For Father’s Day, KC Royals share lessons from their children: ‘Not about me anymore’

Kansas City Royals utilityman Nick Loftin was speechless when he received his Father’s Day gift.

It was his first one as a new dad.

Earlier this week, Loftin received special family photos and a coffee mug with his son, Liam’s, picture on it.

“It says, ‘Liam’s daddy,’ and it’s a picture of him just smiling,” Loftin said. “I said I was going to use that coffee mug every day when I get home.”

Liam was born on January 21. This spring, Loftin shared how special it meant to become a dad alongside his wife Taylor.

On Sunday, Loftin will spend Father’s Day away from his family. The Royals are in Los Angeles for a nine-game, three-city road trip.

And it hasn’t been easy.

“It’s hard knowing I see my family once a month for a couple of days,” Loftin said. “But it makes it that much sweeter every time I do get to see them.”

For nine months, MLB dads have to make a difficult sacrifice. The grueling work schedule and constant travel takes time away from their families. There are missed birthdays, dance recitals, Little League games.

Phone calls and FaceTime chats certainly help. But they can’t equate to being at home for each of those tender moments.

“You try to be there for all that you can,” Royals reliever Will Smith said. “We’re on road trips and my wife sends me pictures and videos all day long.”

As a result, the Royals have built a bond around fatherhood.

Chris Stratton and Hunter Renfroe have planned family gatherings. They have known each other since college and their kids play together.

Royals starter Brady Singer has gotten stroller and car seat recommendations ahead of his first Father’s Day.

And after a Royals home victory, the players are allowed to bring their kids in the clubhouse. There have been fun moments, such as Singer’s son, Beau, taking over a viral postgame interview.

Smith’s son Stone, who is 1 year old, just started walking. However, he’s already made quite the impression with the team.

“I bring Stone in and give him a baseball,” Smith said. “He runs around and everybody is super nice about it and gives him high-fives.”

These moments have created a family-friendly team environment. The Royals enjoy talking about their kids. It is a way to keep things in perspective and focus on the bigger picture off the baseball field.

“We just share funny stories about what our kids did that day,” Smith said. “(Stratton) is the dad of the bullpen. He has three of them (kids). We just tell stories of our family just like any other job.”

Some players believe that perspective can help fuel a winning clubhouse culture, too.

“You just kind of look at life a little bit differently,” Singer said. “You know, obviously, there are bigger things in life and, you know, to go home and hang out with him and him to look up to me as well is really cool. You look at life through a different lens. He is my whole world now.”

Fatherhood can also be a key motivator.

Royals reliever Dan Altavilla will also celebrate his first Father’s Day on Sunday. He recently returned to the majors after nearly three years away due to Tommy John surgery.

His daughter, Elle, is 6 months old. While there are some sleepless nights, Altavilla knows she is an inspiration for him to keep chasing his dreams.

“I do everything for my daughter now, and it’s special to me,” Altavilla said. “I try to lead by example. … She means everything to me.”

Loftin agrees. Liam has helped him become selfless on and off the field.

“You know, my whole life, I’ve worked to be the best version of myself and the best baseball player I could possibly be,” Loftin said. “But ever since I became a dad, it’s not about me anymore. It’s about my family — my wife and my son — and how I can be beneficial to them and serve them in that regard.”

In the Royals bullpen, there are several proud dads. Stratton has three kids (Mack, Mary Bennett and Darby) and Royals closer James McArthur has two (Lennie and Maddox).

When times get hard, McArthur looks at a pair of Tecova boots. The footwear was a Father’s Day gift last year. He called it the greatest present he has ever received because his family is always close to him.

“I wear them all the time and on every road trip,” McArthur said. “When I put them on, it does remind me of them.”

Last season, the Royals held their “Dads Trip,” bringing players’ fathers along for an inside look at the team. The trip included stops in Miami, Florida, and Baltimore, Maryland, and it culminated in a big dinner and batting practice for the dads.

Many players drew inspiration from their dads. Now, they hope to do the same with their children.

“Just be there for your kids, man,” Schreiber, whose son is named Charlie, said. “I think that’s just the biggest advice you can get from your parents.”

That’s exactly what many Royals intend to do.

“In the offseason, we feel like we are trying to play catch up,” Stratton said. “You know, trying to get a lot of that time back. People ask me what I do in the offseason, and I hang out with them. I don’t really golf or do any kind of hunting or anything. All I do is hang out with them and see where the day takes us.”

The Royals will complete their long road trip on June 23 after a three-game series against the Texas Rangers. For the dads, it will be an important time to see their kids and spend time enjoying the “greatest job in the world.”

And they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I want to be my daughter’s (Alison) best friend,” Renfroe said, “and someone that she can look up to and somebody she can be proud of.”

Father’s Day reminds them of that.

“Nobody knows how to be a perfect dad,” Renfroe said. “I think that’s impossible — to be a perfect dad — but you can be the best dad that you possibly can.”