the opposite of how I feel when I'm driving up to the stadium--I get angry, annoyed and a little anxiety as opposed to the happy, excited and eager feeling I have driving up to The K. And here's the worst part--my dentist is AMAZING!

They are a husband and wife team of dentists with a beautiful office with TVs at every chair for your comfort and enjoyment. They have friendly staff (yes, this is a shout out to you, Lesley!) and just make the experience as pleasant as possible...AND I STILL HATE GOING! That is really sad, but here's the happy news--Dr. Hanneman and Dr. Ward are HUGE Royals fans! As in season-ticket-holder-kind of awesome excited fans! Being there yesterday and them asking me about the Royals and my job was a reminder that I needed to update my favorite blog! Thanks for the reminder, Dr. Ward--and I'm sorry that I don't get as excited coming to your place of work as you do coming to mine!

If Dr. Ward's inquiry about my Royals job wasn't enough of a reminder that it was time to update this blog, there was another reminder for me at Barnes and Noble. Bonnie (my friend who is of course also a huge Royals fan) and I were shopping when we ran into an old friend of hers that I had met just a couple of times a few years ago. As I was struggling to remember her name, she and her husband go, "Erica! We see you all the time at the stadium!! You're all over that place!!! We're always so excited to say we know you!" And yes- this is the part where I feel a little famous and walk out of Barnes and Noble with my excited "I'm associated with the Royals and people I don't know recognize me" walk. (It's a little happier and a little taller than my "I'm a teacher and kids never listen to my instructions the first time" walk.)

Because I'm missing my Royals and missing my favorite job EVER (and I've had really cool jobs, so don't take that claim lightly, because the amazingly cool jobs this one had to compete with include: a camp counselor who lived in a teepee at Kanakuk Kamps for 6 weeks, motivational speaker, tour guide, student caller to convince little old ladies to give our college money, an AFTERdark event director, speaker for FCA, AND don't forget the 6 summers of saving lives poolside...my point being--this job is THAT awesome to conquer all of those crazy cool jobs) and missing the joy that is being on the dugout or getting fans clapping, I've decided to share with you...

THE TOP TEN SIGNS THAT I AM IN LOVE WITH THE ROYALS:

10. When asked my favorite color, I always say, "Blue. Royal blue."

9. I brush my teeth with a Royals toothbrush from the Royals TeamSmile event.

8. Any small talk that I have with my principals, colleagues, students always starts with either, "Are you working the game tonight?" or "I saw you on the big screen last night!" or "So what about those Royals?"

7. Every time I drive by the stadium, no matter who I'm with, I start chanting, "Let's go Royals! Clap, clap, clap clap clap!"

6. When people ask me what I do for a living, I always say, "I work for the Kansas City Royals." Never mind the actual career I have that actually pays the bills. And I always say this in the most casual way possible when in reality I'm still SO excited about this fact!

5. The gifts my friends and family get from me almost always have some sort of Royals correlation...tickets, hats, shirts, temporary tattoos, 40th anniversary pins!

4. As it often is, my profile picture on Facebook was one from me at the stadium, and my best friend from growing up posted this on my wall:

I love this picture of you. :) Someone I know went to a Royals game recently and when I heard them say it, I thought of you. :) Also, everytime I drink a Pepsi I think about you too, b/c it says something about the K on the can. :)

It is SO VERY EXCITING to me that people, such as my old BFF Tiffanie, associate ME with the Royals!!!!

3. I want to get married at the stadium.

2. Go back and read number 3 again. I am serious. As in so serious that I've even thought about the details and the invitations I'd send out that would say, "Every kiss begins at The K!"

And the number one sign that I'm in love with the Royals is...

1. I really believe that next year at this very time, I won't be writing a blog about MISSING being on the dugout, but I WILL BE ON THE DUGOUT cheering on our boys in blue, because we'll still be playing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a GREAT day to be a Royals fan...
-Erica

2010 K Crew Auditions

2009-10-07T15:01:05Z

It really doesn't sound like that long ago when we were getting ready for 2009 K Crew auditions and announcing the new team, but now it's already time for 2010 K Crew auditions! Here's the scoop...

Date: Saturday, November 14, 2009

Time: Registration/Check-in: 9:30 am, Auditions: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Location: Kauffman Stadium - One Royal Way, Kansas City, MO 64129 (Park in Lot M and enter the stadium at Gate C)

Job Description: The Kansas City Royals K Crew is a fan-interactive team that will perform at all 2010 Kansas City Royals home games at Kauffman Stadium. The K Crew will be the face of the Royals gameday experience and act as Royals fan ambassadors both at Kauffman Stadium and at outside appearances as assigned. K Crew duties include fan interaction throughout stadium (meet and greets, autograph sessions, etc.), facilitating entertainment utilizing special skills/talents, game operations responsibilities such as in-game promotions, T-shirt launches and crowd rallies, and other duties as assigned by the Kansas City Royals.

