‘Salvy freaking Perez is in the backyard!’ Royals star joins kids’ Wiffle ball game

In addition to being one of the biggest stars in Major League Baseball, no one plays with more joy than Royals catcher Salvador Perez.

With an omnipresent smile, Perez’s love of the game comes through when he’s playing at Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals had a rare off-day Thursday, but Perez still found time to join a game. While driving through a Kansas City, Kansas, neighborhood, Perez spotted a Wiffle ball game in progress.

Perez pulled his car over, jumped out and asked, “Hey guys, can I play?”

The kids were initially puzzled but then 9-year-old Cameron Lard yelled out: “Guys, that’s Salvy!”

One of the boys called his father and Cameron ran inside and cried out: “Salvy freaking Perez is in the backyard!”

Cameron’s mom, Lesley Lard, shared a video on social media of Perez playing in her family’s yard.

As usual, Perez had a blast, joking with the kids about playing too deep when he was batting and laughing as he rounded the bases. He’s never not having fun.

Perez played in the outfield, too, and it was a surreal scene for everyone.

“It’s just unbelievable,” Lesley Lard said. “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?

“I mean, people outside of Kansas City know Salvy. I was trying to tell people that aren’t Royals fans, he’s the Patrick Mahomes of the Royals. Like, he is the Royals. So I still don’t really believe it. If we didn’t get a picture, then I probably wouldn’t believe that.”

It was Perez’s idea for the group photo and the kids readily agreed.

“It was just funny, my son, he’s the one in the Royals jersey,” Lesley Lard said. “Three of them just wore Royals shirts yesterday. So it wasn’t like a planned thing or anything like that. I mean, they’re out there playing every day.”

In the video, you can see the worn spots in the yard, which shows games are regularly played in the Lard’s yard. The kids use Blitzballs, which is like a Wiffle ball on steroids.

“Everybody just always says how awesome it is, you don’t see that in a lot of neighborhoods anymore,” Lesley Lard said. “Kind of old school in a way, seeing kids in a pickup game. One of those kids is a sophomore in high school. And then, the youngest, I think, is a third-grader. But we’ve had preschool kids that they let play, and it’s all ages. Everybody from the neighborhood comes.”

On Thursday, the kids let a 34-year-old join them. It was a guy who has played in nine-Major League Baseball All-Star Games and won a World Series MVP award.

“I know us in Kansas City love him, but to be the level that he is, and do that, he didn’t have to,” Lesley Lard said. “It was 15 minutes probably, at most. I think as parents, we were almost more excited because we understand the caliber of athlete he is. It just means so much that even though he’s as famous as he is he did that, because those boys will never forget it.”

She 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.”

The kids were buzzing at school Friday and Perez made memories for them that will last a lifetime.