LOS ANGELES -- The Rockies may be on the road this week, but their third baseman was very much at home.
Kyle Karros got rides to the ballpark from his parents for this series at Dodger Stadium after staying in the house he grew up in. Called up to the Majors for his initial big league appearance on Aug. 8, he felt an equally special significance to these three games in L.A.
“In a way,” Karros said, “it feels like my debut all over again.”
The 23-year-old and 2023 fifth-round pick out of UCLA took the field for the first time in the stadium he grew up watching and falling in love with the sport. It’s also where his father played for most of his 14-year career. Eric Karros was a Dodger from 1991-2002 before becoming a team broadcaster. He and about 20 friends and family members were in attendance in support each night.
“Walking into the stadium for the first time,” Kyle said, “realizing I'm here to play a baseball game -- not just watch one. I'd say that's when you get the butterflies. But once I start taking ground balls and swinging the bat, all that kind of goes away.”
The Rockies were swept in Chavez Ravine, capped by Wednesday’s 9-0 result, having tallied just two runs and six hits in three games. Karros offered one of the few offensive highlights of the series on Tuesday when he singled to lead off the sixth inning after the first 15 consecutive Colorado batters were retired.
“We haven’t done well on the field, but I’m trying to separate that from enjoying the moment with my family,” Karros said. “The weirdest part about playing here is I look around and I have so many memories. I look at the seats that I sat in and watched all these great moments happen.”
Moments include getting to see players like Juan Uribe, Matt Kemp and Justin Turner. In June 2012, on his dad’s bobblehead night, Kyle caught the first pitch from his brother, Jared (who is currently pitching in the Dodgers’ system).
But while there is a surreal nature to playing in Dodger Stadium, his favorite memories come from the time spent at the club’s Spring Training site at Camelback Ranch.
Around the time he was 7 or 8 years old, Kyle and Jared started accompanying their dad to Arizona while he was serving as a guest instructor.
“We’d go out on the backfield and take batting practice and run around. Those were the times I really fell in love with baseball,” Karros said. “That was when I decided that this is what I wanted to do.”
Dodgers ties run pretty strong in the Karros family. A major influence is the late Tommy Lasorda. The Hall of Fame manager who served from 1976-96 and was a fixture with the organization for more than 70 years is also Kyle’s godfather.
“You get that guy going at a dinner table, and you're just soaking it all in,” Karros said. “He's got so much wisdom to share. I would just sit back and it would be my dad at the table, Tommy, Dusty Baker, Bobby Valentine, and they're just talking about so many baseball stories that are applicable to life.”
“I can't help but close my eyes [when I’m on the field at Dodger Stadium] and picture Tommy sitting there with me and my family.”
From sitting in the stands as a youngster to standing at third base and in the batter’s box in front of loved ones, Karros is appreciating the full-circle nature this week has brought.
“I've tried to enjoy those moments as much as I can,” Karros said. “I know that they've played a big part in my life coming up. I probably wouldn't be in the spot I am without all of them impacting me in some way. So it's more for them than it is me.”