Audition Requirements:
1. 18+ and a high school graduate by January 1, 2010 (valid photo I.D. required)
2. Candidates must be willing to devote a large percentage of time to the K Crew program, including attendance at rehearsals, all designated games, community events and other mandatory appearances in and around the Kansas City area. Must have flexible schedule for nights, weekends and holidays.
3. Candidates must have reliable transportation and live in or close to the Kansas City area.
4. Candidates must have the stamina and fitness level to perform athletic activities in conditions of summer heat.
5. Candidates must demonstrate good moral character and be drug free.
6. Candidates must be able to perform activities and interact with fans on camera in front of large crowds. Prior performance, entertainment, public relations, and/or broadcasting experience preferred.
7. Candidates must have outstanding communication and interpersonal skills and a positive, energetic personality. Must be able to handle situations with a quick and professional response.
8. Candidates must be reliable, punctual, and courteous. Should have good listening skills and an ability to work with brief instruction as part of a team.
9. Knowledge of the game of baseball is preferred.
10. No candidate may presently be affiliated with or be a representative of any other semi-professional or professional athletic franchise.

Visit the official K Crew Web page for more information and to get your application! Deadline for Pre-Registration is Monday, November 9, 2009. If you have any questions, call 816-504-4433 or email kcrew@royals.com. I'll see you at auditions! Good luck!

It's a GREAT day to be a Royals fan...

-Erica

The Last Homestand...but not the last blog!

2009-10-07T14:43:37Z

Sometimes life gets a little crazy, and I need reminders to update my favorite blog! These reminders can come from a Post-It note on my desk at work, sometimes from my boss here at the Royals, but my favorite reminders come from fans that are checking the blog...such as this super excited fan who dominated the Upper Deck Match Game! Ryan, you were awesome, and I absolutely loved your very excited message and reminder to get this blog up! Thanks for being such a great fan!!!!

Ryan was just one of many awesome fans that I encountered during our last homestand, so let me give some shout outs to some other pretty special fans...

Katie and I are posing with our favorite fan from Argentina!!! We made a super special delivery to give him a t-shirt for his excited Royals spirit! Muchas gracias for cheering for the Royals while in the USA!!

Okay, so these next pictures aren't fans, but just some really awesome people that contribute to making The K my favorite place in all the world...

Here is Megan who started out the season as a fellow K Crew member, but as you can see from her snazzy clothes, she left the dugouts for an office job. She's genuinely one of the nicest people I've ever met and just such a pleasure to work with at The K. Thanks for being so great and always so excited about the blog, Megan!

And everyone knows this guy that I was so excited to catch by himself for a minute to snap a picture for the blog! Thanks for the picture, Sluggerrr--you're the best! No one gets the stadium clapping like you do! I feel so honored to get to work with you!

Now this next guy you might not recognize because he is behind the camera a lot, but you might have yelled, "HEY CAMERA MAN- GET ME ON SCREEN!" to him a couple of times this past season! I believe I've mentioned Jordan in a previous blog because he is seriously the best. I've had the extreme pleasure of working with him a lot this season, and he also does an excellent job at capturing the moments to put on CrownVision! Jordan- you're awesome...with the camera of course, but also with some great advice you dispersed to Megan and me that last homestand! Thanks for such a fantastic season, and I can't wait to see you next season!

And here is Tommy who was a huge help during my Live Shot out at the Royals Hall of Fame! He stepped in and did the play by play for us at the "You Make the Call" interactive experience. Super impressive, Tommy!

I saved these guys for last, because I especially liked something they said to me. As I was walking around talking to fans, these guys caught my eye. I know what you're thinking--how could six ridiculously good looking guys NOT catch my eye? Well, you're right, but also because generally when we see groups, we try to ask if they're celebrating something special that we can help celebrate with them with some tattoos or pins or maybe even just a loud annoucement! So, I approached these rather handsome gentleman to inquire if there was a particular reason for their celebration...someone's bachelor party or birthday maybe? They all kind of laughed and said no, and I explained that I just figured they must be celebrating something...and that's when one of these great Royals fans goes, "Well we are! We're here to celebrate the Royals!"

I couldn't have put it better myself.

It's a GREAT day to be a Royals fan...
-Erica

P.S. Just because the season is over, doesn't mean the blogging fun has to stop! I've actually already jotted down some notes for some blogs coming soon! In fact, here's a sneak peak at the fun that is yet to come--one super awesome top 10 list that you don't want to miss, some reflections from my last game of the season and highlights from K Crew's end of the season party and awards ceremony!

K Crew's Job Never Stops

2009-09-17T20:37:41Z

There comes a point in every K Crew member's life when they find themselves at an event with lots of people (i.e. the zoo, another sporting event or, in my particular case this past weekend, at the Shanks' Barnyard Bash 2009), and we just forget that we're not inside the joy and stardom that is The K where everyone is fascinated by our sweet uniforms and cool bags and eager to high five us, wave at us or yell, "Yeah K Crew!"

