KANSAS CITY -- For more than a decade, kids all across Kansas City have likely envisioned themselves as Royals star Salvador Perez while playing baseball in their backyard.

On Thursday, a group of kids didn¡¯t have to imagine that Perez was in their backyard; he was there, in the flesh and ready to hit.

Perez was driving through a Kansas City neighborhood after hanging out with a friend on the Royals¡¯ team off-day when he spotted 9-year-old Cameron Lard and his friends hitting a ball around. The nine-time All-Star pulled his car over and shouted toward the youngsters.

¡°I like to play a lot,¡± Perez said Friday afternoon before the Royals¡¯ series opener against the Phillies. ¡°So I turned around my car, got out and said, ¡®Hey guys, can I play with you guys?¡¯ And now it¡¯s a highlight.¡±

The kids couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. Cameron ran inside and cried out: ¡°Salvy freaking Perez is in the backyard.¡±

Lesley Lard, Cameron¡¯s mother, shared a video on social media of Perez stepping in to hit and joking with the boys who had backed up to the street that they were playing too deep in the ¡°outfield.¡± Perez then smacked a line drive and chugged around the bases, laughing all the way.

¡°And by the way, they [struck] me out one time,¡± Perez admitted. ¡°It¡¯s hard to hit that ball. I didn¡¯t know about the way it moves. It¡¯s pretty cool.¡±

Pretty cool might be an understatement.

¡°It¡¯s just unbelievable,¡± Lesley told The Kansas City Star. ¡°We actually have a Kansas City Monarchs player that lives with a host family in our neighborhood as well. And he came and played with the boys a few weeks ago, and we all couldn¡¯t believe that. Thought it was the coolest thing. And then this happens, and it¡¯s just like, I don¡¯t know, Salvy is just like, another level, you know?"

Lesley added: They¡¯ll be telling everybody at school today. My son said that no one will believe him, so I sent the picture to his teacher, so that way she could show that it actually happened.¡±

Perez was the one to suggest that everyone gather for a group photo. Just a group of kids -- and a 34-year-old World Series-winning catcher -- enjoying the game of baseball together.

For Perez, playing with joy and sharing his love for the game is ¡°what it¡¯s all about,¡± he said.

¡°It¡¯s about the kids,¡± Perez said. ¡°It¡¯s one of my favorite things to do. I love to play baseball, I love to play hard, I like to compete, but I¡¯ve always said that we don¡¯t know what these families and kids do to get a ticket to come see you. To have that kind of opportunity to play with them, it¡¯s not going to happen very often. I think God put me in the right spot to make these kids happy for a little bit.¡±

Even on his off-day, Perez can¡¯t stop thinking about baseball.

¡°I thought it was my off-day, but I played like three innings!¡± he said, laughing. ¡°I¡¯m kind of tired a little bit.¡±