Raised Royal: Superfan born night of 2014 Wild Card game ready for next postseason run

SMITHVILLE, Mo. (KCTV) - Every so often, if we’re lucky, the sports universe gives us a rare “where were you when” moment. The Kansas City Royals’ 2014 American League Wild Card game, played exactly 10 years ago Monday, certainly fits the bill.

The Royals rallied not once, but twice, to win one of the greatest games ever played in KC, 9-8 over the Oakland Athletics in 12 innings.

“Whether you’re young or old, whoever was watching the game, everybody has stories about it, right?” Jay Speer, of Smithville, said. “For that team, they also affected the future generation, like Breckin.”

Baseball runs in the 9-year-old’s veins. You might even say he was born a die-hard Royals fan.

“I kind of knew in my mom’s belly,” Breckin said.

September 30, 2014, Jay and Heather Speer anxiously watched their Royals in the winner-take-all, extra-inning classic.

“I’m nine months pregnant, I mean jumping and screaming,” Heather said.

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The only one in the room not worried? Breckin — not even Earth-side yet!

“I kind of knew we were coming back, even though I wasn’t like, out yet,” Breckin said. “I kind of just could feel it.”

“I even posted on Facebook, ‘I think this game’s going to put me into labor,’” Heather said. “I just kept going all the way through the whole night and then went to bed. And then three in the morning, my water broke. So I was very much contracting through the whole thing.”

Shortly after, out came 7-pound, 10-ounce Breckin Speer.

Breckin Hosmer Speer, named after the Hoz himself.

At the stroke of midnight, the ‘Royal baby’ will turn 10, and the Speer family will once again celebrate a Blue October together.

“Now he plays baseball,” Jay, who watched the Royals win the ‘85 World Series with his dad when he was Breckin’s’ age, said. “He plays spring and fall, and he loves it. He wears number 35.”

“I want to do it for Hosmer,” Breckin said.

“(Breckin) plays first base,” Jay said. “It’s his ion to be honest with you. It gave him a joy for the game. Whether he plays long term or not, he loves baseball — and it stems back to that 2014 team.”

“The team is really good, and they inspire me to play baseball harder and harder, and just relax and have fun,” Breckin said.

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