So when we're at these other events with lots of people and kids around us, we still have this innate expectation for small children to run up to us expecting tattoos or grown men to yell at us, "I WANT A HOT DOG!!" But these people all around us, well, they don't know the very fame and prestige that is in their presence. Such was this past Saturday night when I saw a bunch of little kids running around, and I immediately approached them to start giving out high fives, and then I even began to reach in my bag to grab them some tattoos...only to quickly remember the bag on my right shoulder held lip gloss and my cell phone, not waivers and giveaways. No, I was not wearing my K Crew bag, nor was it at all normal for me to be high fiving kids and trying to get them to yell, "Let's go, Royals, let's go!"

This is the life of a K Crew member. We eat, sleep and breathe Royals, so when we're not at the stadium, sometimes we can feel a little lost. I can remember going to Royals games growing up and thinking the place was so huge and feeling lost, so I find it pretty crazy and exciting that I now feel more lost when I'm not there than when I am at the awesome new stadium.

Here are some snapshots from last homestand. As always, I had the opportunity to hang out with some pretty great fans!

Before I introduce you to some of the awesome FANS that I got to hang out with, allow me to introduce you to these three incredibly good looking and incredibly personable guys that work to make your dreams come true in Guest Services!!!! For some crazy reason, I hadn't really had much of a chance to interact with these cool guys until this past homestand, and they were just so much fun! As we left their room, I said to Brian, "Those guys were just so personable and polite and all had such awesome personalities!" And then it dawned on me that these qualities are what make them PERFECT for their role in Guest Services! Keep up the awesome work, guys--you are such an important part of this team!

This season we've started throwing t-shirts from the dugouts during the Royals starting line-up. This is always a super great time, and it's especially wonderful when polite fans such as this young lady, come find me to personally say thank you for throwing her a t-shirt! You're absolutely welcome!!

Well hello to our fans that came all the way from AUSTRALIA! They were members of the Australian Military making a visit to Ft. Leavenworth. Thanks for making it out to The K!!!

Ah, there is such a special place in my heart for our sweet sign making fans! I'm all about making signs, so I always love to stop and snap a picture with our creative and colorful designing fans! Great job, girls!!

This excited fan is Dave Lamaster! He makes it out to lots of games, and it an absolute pleasure! He was REALLY excited about having his picture on the blog!!! And you know how much I love excited fans, so here you go, Dave, and remember the best place to watch baseball is always at Kauffman Stadium.

On this particular night, Brian and I were in charge of Commerce Bank Pinball Shuffle, and Brian found this awesome contestant! I really did think this guy was so great--he was such a dedicated fan, and he and his son were a complete pleasure to work with the entire time! Here's the two of them with their prize pack! Thanks for being such great fans, guys! It's quality people like you two that make my job so much fun!

And last, but certainly not least, were maybe my two very favorite guys from the entire homestand! Let me introduce you to the handsome, the spirited, the polite, and the excited...Tucker and Layne!!! These two adorable cousins were here cheering on the Royals with their grandma, who was kind enough to email me the pictures she took of us! I couldn't pick between the two pictures, so boys--that's just how special you guys are--I'm posting them both!! You can see them with their super cool tattoos and then being such chivalrous gentlemen for sharing their umbrella with me! Thanks again, guys--and keep on cheering on our Royals!!!!

It's a GREAT day to be Royals fan...
-Erica

P.S. I know it's a day late, but I wanted to wish Mike McCartney--that amazing and oh-so-exciting voice of the Royals--a very happy birthday!!!! Just yet another perk of being a K Crew member is that--oh yes, Mike McCartney is my Facebook friend. How cool am I?!

SO MANY INCREDIBLE PEOPLE

2009-09-08T16:36:32Z

As promised, here are some incredible people that I got to hang out with last homestand!!! One night in particular, I seriously just had the most fun with so many different sets of kiddos that were SO EXCITED to be the stadium watching the Royals! Their enthusiasm pumped me up to do my job even better, so I told them I would return the favor by putting their pretty faces on my blog! Enjoy!

The first shout goes to Hoops and YoYo!!! Oh man--and you thought these guys were just available upon opening Hallmark cards, but OH NO, they come to cheer on the Royals!!!!! Kelly did an awesome job helping them out for the game and was actually just named Homestand MVP! Congrats, Kelly!!! Britt is the fine looking guy with us, and he is one of my very favorite people to be partners with on K Crew. He's funny and clever, works hard and just really a pleasure of a partner. Here's to you, Britt!

