KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSNT) — It’s not every day that you get to throw the first pitch at a major league baseball game.
Thursday night, that dream came true for a Topeka boy.
Brody Keil is a Royals super fan and thanks to a couple of Kansas City organizations, he was able to have a once in a lifetime experience at Kauffman Stadium.
In front of thousands of fans and his own fan club, Brody Keil got to do something most baseball fans only dream of — throwing the first pitch.
For Brody and his family, it was everything they thought it would be and more.
“The kid deserved it all,” said Brody’s mom Jess. “It was so great having that many people watching and you could tell he was excited to be here. He had a fan club out there. It was just a heck of an experience.”
Brody has Marfan syndrome and recently underwent surgery at Children’s Mercy Hospital. He stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City while he was there.
“He’s had a lot of hardships in life with his health,” said Jess. “He’s had back surgery, heart surgery, and eye surgery, so he’s one tough guy.”
When the staff at the Ronald McDonald House found out he was a Royals fan, they knew exactly what to do.
For the past five years, the Ronald McDonald House has partnered up with the Kansas City Steak Company to give one lucky kid the opportunity to throw the first pitch.
“It’s the ultimate fan experience and it’s a once in a lifetime,” said Kansas City Steak Company Director of Communication Marcy Johnson. “It’s big memory maker not just for the child, but for his family or her family and it’s the highlight of the summer for us to get to come out here and share this experience with them.”
After throwing the pitch, Brody also got to meet some of his heroes.
“I got to meet Ned Yost, Whit Merrifield, Gordo, Billy Hamilton,” said Brody.
To top it all off, he got to sit back and eat some hot dogs while watching them play.
For Brody and his family it was a night they’ll never forget.
