KC grounds crew member gets rolled by tarp at ALDS (VIDEO)

Clouds and torrential rain weren't the only things that rolled into Kauffman Stadium during Game 1 of the ALDS Thursday night — and that spelled trouble for one unlucky member of the Kansas City grounds crew.

One member of the Kauffman crew got rolled over and folded like a Royals t-shirt by the tarp at the start of a rain delay in the third inning of the game between the Astros and home team — and it wasn't pretty.

Watch: This member of the Kansas City Royals Ground Crew was attacked by a tarp. https://t.co/kpORHsjSNr

— Scott Kennedy (@ScoutKennedy) October 9, 2015

It looked pretty scary, but announcer Matt Vasgersian said the worker "narrowly avoided a very bad situation" before joking "good thing the guy's in shape! He did get out of there, folks."

Kansas City church gives Billy Butler a pass on 8th Commandment (PHOTO)

In last Sunday's ALDS Game 3, the Royals' Billy Butler did something he hadn't done in two years. He stole a base.

Not only did Royals fans approve of the DH/First baseman finally swiping the bag, a Kansas City-area church has granted Butler permission to break the 8th Commandment anytime he likes.

As long as it's on the base-paths.

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A KC-area church is giving Billy Butler a divine pass for breaking one of the Ten Commandments.

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The Royals meet the Orioles in Game 1 of the ALCS Friday.

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Lorenzo Cain's amazing catch elicits tip of cap from batter Oswaldo Arcia (VIDEO)

A tip of the cap is one of the highest accolades a player can give or receive on the baseball field. But when it comes from an opponent you just robbed of an extra base hit, it's really special.

In the top of the seventh inning of Thursday's Twins-Royals game, Oswaldo Arcia hit a deep drive to centerfield that would surely have resulted in extra bases. Only problem was that Lorenzo Cain was prowling the Kauffman Stadium turf and made a spectacular wall-crashing catch. So instead of standing on second or third base, Arcia could only tip his helmet out of respect as he walked back to the dugout.

You might want to call the whole sequence of events cap-tivating.

Umpire does James Brown split while making call (VIDEO)

Most baseball umpires aren't noted for their agility on the field but sometimes the old guys can fool you with their entertaining moves.

For instance, during Friday's Giants-Royals game, umpire Gary Cederstrom went to call San Francisco infielder Joaquin Arias safe at third base, but inadvertently wound up doing a slow motion version of a James Brown split while slipping on the Kauffman Stadium grass.

Cederstrom was okay after the funky move much to the delight of the home crowd — even after the call went against the Royals.




Maybe we should start calling Cederstrom The Hardest Working Umpire in Baseball or possibly The Godfather of Fall.

Uh huh. Super bad.

Military dad surprises son during first pitch disguised as Royals catcher (VIDEO)

As far as Austin Sides knew, he was just a lucky kid throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Tuesday night's Royals-Dodgers game in Kauffman Stadium because it was his 11th birthday.

But when the catcher took off his face mask, Sides got an even better birthday present: His father, Air Force Maj. Robert Sides, who had just returned home from a yearlong deployment in the Middle East, was his battery-mate.

Get out the hankies.

It also happens to be Major Sides son's 11th birthday. Happy Birthday Austin! #beroyalkc pic.twitter.com/tndv6FUXui
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 25, 2014

The reunion had nearly everyone in the stadium wiping their eyes.

"I almost lost it myself. I grew up a pitcher, throwing with my dad and to be able to do this with my son after being gone all year," said Major Sides. "Facetime only goes so far. You need the contact and I miss that so much."

Well played Royals.

Royals' Alex Gordon makes spectacular wall-crashing catch (VIDEO)

Kansas City Royals leftfielder Alex Gordon crashed hard into the outfield wall at Kauffman Stadium while making a remarkable catch of an A's foul ball Tuesday night.

At first, the Gold Glove outfielder's condition looked pretty grim after Gordon hit the wall head-on and rolled onto the turf in obvious pain — but not before completing the remarkable play.

Fortunately, Gordon was able to lift himself off the ground and trot into the dugout serenaded by a chorus of cheers.

Mariano Rivera won't stop shagging flies at Kauffman Stadium

Last Friday marked the one year anniversary of the worst moment of Mariano Rivera's brilliant career as baseball's all-time saves leader.  This Friday, Rivera returns to Kauffman Stadium — the first time since being carted off the field in what looked like a career-ending injury — for a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals.

Rivera tore the ACL in his right knee — during his pregame ritual of shagging flies in the outfield during batting practice — on the turf of Kauffman Stadium that fateful night before crumbling to the warning track in obvious pain.

This weekend, if shagging batting practice fly balls takes Rivera to the ballpark's left-center field warning track, the non-superstitious pitcher isn’t going to shy away from the area where he collapsed last May 3 ending up with season-ending surgery in June.

“Nothing will change, I will do what I love to do,’’ said the 43-year-old Rivera, who is a perfect 12-for-12 in save chances this season.

Rivera, who missed the final five months of last season, said he is looking forward to being at Kauffman Stadium again.

“I will thank the Lord for me being there,’’ Rivera said. “I want to see the doctor who took me to the hospital and say ‘Thank You.’ I am not going to feel sorry. I feel joy. There is nothing to regret. I might be in the same spot.’’

Rivera has been amazing so far in what was once considered an uncertain future.  He's made good on the well-documented words he said the day after the injury: "I am coming back. Put it down. Write it down in big letters. I am not going down like this."

He sure did.

“I don’t think any athlete, any player, wants to leave like that, unless there’s no other choice,” Rivera said. “But I did have a choice. My choice was to either stay like that, or work hard, get the surgery, get it fixed and come back. And that’s the one I took.”

Rivera might have erased the ghosts of the Kansas City outfield from his mind, but the memories of the Hall of Fame pitcher's greatest moments and "Enter Sandman" will always be etched in ours.

Mariano Rivera carted off field with 'twisted knee'

Mariano Rivera— who has dropped hints that this will be his last season— was carted off the field before Thursday night's game after suffering a knee injury while shagging fly balls during batting practice at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

Rivera was going back for a fly ball— which he has done before games hundreds of times— when his right knee buckled underneath him and he crashed to the warning track holding his right knee.  Mo was helped to his feet by manager Joe Girardi who saw it and sprinted to the outfield.

Rivera, 42,  was examined by both the Yankees staff and Dr. Joe Nolan of the Kansas City Royals at the stadium.  The preliminary diagnosis is a "twisted right knee," reports the YES Network.

Rivera had a big smile on his face as he was wheeled off the field on the back of a motorized cart.

The all-time saves leader will have an MRI examination tonight in a Kansas City hospital before more details of the injury are released.

Rivera's 608 saves are the most in baseball history.  He has had a great season so far in 2012 and is 1-1 with 5 saves and a 2.16 ERA.

The last time Rivera was on the disabled list was in 2003, when he began the season with a groin strain.

Over his career, Rivera has been very durable, relying on his cut fastball to make at least 60 appearances in 14 seasons— another major league record.  Rivera said he has not made up his mind on whether or not he will retire after the 2012 season and has kept his decision a secret.

One thing the closer has made clear is that he wants to play the outfield for one inning before his career is over.  Just watch out for that warning track Mo.