I've said it before, and I'll surely say it again, but being in charge of the Buck O'Neil Legacy Seat honoree is so exciting because I get to meet the coolest people. This awesome guy next to me is THE Cullen Jones AKA OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST!!!! I seriously became a little starstruck by Cullen...the most obvious reason would be THE OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL, which is especially impressive to me because I spent a great deal of my childhood being obsessed with the Olympics. He was super down-to-earth and told me some cool stories about the Olympics, including a really special moment to him when he saw the USA Mens' Basketball Team all at their meet cheering for THEM. He said it was pretty surreal. But there was more than just a gold medal that had me so mesmerized by this superstar. Cullen has teamed up with USA Swimming Foundation's "Make a Splash" program, to promote swimming lessons in order to help reduce drowning instances among minority youth.

K Crew's job is to try to interact with as many as fans as possible each night, and Aaron really took the extra effort to not miss ANYONE! Hahahahaha. This praying mantis was helping us pump up some pretty excited fans in right field. And a shout out to Aaron, a veteran K Crew member who I had a great time working with as we reminisced about some K Crew from seasons past. We miss you guys!

And the following pictures are just some of the INCREDIBLE kids that I met and got to cheer on our Royals together!! I completely adored my time with each of them!!! Thanks for being so excited about the Royals, guys...I'm thinking there could be a K Crew job in your future!!!!

And last, but certainly not least in this blog of INCREDIBLE fans that I got to hang out with would be these sweet kids that I spent a couple of innings with--cheering, chatting, and becoming friends. They're not from KC, so this was such a meaningful experience to get to see how very excited they were to be here. I was getting ready to leave the stadium after the game, when I hear someone shout, "ERICA!!!" I turn around to see my new friends, and their mom runs over to me and says, "They were so sad that they missed you, because they were really wanting to ask you for your autograph! I know you're leaving, but could you do that for them?" Note to fans everywhere: I WILL NEVER SAY NO TO AN AUTOGRAPH. Among the million things I love about this job would include the pretend fame that comes with being a K Crew girl, but most of all--I love that four kids left the game smiling and so excited because of some time I spent with them.

It's a GREAT day to be a Royals fan...
-Erica

P.S. I almost forgot!!! This past weekend, I was at a wedding in St. Louis (Don't worry, I had my Royals bracelet on ALL weekend!). My boyfriend was the DJ and he had me be the MC for the night. I felt like I was doing Live Shots all night--it was so much fun!! One fan--I mean GUEST lol, asked me if I had done some MC stuff before, and I told him about my job with K Crew. He then had to tease me, because he was a Cards fan (otherwise a really nice guy, ha!). But then he said something pretty exciting. He told me that he hasn't been to a stadium that has such cool promotions and fan interaction as the ones at The K. Even in a city of red, I hear good things about my Royals!!! Here's a picture of me down in the bottom right using my Royals experience to get people a dancing! Congrats, Elisha and Tony! Come see us at The K, and I'll see about getting you on Kiss Cam!

SIGNS of a Great Time at The K

2009-09-01T16:21:00Z

As I mentioned in last week's blog, I could not wait for this past homestand to get here, and oh boy, when it did, it most certainly did not disappoint! In fact, it might just have been one of my favorite homestands ever.

Let me take you back to last Sunday... I was so excited about being out at the stadium with such awesome weather on a Sunday afternoon. I especially love working Sundays because of the large amount of sunshine and children at the stadium. (Sundays are always day games with extra fun activities for kids like the Sprint Fun Run after the game, the kids version of the Live Hot Dog Derby and the Honorary Line-up before the game.) This particular Sunday, I was also excited when I got to the stadium to see I was doing a Live Shot, because it had been awhile since I'd had the extreme pleasure of holding a handheld mic at my favorite place in the whole world. However, I received word on my headset that we wouldn't be doing the Live Shot because of timing during pre-game.

Feeling a bit disappointed, I headed down to the press conference room to see what was going on down there with our pre-game participants. As I was talking to Katie about pre-game details, I spotted two adorable little boys that I could have sworn I saw... signing?! I wasn't for sure if they were just being animated with their hand gestures or if they were indeed using sign language to communicate, so I told the boys and girls in the conference room that I am a teacher, but that I teach big kids sign language. The little boys' mom's face confirmed my suspicions with an excited look as she exclaimed, "You know sign language?" As I signed, "Yes- I do!" the two boys came running over to hug this girl that was using their language. As I sit staring at my computer, I'm almost frustrated that I cannot accurately convey via this keyboard the sheer JOY AND AWESOMENESS that was this next hour of my life after meeting my new friends, Matthew and Nathaniel. Oh my goodness. They were incredible. I have so much fun with deaf children because everything is so animated and exciting with them.

I had the pleasure of being their personal interpreter for all of pre-game. This meant going out on the field with them, helping them find their player for the Honorary Line-up, which involved several players and coaches in the dugout telling ME how cool what I was doing was...you know, just another day in the life of a K Crew member. EXCEPT IT ISN'T JUST ANOTHER DAY IN THE LIFE OF A K CREW MEMBER!!! I spend my every minute at games being in awe of THEM and cheering for THEM and being excited about THEM, and here in this very moment of just communicating with two adorable little boys, these guys are impressed with ME?!? It was so cool. Matthew and Nathaniel were so much fun, and they signed "I love you" to me several times! They were just too precious! The fun didn't quite end there though, because after the National Anthem, Matthew wasn't quite ready to leave the field, so OH YES, I got to run almost to third base to help communicate to him that it was time to go AKA THE GAME WAS STARTING! :) Matthew, I've always wanted to run on the field, so thank you, my friend.

