Trip was worth the wait, and flight troubles, for Royals fans in Chicago

Thirty minutes after the Royals’ 3-1 victory over the White Sox, the players emerged from the visitor’s dugout. In their champagne drenched championship hats and T-shirts, the Royals applauded and showed appreciation to the fans who remained after the final out to salute their playoff-bound team.

If only the players knew just how hard some of them worked to get here.

Take the Tapp sisters — Courtney, Brittney and Whitney — their mom, Laura Duncan from Blue Springs, and their friend from St. Louis, Kayla Flsher.

It was bachelorette party time for Courtney. The original plan to San Diego was scuttled for expense, and besides, the Royals were playing in Chicago with a chance to celebrate a playoff berth.

Two were going to fly to Chicago on an early flight from Kansas City, the others would drive.

The car was two hours outside of Chicago when the call came in. Flights to Chicago were part of the 1,600 grounded nationwide Friday following a fire at an Illinois air traffic control facility.

“We were two hours outside of Chicago,” Whitney Tapp said. “We turned around and drove to St. Louis to pick them up. We made it.”

They arrived at U.S. Cellular Field, all in Royals gear, in time for the game and the victory.

The grounded flight kept away Dusty Jordan, a huge Royals fan in Los Angeles. He wanted to be with his parents, Randy and Sondra, sister Andie Herbster and her husband, Cody, in a family celebration.

“I’ve been a season-ticket holder since 1979,” Randy Jordan said. “I told myself when I got my first real job I was going to get season tickets.”

Randy got something else on Friday. In the bottom of the sixth, a foul ball descended toward his seat. He looked up in time, stuck his hand up.

“Here we go, here we go.”

The ball grazed his finger and he trapped it in his seat.

“Look at that,” Jordan said, holding the ball. “It’s a good night.”

It was for the Pernices, Anthony and Shannon from Overland Park, in town to visit their son, Michael, and granddaughter Ali. Michael, a captain in the Marines, flew back from the Philippines and also got caught in the air traffic snarl.

“A huge Royals fan,” Shannon Perince said. “He got off the plane and came straight here.”

But the late innings, Royals fans who were scatted throughout the ballpark began to make their way to empty seats behind the Royals’ dugout. Stadium ushers looked the other way.

In the ninth inning, White Sox hero Paul Konerko came to the plate to chants of “Paulie, Paulie.” Konerko has announced his retirement and these are his final home games.

He made solid contact against Royals closer Greg Holland and lined out to left fielder Alex Gordon.

More White Sox fans left, more Royals fans found their seats closer to the field.

Two outs remained.

“Let’s go Royals,” clap-clap clap-clap-clap”

Holland struck out Jordan Danks and the chant grew louder.

Michael Taylor stepped up, and fans were ready for another Holland strikeout. Cell-phone cameras pointed toward the field.

Instead, Taylor swung at the first pitch and lofted a foul pop behind the plate. Catcher Salvador Perez shed his mask and caught ball a few feet from the plate. That’s where the Royals converged form the dugout for the team celebration.

Close to the stands and the fans, some of whom went extra miles to get here, and all who had waited decades to cheer for a playoff appearance.

This story was originally published September 26, 2014 at 11:11 PM with the headline "Trip was worth the wait, and flight troubles, for Royals fans in Chicago."