Shawnee Mission Birth Center, a hospital that facilitated more births than any other in the metro Kansas City area last year, had 473 recorded births in July. That's nearly 20 more babies than the previous record for a given month, and it just so happened to be nine months after the Royals appeared in the World Series.Now, we've got a little bit of a sample size problem here, because we won't know the total July birth numbers for Kansas and Missouri until next year, but the Kansas City Star has plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest crazy-exciting baseball works as some kind of aphrodisiac.
Advertisement
Heidi and Eric Pemberton of Louisburg, Kan., say their 3-week-old daughter is also a bit of World Series memorabilia.
"We're thinking game six-ish," says Eric, 33, a sales manager for a local beer distributor. That was when the Royals crushed the Giants 10-0 and forced game seven.
So many people were having babies in July that one woman at the Birth Center had to have her scheduled induction delayed, because there wasn't enough room. Not only was the nail-biting run getting everyone in the mood, but it was also working minor miracles.
"I had just been told the previous month that we would probably never have children," says Jennifer, 34.
After Jennifer's friends figured out she was having a World Series baby, they planned a baseball-themed shower and nicknamed her bump "Hosmer."
Another couple had been trying to have a baby for 18 months before finding success. The turning point? Partying with the Royals after their win in the ALCS. Tera Lowe told the Star, "I got Brandon Finnegan to dance on the stage and was drinking from the same champagne bottle as (Salvador) Perez." Two days later: conception.Once we get the full numbers, we may finally know why the Royals destroyed everyone in All-Star voting earlier this summer. Maybe these new parents were also voting on behalf of their yet-to-be-born Royals Babies.[MLB]
ONE EMAIL. ONE STORY. EVERY WEEK. SIGN UP FOR THE VICE NEWSLETTER.
By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.