This experience was unforgettable. I love the Royals. I love kids. I especially love kids that communicate with their little hands. And in addition to all of this fun, I learned an important lesson too. Helen Keller once said, "When one door closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us." I was feeling a little frustrated and disappointed when my Live Shot was canceled. So I had a choice, I could have stayed in the locker room and kind of moped around that my thing got canceled, but instead, I opened another door (the one to the press conference room to be exact) and found an even cooler opportunity just waiting for me!

All of this excitement and fun and that was just ONE of the games from this awesome homestand! I'll be writing more very soon and posting pictures of some more pretty INCREDIBLE people I got to hang out with last homestand, so check back soon!

It's a GREAT day to be a Royals fan...
-Erica

Far Away...and Missing The K!

2009-08-19T17:29:53Z

Driving home from church, I look down at my phone to see "Brother" flashing across the screen. My heart skipped a beat, as it had been quite some time since I had seen my brother calling me. Atticus left Kansas City in June and headed off to basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He'd been without any form of communication except handwritten letters until Sunday when they had their phones for a brief period. During our conversation, Atticus had many stories to tell--some good and some tough. He shared stories of getting an expert badge with his shooting skills, being named leader of his platoon and having to eat meals in just six minutes, but then he shared something I think will be of special interest to you, my favorite Royals fans...

He told me that not too long ago the guys were at a barber shop where they saw a baseball game on the television. He said seeing that game made him want nothing more than to be out at The K. His voice held such sincerity and a genuine longing to be enjoying a game at our stadium, watching our guys, eating one of our hot dogs...and of course, seeing his favorite K Crew member cheering on our Royals! Here is a picture of Atticus at The K last season. He's the good looking guy in the front row!

In all seriousness though, it was incredibly touching for me to hear how much he wanted to attend a Royals game. I've said this so many times, but I honestly just adore our stadium. And I said it last year, before all of the amazing renovations...so while the actual stadium itself is so awesome, that's not what I'm referring to with my adoration. What I'm talking about is the parking attendants that greet you with such a big smile and wave. Or the ushers that smile and ask, "Ready for another big game tonight?" Or the cool music that plays when Billy Butler hits a home run and fireworks go off and everyone is on their feet cheering and high fiving. Even the smell of summer and hot dogs and cotton candy...all of it is what makes up my favorite place in the whole world...and that's The K.

The builders and engineers that constructed all of the new features and improvements did such a great job, and I look around at the games still in awe of how great the place looks. But that's really not what I think of when I say how it's my favorite place in the whole world. And I don't think that is what Atticus was talking about when he was a thousand miles away wanting nothing more than to be out at a game. It's the team. The fans. The whole Royals experience.

We come back into town this Friday night for a six game homestand. And ever since I got off the phone with Atticus, I've had a little more anticipation than normal for the guys to get back to KC so I can enjoy the game that truly is America's favorite pastime. I encourage you to come out to cheer and support the team, but most of all--savor the experience that is Royals baseball. Because somewhere in a barrack in South Carolina there is a soldier that wants nothing more than to be in your seat.

It's a GREAT day to be a Royals fan...

-Erica

Some VIPs at The K

2009-07-28T14:36:35Z

Last homestand I had the pleasure of hanging out with some very important fans...young and old, spirited and MORE spirited, and even some local celebrities. I'll let these fine photos do the talking of one fantastic weekend at The K!

Before jumping on the dugouts to launch some t-shirts, we always look for excited fans to cheer with, and these guys certainly did not disappoint!

This spirited couple just really made my day! They were excited about the Royals, and they were also so appreciative and sweet when I gave them 40th anniversary pins. Little did I know that I would get such a fine conversation in return! Meeting them was certainly MY pleasure.

It's Bryan Truta from 105.1 JACK FM! And that lovely girl with him might just happen to be one of my favorite cousins!

I went from one celebrity to the next, as I got to meet the guy from Subway's $5 Footlong commercial! Crazy enough, we did not plan to have the "High Five" on CrownVision during our picture, but that worked out quite nicely. I'm a huge fan of Subway, so I was glad to know this Subway commercial guy is a huge fan of my Royals!

This is a unique job in that it really never ends...as I was about to get in my car, these ridiculously good looking guys yelled, "ERICA DYER!!!" So I went over to give four of my high school classmates some pretty sweet Royals tattoos! Always fun to see fellow Odessa grads out supporting the Royals!

