A Kansas City Royals fan was arrested Wednesday evening after jumping into the stadium's water fountain in an attempt to retrieve Salvador Perez's record-tying home run ball. The incident occurred in the seventh inning of the Royals' 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Perez hit his 317th career home run, a 437-foot blast, which landed in the right-center field fountains at Kauffman Stadium. The fan subsequently entered the water to retrieve the ball, which tied him with Royals legend George Brett for the franchise's all-time home run record. Security escorted the fan from the stadium, and police took him into custody. According to the Royals' team website, jumping into a fountain is grounds for immediate arrest and charges.
The fan has since been released. Following the game, Perez commented on the incident, expressing understanding for the fan's actions and suggesting authorities should release him. "Please, police, just take care of the job please and send him home. If was him, I’d maybe jump too and try to get that ball, so please," Perez said, according to reports. He added, "And thank you for the hard work in trying to get that ball."
Perez, 36, is in his 15th MLB season, all with the Royals, where he has established himself as a franchise icon. He is a nine-time All-Star, a five-time Gold Glove winner, a five-time Silver Slugger winner, and was the 2015 World Series MVP. Royals manager Matt Quatraro described Perez as having an "unrivaled" passion for the game and called him a "Hall of Famer."