There are few things more exciting to baseball players than a home opener. Thousands of fans pack the stadium in order to cheer on their club. Sure, it's probably exciting to play opening day on the road, but coming home and experiencing the fans for the first time seems like a special experience.*
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Prior to each home opener, elaborate ceremonies are planned for the home team. Past accomplishments are celebrated, and members of the organization are introduced in front of the roaring fans. For new players, this is their first opportunity to make a good impression on the home crowd. Win the fans during the home opener, and it's possible they'll love you the entire season.
Houston Astros backup catcher Erik Kratz may have done just that Monday. He wasn't able to secure the love and adoration of the fans with a badass intro, though. The opposite, actually.*
#Astros back-up catcher Erik Kratz took a tumble during intros, his teammates and #Royals had a good laugh pic.twitter.com/AVXqwAncC4
— Daniel Gotera (@DTGoteraKHOU) April 12, 2016
Yeah, Erik Kratz wiped out during his first opportunity to make an impression on his new fans. As he falls on the orange carpet the team rolled out, you can hear the announcer audibly cringe. The fans didn't seem to mind, though. It sounds like they cheered even louder for the 35-year-old backup.
They weren't the only ones who seemed to enjoy the stumble. Kratz's teammates could be seen smirking as the catcher ran through the gauntlet of high fives. The rival Kansas City Royals also loved it, as the video shows Alcides Escobar pointing and laughing at Kratz.*
[Elsewhere: Bryce Harper is going to keep it 100 for his next home run]
And in case you think Escobar's gesture was mean, that's probably not the case. Kratz was a member of the Royals from 2014 to 2015, so the Kansas City players are likely pretty familiar with him. They only laugh because they love, right?
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