After decades of working to make sure the grounds were ready for many players that eventually made their way into the Royals Hall of Fame, former Kansas City groundskeeper George Toma will become member No. 25 in the Hall when he's inducted on Friday.
Toma, 83, originally worked for the Kansas City Athletics before joining the expansion Royals upon the relocation of the Athletics to Oakland. When the Royals moved to Kaufmann Stadium in 1973, Toma served as the head groundskeeper until 1995, when he became a consultant.
His career as a groundskeeper extended beyond Kaufmann Stadium, though, as he served as the head groundskeeper for the Kansas City Chiefs as well. His reputation has also given him the opportunity to serve as groundskeeper at every Super Bowl, including the 2012 game between the Patriots and Giants, as well as the 1984 and 1996 Olympics games.
His induction ceremony will take place at 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday before the Royals play the Indians.