Loftin achieves career first -- at long last
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This story was excerpted from Anne Rogers¡¯ Royals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
OAKLAND ¨C Nick Loftin hasn¡¯t been trying to hit his first career home run.
But he sure was waiting, and hoping, for it.
¡°I feel like it¡¯s been a million games,¡± Loftin said, laughing. ¡°OK, maybe more like 100 games.¡±
How about 50? That¡¯s how many games it took, dating back to his MLB debut last Sept. 1, for Loftin to get a ball over the fence, which really isn¡¯t all that long in the grand scheme of things, especially for a player not known for his power. On Tuesday in Oakland, the first homer finally came, a two-run blast in the second inning against A¡¯s starter Hogan Harris.
When the ball snuck just over the left-center wall ¨C any more left and it would have hit the wall and bounced back onto the field for a double ¨C Loftin admitted he ¡°blacked out.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know what happened after that,¡± Loftin said. ¡°Every day, I always say it¡¯s a good time to hit my first homer. And one day it was going to happen. Today was that day, and I¡¯m very thankful for it.¡±
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When Loftin crossed home plate and went back to the Royals' dugout, he was mobbed by his teammates, who might have been happier for Loftin¡¯s first homer than Loftin. Bobby Witt Jr. greeted Loftin on the top step with a hug, and Salvador Perez was next in line to congratulate him.
¡°Seeing Bob and Sal and all the guys who have been rooting for me throughout this whole year, they¡¯ve wanted it just as badly as I did,¡± Loftin said. ¡°It¡¯s very special to me. I¡¯m going to remember it for the rest of my life.¡±
MJ Melendez added: ¡°It¡¯s just a relief when you get it out of the way. I know he¡¯s been wanting one for a while, so to see it get over the wall and have him come back in the dugout smiling was really fun.¡±
The Royals retrieved the ball and will have it framed for Loftin. He also had the bat authenticated, ensuring the last ball Loftin ever hit with that bat was a home run. Both will go on his wall at home, next to the jersey he wore for his Major League debut.
¡°It¡¯s going to be something that hangs on my wall, and my son [Liam] is going to grow up to see it as well, knowing that his dad hit a home run in the big leagues,¡± Loftin said.
No matter how long it took.
¡°Now, I don¡¯t have to worry about it,¡± Loftin said. ¡°Hopefully it happens in bunches now.¡±