Standing on home plate as an undrafted 19-year-old, Frank White looked out at the orange seats and Astroturf field of the old Municipal Stadium. Competing in the inaugural Ban Johnson League All-Star Game at the Kansas City Royals’ old ballpark, little did anyone know the heights that White would go on to reach with the Royals.
Fifty years on, White stood in front of the mound at Kauffman Stadium, with his retired number 20 placed proudly on the outside of the Royals Hall of Fame in the background. Charged with the responsibility of throwing out the first pitch at the 2018 Ban Johnson League All-Star Game, he didn’t want an “embarrassing moment,” so he decided to pitch from in front of the mound.