Kansas City Royals pitcher Lucas Erceg visits Boonville Correctional Center to share his journey from the depths to the diamond
Story and Photos by Marcus Wilkins
Lucas Erceg spun the baseball in his sweaty palm, rotating the seams for a precise grip. Kansas City clung to a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the ninth as the Royals’ righty peered from the mound at Gunnar Henderson — the Orioles’ shortstop and best hitter — and the opposing home crowd chanted “Let’s go O’s!” into the balmy Baltimore night.
Whirling toward home to unleash a 91-mph slider, Erceg’s ensuing fist-pump seemed to anticipate the result as Henderson sliced air to end the game and send KC to the 2024 American League Division Series.
The exhilarating strikeout represented the pinnacle of Erceg’s young Major League career, but it was lightyears from the most challenging episode of his life. That particular rock-bottom moment occurred four years earlier, when Erceg confronted the alcoholism threatening to derail his dreams — or worse.
“I was thinking about suicide and these dark, demeaning thoughts,” Erceg said. “My girlfriend [Emma], who is now my wife, gave me an ultimatum: ‘Help yourself, or I’m moving on.’”
Inside Pitch
Erceg shared his life story with Boonville Correctional Center (BCC) residents on June 9, 2025 — one day before his five-year “sober birthday.” Accompanied on the Hope Chapel stage by BCC chaplain Tristram McCormack, Erceg connected with attendees — many of whom have faced similar struggles.
“The way I was talking to myself, if I were to walk up to any of you and talk to you like that, you’d probably clock me right in the face,” Erceg said. “So, if I wouldn’t talk to you that way, why would I talk to myself that way?”
Erceg was raised in Northern California by divorced parents: an emotionally absent father and an alcoholic mother. Throughout his youth, the baseball diamond became a refuge where the competition provided release. Erceg’s transcendent talent landed him a scholarship at the University of California, Berkeley. He played third base and partied — often skipping class while his grades plummeted.
He eventually transferred to Menlo College, where he was selected 46th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2016 MLB Draft. The fact that he found success despite his drinking habits only fueled his addiction.
“Being able to have a six pack of beer and then still go out and hit two doubles, it was like ‘I’m living the dream,’” Erceg said. “Emma would come home and I would be playing video games, drunk, not realizing how much I actually had to drink. I had to take a look at myself in the mirror and figure out who I wanted to be.”
Erceg made the decision to quit drinking on June 10, 2020, a date he has embroidered on his infield glove. The early steps of sobriety were rough. Erceg struggled to keep even water down, and the 6-foot-2-inch pitcher dropped to an emaciated 160 pounds.
“But I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward,” Erceg said. “It was like waking up one day and seeing color for the first time. It was the best decision of my life.”
Erceg starts each spring training by telling new coaches and teammates about his journey — and welcoming them to reach out if they’re struggling, too. It’s an invitation a fellow ballplayer accepted during a recent rehab assignment with Kansas City’s AAA team in Omaha.
“I know it meant a lot to him, and selfishly, it meant way more to me,” said Erceg, succumbing to tears. “I never thought I would be in that situation, but it was truly special. And I hope you all get to experience that, too.”
Sweet Spot
During one the program’s lighter moments, McCormick shared the residents’ tongue-in-cheek proposals for Erceg’s walkout song — the music played over the stadium PA system when a relief pitcher enters the game. Some rejected titles included “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys, “Careless Whisper” by George Michael and “Stand By Your Man” by Loretta Lynn.
“That one was my suggestion,” said Eric Burns, BCC resident, after the event. “It’s great that a big-league ballplayer came out here to talk to us even though we’re in our state grays. I’m two years sober right now, and I related to that when he said he didn’t want to slip up and have to start back over from zero. That’s real.”
Erceg is now the fourth MLB star to visit BCC after former New York Mets legend Daryl Strawberry and Royals World Series veterans Willie Aikens and Frank White.
“Part of rehabilitation is helping these guys to see that, just because someone is a millionaire playing a children’s game, it doesn’t mean they don’t struggle with some of the same things residents struggle with,” said McCormack, a lifelong baseball fan who coordinates the visits. “That has an impact on the residents and, ultimately, improves lives.”
As Lucas and Emma Erceg toured the grounds — led by BCC recruitment coordinator Scott Fox — they marveled at the institution’s virtual heavy equipment simulators, VR welding headsets and Restorative Justice woodshop. When their stroll culminated at the chapel — building No. 17 — the name wasn’t lost on the resilient couple.
“I love that it’s called Hope Chapel,” Erceg said. “And 17 was my favorite jersey number as a kid. This had to be a sign!”