KANSAS CITY, MO — Opening Day, and the thought of being back in the stands, is special for any baseball fan. But it might be even more so for those who've been season ticket holders for decades.
Joe Ungashick’s family has had Kansas City Royals season tickets since 1969, but because of COVID-19, he couldn’t go to a single game in 2020.
"It's heartbreaking," Ungashick said.
But as the pandemic continued, Ungashick was still able to watch live baseball right in his front yard, on a much smaller scale. He has a small baseball diamond built into his front yard.
"I opened it up (last year) because I wanted the neighborhood kids to have a place to go, because it was cabin fever,” Ungashick said.
The mini-diamond is named for George Toma, the legendary Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs groundskeeper, who put Ungashick’s field together a couple of years ago for neighborhood kids.
"A combination of Cooperstown, Field of Dreams, and whatever was best in your own back yard," Ungashick said.
Now, Ungashick has tickets for Opening Day 2021 at Kauffman Stadium, and even though he can't sit as close as he usually does, he can't wait to be back.
"I think of baseball as something that you can do relationally,” Ungashick said. "We can get back to the enjoyment of lining up those friends that you've gone to games with for years, and all the conversation that happens side-by-side when you're doing that again."
The Royals have already announced the team hopes to increase ticket sales as the season progresses, and COVID-19 numbers drop. Ungashick hopes that too, and not just for his own enjoyment.
"It always seems like baseball players miss the fans more than the other teams," Ungashick said. “I hope by the end of the season that we'll have full stadiums, and when you get The K rocking, that's a great thing."
Ungashick plans to have the field ready for the neighborhood this week.
He also uses the field for fundraisers, like the C You in the Major Leagues wiffle ball tournament, and he hopes to be able to host that event again this year.
