Quote:
Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry
Former Royals Equipment Manager Al Zych died in a car wreck Monday at the Lake of the Ozarks.
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Are you kidding me? I missed that news. He was a great guy. One summer day, in 77 or 78, (and it was hot as F) several friends and I arrived at the stadium to line up for GA tickets ($ 1.50 at that time).
In those days of consistent sell outs or near sell outs, you had one or two guys station themselves at the gate and one or two station themselves at the GA ticket booth which was located in RF or LF depending on where you sat. The ticket sales for GA started 90 minutes before the game. Once they opened, you bought tix, rushed them to your friends, who then rushed for the front row of GA, saving your seat.
On this day, it was over 100* easily. We arrived at noon to stand in line for a series with the BOSOX (maybe) And we took turns going into the shade to cool down.
As I was walking in the shadows all down the RF line I pass the players entrance and sit down. No players were around as they usually didn't arrive until 4pm. As I'm sitting there a nice man walked up and asked if I needed a drink. I said "Sure". I thought he was going to give me glass of water. Instead, he takes me into the players entrance into the stadium and into the clubhouse. He opens a fridge and hands me a coke. Asks me if I want to look around. So he introduces himself as "Al". I knew immediately who he was. So for an hour or so I wander around the empty clubhouse looking at uniforms and wishing I could ask for a jersey. Was too frightened tho. Honestly, I was hoping he would ask me if I needed a job as a clubhouse attendant. But I was overwhelmed and mortified just to be there. It was a great experience. I had no camera, nothing. Those would have been such great photos.
Anyway, he walked me out and every once in a while Al would exit the RF bullpen before a game and we would exchange waves. To give me, a young kid some of his time on a hot day was just a very nice thing to do.
I made a lot of acquaintances at the stadium in those days. The beer men, the ground crew, the bullpen crew and pitchers. So many great memories.
RIP Al.