I always love Sundays at The K because we have so many cool things for kids going on, but this Sunday was SUPER SPECIAL, because these adorable kiddos aren't just Royals fans--they're my favorite little cousins!!!!!!

And here my favorite kiddos as TEENIE WIENIES!!!! Chloie was looking pretty in the red...

While Hagan was taking a minute to tell me how excited he was to be MUSTARD...

Here's a great picture of the Teenie Wienies during the time we like to call "Pre-Race Rules." Rule #1- Stay off the field. Rule #2- Don't fall down. Rule #3- No pushing. I love how attentive they are to Jennifer explaining the rules of the race!!! Precious!

Hagan thought it was really funny to pretend to eat his sister. Yummm.

Chlo was off flirting with some field crew...

While Josiah was preparing for the race!

And there they are--in costume and ready! And who won?? Well, Hagan was MUSTering up the speed despite his heighth advantage, and Chloie started strong but couldn't quite KETCHUP, so it was Josiah that got to RELISH in the victory!!!!!! But really- they're all three wieners...I mean winners in my book.

It's a GREAT day to be a Royals fan...
-Erica

My Own Field Of Dreams

2009-07-15T19:20:36Z

Last homestand, Katie and I were walking through the stands talking to fans, and I said to her, "No one really ever asks me to go to Royals games! I want to be a fan at a game--it looks really fun." Katie wisely responded to my silly whining that my friends probably always assume if I'm not working that I don't want to be at the game. (NOTE TO MY FRIENDS: THIS IS NOT TRUE! I love this place so much that I absolutely will say yes to the cool tickets your boss or brother's girlfriend's uncle gave you, so invite me already.)

Obviously, we have the coolest job at the stadium, but with all of the fan interaction sometimes I think each of us K Crew members has this longing to get to BE A FAN at the game! We want to be the crazy fan shouting for the t-shirt or eating the hot dog instead of throwing them. So you can imagine my crazy excitement as I jumped off of the Royals dugout to be greeted by my own Santa Claus with not just tickets for Saturday's game, but CROWN CLUB tickets!! Okay, so it wasn't Santa Claus that greeted me, but actually someone way cooler--Mr. Dan Glass!

If you've been reading "Extra Innings with the K Crew" since last season, you'll remember that I found out last September that the readership of my blog doesn't just consist of my friends and family, but extends to such distinguished readers such as Mr. Glass. When he approached me at the game, I was again so very flattered to know he's been reading again this season. He offered me his tickets for my family for the Fourth of July and then extended a challenge for me to give a second set of tickets to a most deserving fan or family.

Obviously, I accepted this offer with such gratitude and excitement--not only had my wish of wanting someone to ask me to go to a game came true, but it was the President of the Royals giving me HIS seats!!!! Our bosses here at the stadium are constantly reminding us that someone is always watching us...whether we're on the dugout, doing a promotion, talking to a fan or just walking from one location to the next. Well, after me proclaiming my desire to come to a game as a fan in the 3rd inning and then being handed tickets in the 7th inning, I kind of started to wonder if someone can always hear us, too! "If you ask for them, they will come..." This place REALLY is my field of dreams!

Mr. Glass, thank you again for reading and just for taking the time to connect with someone as small as a K Crew member that is just so honored to be a part of your ball club. My mom, dad, boyfriend, and I were so extremely appreciative for the opportunity to celebrate our nation's Independence Day at my favorite place in all the world--Kauffman Stadium!!!!

See pictures below of my favorite Fourth of July EVER!!!!!

It's fun to know people, because our photographer spotted me as I was walking in the gates and took this great picture of us walking in.

Entering the most amazing Crown Club!!!!!! This place is seriously so nice and amazing and full of DELICIOUS food!

Prime rib was on the menu for the pre-game meal. Yum!

I made sure to save room for all of those amazing ballpark treats, too! Midwest Airlines chocolate chip cookies and nachos--these are the snacks I always get a little jealous seeing fans eat during the game!

Chris found us again and snapped a great shot of us in the super comfy cushioned seats! We were SO CLOSE to the game. It was INCREDIBLE!!!

And I saved my favorite picture for last... knowing people is always a good thing, but knowing CAMERA GUYS is the best. My favorite camera guy, Jordan- made a lifelong dream of mine come true by putting me on KISS CAM!!!!!!

The seats were unbelievable, the food was delicious, the atmosphere was so much fun, the company was great, Kiss Cam was soooo exciting and WE WON!!!!! It was seriously the best Fourth of July EVER.

And I couldn't say this with any more sincerity or excitement--
It's a GREAT day to be a Royals FAN...
-Erica

Picture Proof

2009-07-09T15:54:16Z

Today I had the opportunity to be at Kauffman Stadium on a non-gameday. When I first got hired a couple of years ago, I can remember walking into the stadium when no one was there and feeling so incredibly cool and important and just in complete awe of the moment. Well, it's two years and hundreds of games later, and I still get that excited "oh my goodness, this is so cool" feeling when I get to be at the stadium on a random Wednesday afternoon.

