Finally, the big day arrived.  I met the Royals staff member at the time and place they indicated and I was taken down to the press room to wait until time to go to the field.  After a short time, I was handed the ball I would be throwing and taken through the tunnel system under the stadium. I exited the tunnels directly beside the Royals dugout on the field.  The team had just begun coming out of the clubhouse and into the dugout.  I was standing within arm's reach of most of the Royals players.  It was surreal, to say the least.  The young lady who was directing me from the Royals staff, Kelly, told me that we would walk to the edge of the grass and wait.  She would tell me when to go, and upon her direction, I was to head out to the pitcher’s mound.  Kelly told me that after the stadium announcer introduced me, he would end by saying, “Whenever you’re ready, Todd, fire away!”  That was my cue to throw the pitch.  She said I could either stand on the pitcher’s mound or in front of it on the grass.  I asked, “How could I possibly miss the opportunity to throw the ball from the pitcher’s mound?”