Denny Matthews Opens Up After Reaching Rare Milestone With Royals

Denny Matthews has called Kansas City Royals games since the team's first game in 1969, and on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium he called his 8,000th.

The Royals lost 12-9 to the Cleveland Guardians, but the night belonged to the Hall of Fame broadcaster.

The celebration started before first pitch.

Manager Matt Quatraro walked Matthews from the clubhouse to the dugout, where the team showed off a new sign above his radio booth marking the 8,000th game.

Staff and media also surprised him in the press box with a cake and balloons.

The biggest moment came in the fifth inning.

Matthews was shown on the video board, the crowd gave him a standing ovation and the whole Royals team came out of the dugout to tip their caps to him.

He also took over the TV call that inning while staying on the radio.

Matthews did not sound ready to put a label on what 8,000 games means, according to MLB.com.

"I don't think I've really accepted that yet. It's still just a number, and maybe when the season is over and I start thinking about that, it'll take on a little different tone," Matthews said.

He followed that with a joke about how many foul balls that adds up to, the same humor Royals fans have heard on the radio for decades.

Catcher Carter Jensen grew up in Kansas City listening to Matthews as a kid, and he said the pause in the game gave him goosebumps.

Jensen also said that Matthews walks into the ballpark with a smile on his face every day.

The game itself was tied 7-7 going into the ninth before Cleveland scored five runs to win.

Kansas City fell to 68-92, but most fans will remember Friday for the man in the booth, not the final score.

Matthews is not done, either.

MLB.com reported that he plans to return in 2027 for his 59th season, and he said the people he has worked with are the reason he has stayed in Kansas City for so long.

He also received the Ford C. Frick Award in 2007.

MLB.com also noted that he is one of only four announcers in MLB history to call games for the same team for at least 50 seasons, joining Vin Scully, Jaime Jarrín and Bob Uecker.

The Royals have not had many big moments this year.

Catcher Salvador Perez extended a franchise record of his own on Thursday, and the team nominated shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. for an MLB award.

Friday's tribute belongs on that list too.

Kansas City has two games left, both at home against Cleveland, and the Guardians need wins to hold off the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central.

Matthews will be in the booth for those games, and there is still plenty of talk about where the Royals will play in the years ahead.

Wherever that ends up, the franchise has had one steady voice from the start, and he is not going anywhere yet.