This particular visit was especially exciting because I was assisting Sluggerrr for one of his appearances. It was a great time, and I was just super impressed with Sluggerrr's ability to charm a crowd of people with such enthusiasm and ease...without ever saying a word! It was also a rather cool and surreal moment when I added "Sluggerrr" to my phone contacts...hands down, my new favorite contact in my phone book.

This past homestand was pretty crazy amazing. I know I say this all of the time, but I seriously have THE coolest job in all the world. Here are a few pictures of proof from this past seven-game homestand...

Jack was one of the most excited fans I've met. He was not only enthusiastic and cheering for the Royals, but he knows what he is talking about, too! From the players to the game of baseball, Jack is one knowledgeable fan!!! Not to mention ADORABLE! Thanks for dancing with me to Garth, Jack!! Katie and I were walking down to get on a dugout, when these two awesome Royals fans caught my attention. I heard little Maili say, "See Dad, it's Erica and Katie!" She had seen us walking by earlier and remembered our names. I was pretty impressed with this. And if I wasn't already excited about these fans, Aodhan piped up and said to me, "You have pretty hair." It had been kind of a stressful night and his sweet comment just really made me smile. Thanks for not only being so sweet, but also such spirited Royals fans!!! And Aodhan- I saw you dancing on CrownVision later in the game--nice moves, man!

Amy and I were relaxing before the big race. I'm sure John Deere will be calling soon to have us be their new models with our color coordination going on.

Much thanks to my good friend, Jennifer, who captured this action shot of the Hot Dog Derby! I love it when my friends are at games, and on this particular night there were lots of my favorite people all over the sold-out stadium!

It's pretty cool that literally one of my favorite places in all the world is also where I work. I just love being at the stadium so much...sold out on a Friday night with fireworks or empty and quiet on Wednesday afternoon assisting Sluggerrr.

It's a GREAT day to be a Royals fan...
-Erica

PS: Coming soon--pictures and details from a very special game where I had the incredible opportunity to be at the stadium... as a fan!!!

Running Our Buns Off

2009-06-26T16:37:26Z

I've had the privilege to be the American Sign Language interpreter for two of the most adorable six-year-old deaf boys during summer school at McQuerry Elementary. As their interpreter, I follow them to all of their classes from 8:00am-3:00pm Monday through Friday. I sit right by them at their little table, so I've had a lot of interaction with six year olds lately. It's been really fun after games to hear kids say how they saw me on the dugout or the "giant awesome screen!" This afternoon as we were finishing our rockets in Space Class, one of the biggest Royals fans in the class says, "Erica, did you see the game last night! It was 11 innings, and we got the win!!!" Brett's talk of the extra innings reminded me it was time to write a blog! Thanks for the reminder, Brett, and thanks for being such an excited Royals fan!!!!!!

As I've mentioned before, when we first get to the game, we report to our room to find out our responsibilities for the game. Friday night was a big night for me. My responsibilities included THE LIVE HOT DOG DERBY!!! Despite the extreme heat and humidity, I could not wait to get in that hot dog suit!

Now, normally I'm a Ketchup girl, however I just could not justify putting on ANY red in night one of our series with the Cardinals!! Along with this thought in mind was the fact that my boyfriend LOVES Relish. I mean, we all have our hot dog that we root for, but Ryan takes it to another level with his intense and passionate enthusiasm for Relish. He screams for Relish at a volume that I've literally seen scare small children at games. So with putting on the Relish suit, I wasn't thinking that he'd be excited that I'd be running in the green for once, but rather, I knew I HAD to win. I actually sent him a text that said, "I'm afraid that if I lose, you might break up with me." He wrote back, "Don't make me make that decision."

So, I tried explaining the high stakes to my opponents, Ketchup and Mustard, aka Lauren and Megan Q., but neither of them had much concern with the fact that the future of my relationship was potentially pending upon the outcome of this Hot Dog Derby. Lauren and Megan Q. were both also in this race to win it for their respective condiment!! As we got ready, which was only successful with the awesome and dedicated help from Aaron, we were all talking a little hot dog smack.

The photo to the left was obviously taken post-race. We were all three dripping wet with sweat, and not just because it felt like a hundred degrees outside or because we were in giant hot dog suits, but because we literally ran as hard as we could and with some incredible intensity!!!!!! I don't know that there has ever been a race that all three hot dogs wanted to win so bad!

And you will also notice that we're all holding up a number one, because it was so close that no winner was determined!!!! Ketchup, Mustard or Relish...no matter who you were rooting for Friday night, you can know that we gave it 100% and literally ran our buns off!!!!!

It's a GREAT day to be a Royals fan...
-Erica

PS: While no real winner was determined, Ryan later said, "I can't believe my girlfriend just really ran incredibly hard in a hot dog race for me. That's awesome!" So even though it wasn't exactly a victory, I think he was able to RELISH in my extreme effort!

