Loftin achieves career first -- at long last

This story was excerpted from Anne Rogers’ Royals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

OAKLAND – Nick Loftin hasn’t been trying to hit his first career home run.

But he sure was waiting, and hoping, for it.

“I feel like it’s been a million games,” Loftin said, laughing. “OK, maybe more like 100 games.”

How about 50? That’s how many games it took, dating back to his MLB debut last Sept. 1, for Loftin to get a ball over the fence, which really isn’t all that long in the grand scheme of things, especially for a player not known for his power. On Tuesday in Oakland, the first homer finally came, a two-run blast in the second inning against A’s starter Hogan Harris.

When the ball snuck just over the left-center wall – any more left and it would have hit the wall and bounced back onto the field for a double – Loftin admitted he “blacked out.”

“I don’t know what happened after that,” Loftin said. “Every day, I always say it’s a good time to hit my first homer. And one day it was going to happen. Today was that day, and I’m very thankful for it.”

When Loftin crossed home plate and went back to the Royals' dugout, he was mobbed by his teammates, who might have been happier for Loftin’s first homer than Loftin. Bobby Witt Jr. greeted Loftin on the top step with a hug, and Salvador Perez was next in line to congratulate him.

“Seeing Bob and Sal and all the guys who have been rooting for me throughout this whole year, they’ve wanted it just as badly as I did,” Loftin said. “It’s very special to me. I’m going to remember it for the rest of my life.”

MJ Melendez added: “It’s just a relief when you get it out of the way. I know he’s been wanting one for a while, so to see it get over the wall and have him come back in the dugout smiling was really fun.”

The Royals retrieved the ball and will have it framed for Loftin. He also had the bat authenticated, ensuring the last ball Loftin ever hit with that bat was a home run. Both will go on his wall at home, next to the jersey he wore for his Major League debut.

“It’s going to be something that hangs on my wall, and my son [Liam] is going to grow up to see it as well, knowing that his dad hit a home run in the big leagues,” Loftin said.

No matter how long it took.

“Now, I don’t have to worry about it,” Loftin said. “Hopefully it happens in bunches now.”