‘Like old times.’ Royals fans happy to see Marlins Man at Yankees game at The K

Marlins Man is back at The K.

Royals fans on social media were happy to see the famous baseball fan — real name is Laurence Leavy — sitting in the stands at Kauffman Stadium Wednesday night as KC played the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the American League Division Series.

He sat in his usual spot: in the stands almost directly behind home plate, where every camera shot of every batter showed him in his bright orange Marlins gear.

During the Royals’ playoff runs in 2014 and 2015, Leavy was a familiar face at The K. He has even called Kansas City his second home.

“Nice to see Marlins Man behind the plate with the postseason atmosphere. Just like old times,” one Royals fan tweeted on X, where Leavy received a mostly warm reception.

“Marlins Man is behind home plate at the K and for a moment everything is right in the world,” tweeted another fan.

Leavy is legendary for buying seats right behind home plate at games across Major League Baseball, including games at Kauffman.

He began earning Kansas City’s affection in October 2015, the year the Royals hosted the Blue Jays at The K for the first two games of the ALCS. Leavy was at the game after performing an act of kindness Royals fans might still remember.

Two Kansas City firefighters, John Mesh and Larry Leggio, had just lost their lives in the line of duty while battling an intentionally set fire inside a nail salon. Leavy heard the news and gave each of their families $5,000, money he had intended to spend on a Mets-Dodgers playoff game.

During that trip to Kansas City, he also toured an animal shelter here and urged his Twitter followers to rescue pets.

Baseball fans have come to know Leavy for generous gestures, like giving out game tickets to fans.

On a weekend trip to Kansas City in 2017 he mixed sports with philanthropy by attending two charity events, two Royals games, Late Night In The Phog at KU, the Kansas State-Baylor football game and a Chiefs game.

Before he left town he tweeted this about Kansas City sports fans: “The most honest, sincere, grateful and appreciative people live in Kansas City and are @Royals and @chiefs fans.”