The Bobby Witt Jr. era has begun in Kansas City.
And it certainly kicked off with a bang!
Witt Jr. hit a go-ahead run-scoring double in the eighth inning to lead his club to an Opening Day win over the Cleveland Guardians. The Kauffman Stadium crowd of over 28,000 chanted “Bobby! Bobby!” throughout the at-bat in the eighth inning.
Hall of Famer George Brett, Hall of Famer said, “everyone wants to see the kid.”
Witt, 21, was the No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft. His father, Bobby Witt Sr., pitched 16 seasons in the big leagues with seven teams from 1986-2001.
“I thought I’d be a lot more nervous, honestly,” Witt said. “But beforehand, the introductions, nothing. During the game, nothing. First at-bat, nothing. So, when’s this gonna happen? It was awesome. It just felt right.”
Royals manager Mike Matheny had the fullest confidence in his rookie: “I wasn’t concerned at all,” Matheny said. “Excited, to be honest. It was one of those you could foresee me sitting here having a conversation like this. Like, ‘OK, this is how it’s supposed to go.’
“Getting his name chanted his first day in the major leagues is pretty cool.”
As for on the mound, ace Zack Greinke, making his return to Kansas City, pitched 5 2/3 innings and only allowed a single run. He, much like Witt Jr., also received a standing ovation from the Royals’ faithful.
It was quite the way to kick off the season. And hopefully for the sake of Kansas City, the beginning of a successful season ahead of them.