KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals are celebrating 54 years of baseball, and there's one man who's been with the team almost as long.
Bob Stamps is 75 years old and has become a legend around Kauffman Stadium.
"I love everything about it out here," Stamps said. "The fans, everything about this place, I love it."
Stamps, originally from Edwards, Mississippi, came to Kansas City with his wife.
He became a school teacher in Kansas City, Kansas, and started ushering part-time for the Chiefs. But when he was offered a spot with the Royals, he never looked back.
Working his way up the ladder, Stamps started as an usher and now works as an usher supervisor.
"My job is to make sure that they do the job of ushering, showing people to their seat, helping people when they need help," Stamps said.
Over his five decades with the team, Stamps has nearly seen it all.
Stamps was there for the 1980, 2014 and 2015 World Series runs and worked the 2012 All-Star Game when it was hosted in Kansas City.
Plus, he has a fair share of famous friends.
"Bo [Jackson] was a good friend … Lorenzo Cain, Frank White, Dennis Leonard," Stamps recalled. "Whenever they see me, they speak to me. All the old-timers come back, they speak to me."
Stamps is famous in his own right, too.
He has his own award, Bob Stamps Gameday Associate of the Year, in the Royals Hall of Fame to prove it.
The award is presented to one employee at the end of each season who embodies what Stamps has brought to the team: pride, teamwork, guest services and character.
"First, it was shocking because I didn’t know they were doing it," Stamps said. "But it means a lot that the organization thought enough of me to name an award for our associates."
Stamps is humble about his popularity, but it's evident how well-liked he is by the smiles on people's faces. Everyone from fans to the grounds crew knows Stamps — and he knows them, too.
"The fans are fantastic, I love the fans," he said. "The organization has treated me very well."
Now that he's retired from teaching, Stamps has shifted his focus to all Royals.
"I’m blessed," Stamps said. "Coming out of Mississippi, I never thought anything like this would happen. And here I am. I’m in the Hall of Fame, the Royals Hall of Fame. ... Within a heartbeat, I’d be glad to come back and do it all over."
Luckily, Stamps isn't leaving anytime soon.
He plans to stay as long as he can move around comfortably and hopes to be there for the new stadium.
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