It had been a long time since a major league baseball player born and bred in Nebraska became an All-Star. That is, until outfielder Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals was chosen for the American League squad over the weekend. And now, the fun for the Gordon family has only just begun.
Alex Gordon’s parents drove from Lincoln to attend the Royals game on Saturday in Kansas City. He says he shared a special moment with his him mom after the game.
“She’s my biggest fan, so she just came up and gave me a hug for like 20 seconds. I kind of starting crying. I know she supports me, good or bad. She was thrilled that it happened and I know my dad was the same way. They’re going to come with me to the All-Star game and experience everything with me, which they should. They’ve been a big part of my life and I’m happy to do that.”
Like Gordon, Darin Erstad and Ken Harvey were former Huskers who became All-Stars, but Erstad and Harvey grew up outside Nebraska. The last Major League All-Star born in Nebraska and a high school graduate in Nebraska was Gregg Olson.
After attending Northwest High in Omaha, Olson later became a member of the 1990 American League All-Star team while with the Baltimore Orioles.