Associated Press

Partly because the AP’s KC office was in the same historic building as the KC Star, I also annoyed my way into their space to ask their photo staffer to take a chance on me – and somehow it worked. I really must have had some skill because after a trial period, he said I could keep doing what I was doing. That turned into shooting almost every Royals home game, large fires, NFL football, NBA basketball, and visits by politicians for the next 3 years.

Baseball field boundaries in those days placed us very close to players at the end of the dugout. During the games it can get a little slow, so often times the players would sit around and share their analysis of other players’ skills, stance, or manhood. The downside of that closeness was constantly keeping one eye out for foul balls, as they strayed fairly often into a crowded photo bay.

It was Rod Carew this time who saved the weirdo standing at the right from plastic surgery.