Summer of '69 Retro Night at The K

2009-06-18T16:03:39Z

On Wednesday night, Royals fans celebrated 40 years of Royals baseball by going back in time for a Summer of '69 Retro Night at The K. The Outfield Experience was packed with fun activities, and Beatles cover band Liverpool played on the stage during the pre-game party. I'll let these pictures tell the story of the groovy time...

Lauren and Mallary showed off their hula-hooping skills with these spirited fans.

Mallary actually got really good at it...keep it going!!!

Lauren played Twister with this young fan. I don't think she lasted very long.

Amy showed off her tie-dyed Royals tee. Very cute!

Tara and Kristin showed their '60s spirit on top of the dugout. Clap if you love tube socks!

Be sure to catch '70s Retro Night on July 22nd and '80s Retro Night on August 5th!!!

It's a GREAT day to be a Royals fan...
-Erica

Sundays at The K

2009-06-15T18:10:00Z

Sunday games are my favorites. I love being outside at the stadium on a sunny afternoon with all of my favorite Royals fans! Last Sunday was especially full of fun and excited fans, new accessories for the K Crew, an awesome post-game concert and, most importantly, a SWEEP of the Reds!!

Let me take you through this particular awesome Sunday at the stadium...

Lauren and I both realized we had forgotten socks for the game, so we asked Kasey if we could bust out the new tube socks a few games early!! Here are some of us girls modeling the new look in the locker room before the game...

If I had a penny for everytime I heard, "Nice socks!" I'd be one rich lady.

There were tons of groups here for Family and Faith Day at the K, and I spotted Derek amidst his church group! Katie and I loved the spirit, Derek!

When I saw this adorable little boy, he looked at me and said, "I love the Royals!" It was adorable!!! I love our fans of all ages!!!!! Thanks for the high five, Peyton!

Katie and I were getting ready to run out on the field to hold the finish line for the Teenie Wienie Race! Relish took off with a huge lead and greeted us at the finish line with a smile!!

One of the things I love most about this job is all of the people I get to see all of the time!!! Every game there are always friends or family or even an old teacher that I get to spread some Royals cheer to!! I'm always still surprised by how many people that I know that I see at the games, but clearly it's because I've always surrounded myself with only the best company...Royals fans, of course!!!

This particular very special fan is my former teacher, Coach Hopkins! I was SO EXCITED when he yelled out my name as I was climbing the stairs in the view level. Coach Hopkins taught me a wealth of knowledge about history and geography. His passion for history made his class such an exciting and fun place to be 5th hour my freshman year of high school! So great to see you, Coach Hopkins!!!!

To conclude such a perfect Sunday at the K, I stayed with my parents for the MercyMe concert! It was such a great concert with two really awesome testimonies from Trey Hillman and Brian Bannister. I'm so proud to be a part of an organization with such respectable and solid individuals such as Hillman and Bannister!

It's a GREAT day to be a Royals fan...
-Erica

Last Day of School

2009-05-28T22:13:09Z

Today is the last day of school. The last final has been taken. My last pencil has been borrowed to never be returned. (Question number one: Why do students steal my pencils? Question number two: Why does this make me so furious?)

On this last day, I wanted to share with you some things heard around the classroom of Miss Dyer that I would have to think are a bit unique to things heard around other teachers' classrooms...

"Are you working tonight? I'm going to be there, and I want a t-shirt!"

"Miss Dyer, who is pitching tonight? Is it Greinke?"

"I saw you on the big screen last night interviewing that cop! I told my parents- 'That's my teacher!'"

"Miss Dyer! You were on the Royals dugout and didn't give me a hot dog!!"

"Can I call you Erica this summer at games?"

And my favorite...

"Miss Dyer, was that your boyfriend that rode his motorcycle to school to see you last week?"
"Yeah, it was."
"Everything about your life is so cool. The Royals job, you're pretty and funny, and your boyfriend comes here on a motorcycle."

So, thank you Kansas City Royals for adding to my cool factor among high school students. And now for some really cool pictures of some other really cool people...

There were lions everywhere! Katie and I found Tate and Logan to pose for us with their lions. As with most boys, we had to bribe them into our photo shoot though. We promised them some pretty fun tattoos, and Katie even put them on for the guys!

There was another lion up in the view level helping this cute Royals fan celebrate her birthday! Lauren, Tetiana, Katie and I had fun spreading some birthday cheer!

Smile if you love the Royals!

For my live shot, I had the awesome opportunity to interview a police officer at the stadium. It was quite a fun time, and he offered the fans some good advice - "Enjoy the game, and stay off the field!" Well put!

These two handsome Royals fans are pretty special to me - it's my dad and brother!

Happy last day of school, Grain Valley students. I hope to see you guys at games all summer long. And you know what? I might even give you a Royals pencil.

It's a GREAT day to be a Royals fan...
-Erica